1:25 pm
The Farm
Simon was at his workstation, Eva in her usual place in his left arm, and Nikki was sitting at her workstation staring at the blank screen.
“What is it Butterfly?” Simon asked without lifting his head. Nikki shook herself out of the trance she was in and after a couple of seconds she replied,
“What…nothing, why?” Simon stopped clicking and leaned back and turned his chair to face Nikki, and regarded her for a few seconds, not saying anything. He had a small smile on his lips and he just waited, watching her. Finally, she blew out a breath and leaned back in her own chair and said,
“It’s the kids, Dante and Eve. Are we doing the right thing with them? I mean, I know we aren’t, but I understand why we include them, their lives put them on this path. I just don’t know, after Dante was taken and….” she paused, choking back the emotion before continuing, “Eve was beside herself with worry. What if something worse had happened, could you live with that, could I?” She finished with a pleading look in her eyes. Simon looked into her eyes for a few seconds and then rose from his seat and walked over and laid the little wiggler in Nikki’s arms and he crouched in front of her and kissed her gently. He had his hands on her knees while he crouched in front of her and said,
“The entire time Dante was gone, I was going through the same thing over and over in my own head. How can I let him be part of this, but I also know how. He was in this life before we crossed paths with him and I was just trying to help him become better so nothing would happen to him. When it did, I was doubting everything we were doing myself. Not the two of us, this is who we are, but I agree. The problem is getting him to accept it and make the decision to lead a different life…if he even can.” He smiled up at Nikki and then pulled her into his arms, Eva squirming between them. When he felt Nikki relax some he leaned back and said,
“I will talk to him when the opportunity comes up. I know he will resist the idea, but if the timing is right, we’ll just see. Until then, what do you say we take this little princess outside and let her play in the sunshine while it’s here, maybe wear her out some…” He finished with a look in his eye that had Nikki’s body temperature rising. She stood and after situating Eva on her shoulder, took Simon’s hand and they walked out into the beautiful afternoon.