Total pages in book: 147
Estimated words: 148949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 745(@200wpm)___ 596(@250wpm)___ 496(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 148949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 745(@200wpm)___ 596(@250wpm)___ 496(@300wpm)
My heart warmed.
I hurried my pace.
Paolo burst out of the cell and rushed to me on those tiny legs.
Look at my baby.
He had no shirt on. Green splotches of paint covered parts of his chest and arms. His jean pants and sneakers had paint on them too.
Barking, Harlem rushed out of the cell and raced after Paolo. Green paint dripped from his furry ears.
Blue and I laughed.
When Paolo got to me, I scooped him up into my arms and walked on. “What were you doing, baby?”
Paolo wore a huge grin. “Surprise!”
Harlem barked and bounced around my legs.
“A surprise?” I chuckled. “This is exciting.”
Paolo bobbed his head. “Surprise, mysh.”
Let’s see what my Lion has planned.
Chapter 26
The Surprise
Emily
Carrying Paolo, I took a deep breath and headed down the corridor.
Honestly, I had been dreading returning to the cell this evening. It was such a gloomy and damp environment.
Last night, it took a while for me to finally go to sleep. Olga’s face kept showing up in my head.
We got to the door, and instantly I was taken aback by the sight before me.
“What?” I lowered Paolo to the ground. “Holy shit. There’s so much to take in. . .”
Kaz stood in the center with his shirt off. Red paint stained some of his chest and arms. “Take your time, mysh.”
I couldn’t believe my eyes as I stepped forward.
Kaz had transformed the cold, dreary space into a luxurious and comfortable sanctuary. The walls, once bare, gray, and lifeless, were now adorned with elegant white wallpaper.
Two large paintings hung on the right wall, displaying a large green mouse and a big cobra sliding next to it.
I pointed to them. “Oh, Paolo. Did you do these wonderful masterpieces?”
“Mouse.” Paolo hurried over and gestured at the image. “Cobra.”
“Awesome. Thank you so much for doing this.” I chuckled.
During one of Baba’s gardening sessions with Paolo, they spotted a tiny green snake in the bed of roses. Since then, Paolo had been obsessed with different types of snakes.
“Cobra, mysh!” Paolo bounced around the painting and did a funny little dance.
Harlem jumped around him, wagging his tail.
Kaz frowned. “I gave them both candy. That will never happen again.”
“That’s okay, baby. They will be fine. More important, I love that you spent time with Paolo, and I love the paintings, and I love this cell.” Smiling, I scanned the rest of the space. “I can’t believe you did this, baby.”
The air was perfumed with a gentle mix of lavender and sandalwood. It eased my nerves and reminded me of a fancy spa. That was a stark contrast to the stale odors that used to fill the cell.
I looked down.
A plush, intricately patterned Persian rug covered the once cold and hard concrete floor. I wanted to kick off my shoes and feel the soft fibers beneath my feet.
I exhaled.
The cot had been changed to a bed. White fur blankets and silk linens decorated it.
“Kaz. . .” My eyes watered. “This means so much.”
He formed his lips into a big smile.
In the back of the cell, blue drapes framed a tiny window. It was six inches long and wide. Yet, the window allowed soft, natural light inside.
I walked over to it and ran my fingers over the soft curtains, reveling in the sumptuous fabric. “When did they put in this window?”
“They started this morning, I wanted a bigger window, but they said this was as much as they could do in the time frame.”
“This is a perfect size, Kaz. I don’t want Lunita to be able to open it and climb out.” I walked over to my lion, pulled him in and hugged him hard. “Thank you so much. . .I’m so touched, and I feel. . . so loved.”
He wrapped his big arm around me. “You deserve all the love and happiness in the world, mysh.”
Tears welled up in my eyes. “I have it, baby. You, Emilio, Paolo, Max, Harlem, Blue, everyone. It’s all the love that I would ever need.”
Paolo chuckled as Blue picked him up. “Cobra!”
“Yes.” Blue laughed. “Let us get some cookies, Cobra.”
Kaz looked at them. “Paolo does not need any more sweets. Whatever you eat next, it should be something healthy.”
Paolo put his view on Kaz and held out his little hand. “No. No. Had orange.”
“That was an orange lollipop, Paolo, not actual fruit.”
Paolo pouted and faced Blue. “One, Blue. Cookie?”
“I do not think so, buddy.” Blue carried Paolo out of the cell.
Harlem trotted after them.
Kaz took my hand. “Let me show you something.”
“Okay.”
“You missed the other masterpieces.” He guided me over to the other wall.
“Aww.” I grinned when I spotted the art. “Who did these pretty heart paintings?”
“I would say it was a genius artist.”
“I agree.”
We stopped in front of a massive canvas taking up half the wall. Red hearts covered it. Big ones. Little ones. Some painted with a brush. Others with an ink pen, but all hearts.