“I asked you to protect her! Not train her!”

“Her training will protect her!”

“She’s just learned to walk, and she’s infected already it doesn’t make sense to help her defend herself.”

“There are people everywhere trying to hunt infected people down to test them or just kill them”

Bub giggled and waddled over to Carlos, poking him in the leg with a cardboard knife. He scooped her up and brushed her dark hair out of her eyes. “Hi princess…”

Bub smiled big and dropped her weapon to put both of her chubby hands on Carlos’ face. “Hewo!”

He offered a small smile back at her. “How would you like to do some coloring today?”

“Cowowow!”

“Co-lor”

“Cah-wow” She gave Carlos a little grumpy pout.

“Good enough- and how does some pasta sound for lunch?”

“Pata!” She threw her hands in the air excitedly. Lia was being ignored as Carlos and Bub had their little connection. Of course he wasn’t her real father but one could be tricked into believing so quite easily. He carried her inside and upstairs to choose which pasta she wanted. She chose a box of fun shaped ones from Halloween and requested several to eat before being cooked. Carlos set the water to boil after sitting Bub on a stool to watch. She happily munched on the dry pasta while kicking her feet. He kissed her forehead and grabbed a couple sauce options, allowing Bub to decide. She pointed to the pesto sauce and shouted.

“GEEN!”

“To dip or on top?”

“Ip ip ip”

“And bedtime early tonight but you can sleep in my bed okay?”

Bub nodded with a smile. She loved cuddles and hugs and being picked up. She was more aware of boundaries and understood that not everyone liked hugs and cuddles all the time, at least more aware than most kids.

“Is pata done soon?”

“Yep soon”

“Singy? Fowe bed?”

“I’ll do my best sweetheart okay?”

“Bewuga!”

“I don’t know if I can sing tonight…”

“I sing!”

Carlos smiled and kissed Bub’s forehead. “You go right ahead if you can remember the words”

Bub wiggled a little in her spot as she sang. “Baby ooga in eep bwue sea”

Carlos’ smooth tenor voice sounded nice even as a whisper. “Swim so wild and you swim so free…”

“Evan above and sea bewow”

“And a little white whale on the go”