Chapter 13
Tazim was startled by the little boy’s announcement. He’d realized where Ann was going with her “far away” comment, but had thought that the boy would resist the introduction a bit more. He’d thought that kids preferred consistency and the discovery of a stranger in the room should have been a bit more intimidating.
“Yes,” Tazim replied, stepping closer. “I am your father.” There was no need for a paternity test. He and the boy looked shockingly similar. In fact, Tazim suspected that there were several pictures of him as a four year old that would be mistaken for Archer.
“Where do you live?”
Tazim glanced at Ann and saw her understanding. This was going to be difficult for both of them. When he’d first realized that he had a son, Tazim had been furious at her for not telling him.
Five years ago, her dismissive note had crushed him. The callous, painful words of her rejection had pushed him away. He’d gone back to his country and tried to push Ann out of his mind.
But being around her again, seeing the way she’d handled the rude men last night, had reminded him of Ann’s gentleness and her generosity. He’d remembered that Ann was a sweet person. It was one of the reason’s he’d fallen in love with her five years ago. So she must have had a good reason for keeping the news from him.
He might not agree with her reasons, but Ann wasn’t malicious.
Focusing his hungry eyes on this newly discovered being, he said, “I live in a country called Androna. Have you ever heard of it?”
Archer thought for a moment, then shook his head. “Nope!” he replied, adding a pop when he said the “p”.
“Would you like to visit that country?”
He heard Ann’s sharp gasp, but kept his gaze on Archer. On his son!
Immediately, Archer’s eyes lit up and he shifted onto his knees. “Would we have to fly there? In a plane?”
“Yes. I have a plane in which we could all travel, so that you could get to know Androna.”
Archer played with those words in his head, then asked, “You have your own plane?”
Tazim sat down in the chair he’d occupied earlier, putting himself at the same level as Archer’s eyes.
“Yes. I have my own plane. And you will have your own when you get old enough.”
That was stunning news. “My own plane?” Archer asked in an awed whisper. “Will I get to fly it myself?”
Tazim chuckled, remembering the exact same hope that he’d had as a young boy. “Unfortunately, no. But you will have your own pilot and that person will take you wherever you want to go, anytime you want to travel.”
“Wow!” Archer whispered, shifting to his knees as he absorbed this news.
Tazim’s eyes were stern when he continued. “I need to warn you that, along with your own plane comes a lot of responsibility. You’re going to have to become smart on a lot of topics.”
Archer shimmied with eagerness. “I can do it!” he promised with all of the solemnity of a four year old. “Momma says that I’m ‘scary’ smart. I’m the only one in my class who can read chapter books!”
Tazim nodded, keeping his expression very serious. “That’s an excellent start. Do you know how to count?”
“Yes!” Archer replied, scooting even closer. He then demonstrated by counting to ten. “I even know how to add!” He quoted a couple of numbers, pretending to add them up.
His equations were completely wrong, but Tazim chuckled softly, nodding his head. “That’s very good. I think that you will be an excellent ruler of Androna.”
Archer’s little mouth twisted and he shook his head. “No, I’m going to be a lion tamer,” he announced. “I keep asking Momma to let me have a cat so I can start learning how to train lions.” His nose squinched up. “But she says that we don’t have time for a cat and that we aren’t around enough for a pet.”
Tazim looked over Archer’s shoulder to Ann, then looked back at his son. He moved closer, then whispered conspiratorially, “I believe there are several cats in the stables in Androna.”
Archer’s mouth formed an O! He was so excited, his little body could barely contain his enthusiasm. “How many?” he demanded.
Tazim chuckled, his hands loosely laced between his legs. “I don’t know the current total, but when I was your age, there were four stable cats.”
Archer turned to look at Ann, making sure that she’d heard the feline count. “Four cats!”
Ann laughed and ruffled his hair. “That’s a lot of cats!”
Archer turned and stared at his new father. “What other animals do you have in your house?”
Tazim chuckled. “Well, it’s not exactly a house.” He looked over Archer’s shoulder again at his mother, then back at his son. “The place where I live also has areas where people work.”
For the next thirty minutes, Tazim told Archer stories about Androna, the place where he lived, the horses in the stables, and the benefits that his son would discover once they’d traveled to his home.
Tazim didn’t tell the child that they would have to abandon everything he was familiar with as soon as his mother was discharged from the hospital. But that was inevitable. Archer needed to come to Androna and learn how to rule. When he looked over Archer’s shoulder, he could see that comprehension dawning in Ann’s eyes.
When the surgeon entered the room, Tazim stood up and moved to the head of Ann’s bed, glowering at the man. “What’s the prognosis?” he asked.
The surgeon flipped through the pages on Ann’s chart. He asked several questions, nodding at Ann’s answers. “Do you have someone at home who can help if you become too uncomfortable?” he asked, not looking up from the chart.
“I don’t…!”
“Yes, she’ll be coming back with me. My staff will ensure her complete recovery.”
Tazim ignored Ann’s startled glance while the surgeon scribbled something on her chart. “Fine,” he replied, still not looking at her. “Your insurance won’t cover an extended stay in the hospital, so I’ll release you since you have someone who can care for you in an emergency. I’ll also write you a prescription for pain meds so that you won’t be too uncomfortable.”
He signed his name on the bottom of her chart, smiled absently, then left the room.