The Boss Upstairs - Roya Carmen Page 0,91

in, and Ethan is wide-eyed, seemingly impressed with the fancy car. He holds Dumbo tightly. He insisted on bringing him. We argued about it for about ten minutes or so, and he finally won in the end. The kid can be quite persistent, just like his dad was.

There’s a booster seat already installed for Ethan, just as Weston promised. I’m thankful for this man’s attention to the little things. It’s small gestures like this that make me love him so. That, and the fact that he’s irresistibly handsome.

As usual, he’s gorgeous in jeans, a grey top and a stylish brown leather jacket. He sits up at the front with Edward, leaving us the back seat.

Ethan reaches for the bottles of Evian water. I hand him his sippy cup.

The drive is not too long, and when we finally get to our destination, Ethan is eager to get out. We’re both awed by the stunning architecture of the building as Weston joins us. I take Ethan’s hand. “Are you ready, buddy?”

He smiles up at me, excited.

I’m surprised when Ethan offers his other hand to Weston. Mr. Boss Man freezes for an awkward second but then he smiles and takes his hand. The sight is pretty damn sweet, almost as cute as those kitten videos Rosetta loves so much.

We walk hand in hand toward the entrance. It takes us forever to walk up the steps. Ethan looks a little exhausted by the time we reach the top. I take him in my arms as we line up to be admitted in.

“I’ll be your official tour guide,” Weston tells us. “I know everything about this place.”

“Sounds good,” I cheer, as excited as a kid.

We start off with the Waters of the World exhibition, and Ethan is wide-eyed, seemingly fascinated by all the animal displays. We leisurely walk among the crowds and keep an eye out.

Ethan points at the iguana and squeals.

“That’s pretty scary, right?” I say.

“That’s a blue iguana,” Weston tells us.

“Well… its more like teal, isn’t it?”

He laughs. “Well, it’s called blue iguana,” he says. “But you can call it the teal iguana if you wish.”

We move along, and Ethan squeals again when he spots a snapping turtle.

“I’m not sure why, but Ethan is fascinated with turtles,” I tell Weston.

“I was too at his age apparently,” he says. “Or so my mother says… sea turtles.”

“That thing is downright ugly,” I point out.

“You can’t say that,” Weston argues. “It’s God’s creation. All God’s creations are beautiful.”

“Not that thing.”

He laughs as we walk around, darting around other patrons, other people with kids. It dawns on me that to a stranger’s eye, the three of us might appear like the perfect little family.

Ethan is now holding Weston’s hand, and he motions me over, excited. “Star!” he shrills, and I smile at the sight of a large starfish stuck to the glass. “Just like Patrick in SpongeBob,” I say. “Pretty cool.”

I venture away seconds later and turn my head to observe the two of them together. Weston points and explains, and Ethan listens attentively. Weston is a natural with him.

I spot seahorses floating leisurely, and the sight of them almost hypnotizes me. They’ve always fascinated me so much. Weston and Ethan join me, and Weston presses a hand at the small of my back. I close my eyes for a second, enjoying the slight discreet touch.

Ethan is excited to see more as we exit the exhibition. We move along to the Caribbean Reef. I’m impressed by the large round aquarium surrounded by people. The three of us wriggle our way through, and stand to observe. Ethan is in Weston’s arms, and he looks very comfortable there, more comfy than he would be in mine. Truth be told, I have a hard time holding him for too long these days. He’s getting so big and heavy.

Ethan points at the very large silver fish swimming by us, clearly fascinated.

“That’s a tarpon fish,” Weston tells him. “They live in warm waters, but they can be found as north as Nova Scotia in Canada.”

I smile. “How do you know so much about this stuff?”

He laughs. “I’m obsessed.”

“You definitely are.”

And leans into me. “And soon, I’ll know all there is to know about you too.”

“Oh, will you now?”

“All in good time. I’m not in a hurry. I look forward to all my future discoveries.”

I laugh. “Oh, damn.”

Such a nerd.

I’m busy watching them when Weston calls out, “Look, Ethan.” He points up high. “It’s a sea turtle. A big one too.”

Ethan looks up,