Paradox

15: Spiderweb Cracks

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15: Spiderweb Cracks

Sonya anchored herself on her elbows, twisted her hips, and swiveled left and right on the high chair by the counter. Izo chugged on his milk across her.

“I knew there was something familiar about him,” Sonya grimaced.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Sonya.”

Sonya slapped her forehead with her palm. “But it’s like Clark Kent removing his glasses and becoming Superman! I should’ve recognized him!”

Izo reached out to pat her head. “It was a pretty convincing camouflage, Sonya. He looked very ordinary to me. I’m really sorry,” Izo apologized.

Perplexed, Sonya’s brows furrowed. She stopped twisting in her seat.

“What for?”

Izo sighed. “I shouldn’t have asked you questions like that in front of a stranger. That was insensitive.”

Sonya couldn’t help but smile. “You know that’s really strange, coming from you.”

Izo feigned a hurt expression. “What? I can be contrite every once in a while. I’m only almost perfect.”

Sonya chortled, managing not to spew out the cookie she was chewing in her mouth.

Satisfied to see her laugh, Izo gulped down the rest of his milk and pushed himself away from the counter. He rinsed the glass on the sink, leaving it there when he turned the spigot close.

Izo was taken aback to find Sonya sobbing softly, her head against her forearm. He felt a depressing knot tightening in his chest when he wrapped his arms around her. He didn’t know what to do. It was difficult seeing her like this.

He didn’t say a word and just held her there for a good ten minutes while she wept helplessly, her shoulders shaking under his embrace.

When Sonya’s sobs turned into little hiccups, he pulled away from her, got a clean glass in a cupboard over his head, and got her some water. She took it from his hand and gulped it down.

“I’m sorry,” she said, trying her best at a small smile. “I couldn’t help myself.”

“There’s nothing you should be sorry about, Sonya,” Izo reminded her. Making sure Sonya heard the emphasis on nothing.

“Thank you, Izo,” she whispered.

He patted her on the head again. “Get some rest.”

She nodded her head and scurried to her room like a good little girl.

Hideki closed Izo’s laptop and darted back to his bed and pulled the sheets over his nose just in time the door opened.

Izo sat back on his bed. He placed his laptop on his lap and stared at the blinking cursor in his document when he opened it up.

It wasn’t there before. He glared at the figure hiding under the blanket on the sofa bed.

He saved his work and shut off the laptop along with the lamp beside him.

“Oh, we’ll talk about this in the morning,” Izo declared sharply, letting the words linger in the air with a cautioning tone.

Hideki cringed. His newfound knowledge just got him in trouble. He let out a nervous laugh before he could stop it, making Izo certain that he was still actually awake.