34. There, There. All Better Now.
Chapter 34
There, There. All Better Now.
Uncle Julie
Two Years – One Month Ago
“ U nkie Julie, you promise mama and daddy love me?” Sparrow asked him as she cuddled further into his side.
At least that’s what he heard. She still hadn’t learned how to annunciate all her words and half of what she said was babble, but it was close enough.
“Yes sweetheart. With all their hearts.” She was nearing three now and he imagined soon enough she would have more questions. Ones he couldn’t answer. He glanced around Sparrow’s spacious room, making sure there weren’t any watchful eyes.
He readjusted, sitting up and placing Sparrow next to him. Ruffling her hair fondly, he offered a small smile .
“What’s this?” Tiny chubby fingers reached up to his face.
He hissed in pain as she grabbed hold of his piercing. It was a new one on his ear.
When she pulled back her hand, it had his blood on it.
Flashes of crimson and gore swept across his vision. He jumped to his feet, marching as far as he could from Sparrow, he faced away from her as his mind unknotted.
He was a Game Warden. He was her Uncle. He was a Player. He was a murderer.
He was Julian.
“Unkie Julie?” her terrified cry broke through his meltdown.
“It’s okay. Just one second, I’ll be right there. You know how sometimes you need a minute to calm down? I just need one, everything is alright though.” He did his best to speak calmly, emotionlessly.
There wasn’t time for this. The next game was fast approaching. He had to prepare for it. To learn more about the rest of the world. Anything besides sit and wait and believe Nightingale would return.
She hadn’t yet.
“Julie?” Small steps approached him from behind before short arms wrapped partially around him. “There, there. All better now.”
His heart warmed and he turned gradually, so as not to knock the child over. He gathered her carefully into his embrace. Hugging her gently to him.
“You always make everything better, you know that, don’t you? Just like your mama. Now it’s time for bed.”
Sparrow’s blue eyes sparkled in excitement. “Oh, story time! Tell me again how you met Mama.”
Uncle Julie chuckled a bit, walking back to her bed, setting her down tenderly before tucking her in .
“Again? Aren’t you tired of that one?”
Sparrow shook her head aggressively in the bed. “I miss Aunty, too. But she promised when she comes back, I’ll get to see Mama.”
Uncle Julian froze. “What did you say?”
“Story!” Sparrow squealed.
“No, Sparrow, not…” Uncle Julie heaved a sigh. Sparrow was too young to understand. He doubted she even knew what she was talking about.
He shifted, sitting warily on the bed next to her. He started up the story again. It was probably the hundredth time he had told it. “Once upon a time, there was a beautiful little rabbit with bright piercing eyes…”