Chapter 22: Elara Vaughn
Lorenzo bent, scooping up the five year old ginger-haired boy, and twirling him in the air, earning a delighted giggle. "I didn't expect to find you still awake, big man," he said as he carried him inside.
"I tried to get him to bed, but he refused. He said he wanted to see you before he slept."
Lorenzo glanced up to see Renee's worried expression. She was his housekeeper and cook, but she also helped care for the foster kids he sponsored whenever they visited.
Bryan had quickly risen to the top of that list—and Lorenzo had been seriously considering adopting him. But the fear of failing as a father gnawed at him—what if he wasn't strong enough to protect him from his own dangerous world?
He and Bryan shared a painful similarity: both had lost their biological parents and been placed in the orphanage system at a young age. The difference was that while Bryan might still have memories of his own parents, Lorenzo had none. He'd been told they died when he was only a few weeks old.
"Why didn't you listen to Aunty Renee, Bry? You know the rules. You have to obey the elders," Lorenzo said to the little man in his arms, trying to sound stern but failing. A soft part of him he didn't know existed dominated whenever it involved Bryan.
"I told Aunty Renee I was really sorry. I just really missed you. I'm sorry for disobeying, Aunty Renee," Bryan apologized, turning to the young brunette with the kind of face no one could resist.
Renee ruffled his hair playfully before returning to finish cleaning up the kitchen, while Lorenzo shook his head at the boy's tactics. He was such a sweet child.
"Now, let's get you to your room. Lead the way," Lorenzo instructed, setting Bryan down.
Bryan's eyes sparkled with excitement as he asked. "Uncle Lorenzo, did you get me something from your party? Maybe a toy?"
"There were no toys at the party," Lorenzo replied, and his face fell.