Teenage Baby

Chapter 6

Aaron wanted to scream that yes; Daddy indeed wasn't a meanie. He was a psycho. It struck him at that point that maybe Leo was brainwashed, but then Lou pushed the door open and stepped in, and that made him reconsider. What if Leo had sensed him coming and didn't want to put himself in trouble? Or perhaps he was suspicious that Lou had been eavesdropping.

"So what did you draw?" Lou settled between both boys again, his index finger drumming observantly against his chin as he peered at the papers. He turned to Leo, and his face split with an encouraging smile. "That's such an amazing drawing, love. I'll hang it on the fridge."

It wasn't anything worthy; just some scribbles only Leo could possibly decipher. But for Lou, apparently, anything out of his babies was precious.

Leo preened at the praise then pointed at Aaron's paper. "Hang his drawing, too, Uncle Lou. It's nice."

"Of course, baby. I'm gonna hang both of them. Aaron, I love yours just as much. I think I have two little artists here."

Aaron frowned. He hadn't even drawn anything impressive either: just some pointless, wavering zigzags that perfectly conveyed how anxious he'd been when he drew them. He was sure Lou was only trying to encourage him, but then the thoughts cut off and his brain ceased functioning as the increasing pressure in his bladder became more demanding. Distracting.

At this point, Aaron needed the toilet quite urgently. His dignity wailed in his ear, pleaded to save itself from the chagrin of actually using that pull-up, or having these psychos accompany him to the bathroom. Because that totally wouldn't be uncomfortable and privacy-tearing and all the hell no's in the world.

Aaron shook his head, and he caught sight of his bare legs. He tentatively tapped Lou's arm. When he caught his attention, he said, "Can I wear pants, please? I'm cold."

Lou sighed. "Sure. And hey, how about we go downstairs and watch TV after that? Wanna watch, Leo?"

Leo didn't seem to mind. So Lou put Aaron in some sweatpants, then spread his arms around him and hoisted him to his chest as he stood up, his heart sinking with pain when he noticed how his baby would stiffen and try to keep space between them every time he held him. He could feel the tension in Aaron's body; the way his back would immediately straighten, his shoulders held back in place like he was trying to maintain as much personal space as possible. It hurt to think that his baby hated him that much.

Lou walked with Aaron out of the playroom, allowing Leo to follow independently behind. But when they reached the stairs, Leo stopped on his own and waited patiently for Daddy to come and carry him down. So going down the stairs on their own was a no-no, too, Aaron concluded.

Leo and Aaron were put next to each other on the couch in the living room, and then Lou turned the TV on some modern cartoons. A groan rumbled in Aaron's throat as he watched the animated characters flash on the screen before him-he couldn't even explain how much he despised cartoons.

Daddy gestured at Aaron, then snatched the remote from Lou and changed the channel to one that aired a documentary for children about outer space.

Aaron was deathly interested in anything related to astronomy, but with the horrendous situation he was caught in, he couldn't focus properly. He let his eyes wander around the room nervously, and he flinched when he felt sudden weight fall upon his side.

Leo had leant against his shoulder and was looking up at him, the brilliance of his large eyes shone brightly. Aaron could see every fleck of gold woven through the varying hues of blue: dark and vibrant around the edges, lighter towards the pupil. He'd come across many blue eyes before, but never ones as innocent as those.