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“And this is Cole.” Amanda nervously introduced her son.
Kolia smiled. “Hello Cole.” His Ukrainian accent only slightly coloring his words.
“Hi,” the little boy hiding behind his mothers leg said.
“Well, you know my number, if you need me. Remember, don't -”
“We went over this at least eight times, Mandy. We'll be fine.” He placed his hands on her shoulders. “I'm fairly certain that I can manage to not light the place on fire.”
Amanda scowled at him, “you can't possibly fathom how not funny you are.”
“Eh, I tried at least.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Go, you'll be late.”
“Ok, ok, I'm going.” She slipped on her gray wool coat before leaving the apartment.
Kolia turned to Cole. “Is it just me or is she really that uptight?”
“Mommy worries a lot.”
“All mommies worry a lot.” He knelt down so he was at Cole's height, before deciding to pick up the little boy.
“Whoa. Tall.” Cole looked down from where he was perched on Kolia's hip. Kolia just laughed.
“How about we get you something to eat?”
“Spaghetti-O’s!”
“Ok!” Kolia set Cole down on his booster seat.
“No squishy my tutu.”
“I won't squish your tutu, Cole.”
“Just makin' sure.”
“I know. I was just telling you that I wouldn't.” Cole hummed a positive response. Kolia opened the can of Spaghetti-O’s, pouring them in Cole's Blue’s Clue’s bowl, and popping it into the microwave. “So, what's your favorite animal?”
“Unicorn.”
“Unicorns?”
“Mmmhmm.” Cole nodded, digging into the bowl of Spaghetti-O’s that Kolia had just gotten out of the microwave.
“Why unicorns?”
“Cause, they won't eat you, and they are pretty.”
“Can argue with that.”
“What's yours?” Cole looked up at Kolia, head tilted.
“Probably kiwi's.”
“Aren't kiwi's a fruit?”
“Yes, kiwi's are a fruit, but they are also a type of bird.”
“Oh. What do they look like?”
“They are fat, little, brown birds with long beaks and short, fat legs. They are called kiwi birds because they look kinda like a kiwi fruit. They are from New Zealand.”
“You ever been to New Zealand?”
“Yes, I did a semester abroad in my junior year of college.”
“And you went to New Zealand?”
“Yep. I was part of a research study on kiwi's.”
“Cool.”
“Is there anywhere you want to visit?”
“Canada,” came Cole's simple answer.
“Really, why?”
“Dunno, just want to.”
“As good a reason as any, I suppose.”
“What's your favorite color?”
“Not red.”
“That's the color that's your least favorite. What's your most favorite?”
“Probably chocolate brown.”
“Like Mommy's eyes?” The kid was perceptive, Kolia had to give him that.
“Yeah,” he said slowly, gauging Cole's reaction. Cole just hummed noncommittally. Cole grabbed his coloring book from the corner of the table.
“Is that why?” Cole asked, pouring the crayons out of the box and starting to dig through them.
“Is what why?”
“It that why you like brown?” Cole held a lavender crayon.
“Because of her eyes? Probably, yeah. Can't say that I ever really picked a favorite color before now.”
“Really? I pick a new one all the time!”
“I just haven't thought about it before.”
Cole hummed. “Why is your hair white?”
“Because when I was little, a big accident happened, and I was exposed to some very dangerous stuff. I got really sick for a while, but I got better. When I did, my hair was white. Before it was dark brown.”
“Oh. You okies?” Cole stopped coloring and looked at Kolia concerned.
“Yes, Cole. I'm fine.” Kolia smiled. Cole went back to coloring.
“What do you think of Mommy?”
“Well. Your mom is sweet, kind, caring, insanely pretty.” Cole nodded. “She is also willing to put up with my antics, so that is definitely good. Plus she has wonderful son.”
Cole looked up at Kolia, surprised. “Really?”
“Yeah, Cole. She does.”
“You talking about me, right?”
“Yes, Cole.” Kolia was not so sure that Cole had had any good experiences with his mom's boyfriends before. “How about next time I babysit, we go to a movie or something?” Kolia had started coloring the opposite page.
Cole's head popped up to look at Kolia. “Which one?”
“I don't know, we could just pick one when we get there. How does that sound?”
“Good.” Cole was still looking at Kolia, lavender crayon in Cole's small hand.
“What time is it?” Kolia asked himself. Checking the clock he answered himself, “2:30. Hmmmm. I don't think Amanda would mind if we went now.”After a few minutes of silence Kolia asked Cole “do you want to go now?”
“Now?”
“Yeah, we could get dinner afterwards.” Cole shot out of his chair, taking off into his room.
Kolia followed after. “Cole?”
“Can we go to this?” Cole held up a flyer for an Agatha Christie play.
“And Then There Were None,” Kolia read. He had read the book. “I don't know, kiddo.” Looking at Cole's pleading face, not that if the kid asked again he would say an outright no. “Fine, let me ask your mom.” He pulled out his phone, texting Amanda. She called him.
“Kolia, are you really offering to take him to that play?”
“Yes?” His voice was questioning.
“If you want to take him, then take him. He hasn't stopped talking about it since he saw the ad. If you want to take him, then take him. If you want to take him twice or even three times, please do. It'll be excellent bonding experience for the two of you. Plus I won't have to take him. I really don't care for Agatha Christie.”
“You don't like Agatha Christie?!”
“No.”
“Good thing he has his mom's awesome boyfriend to take him to see the play then.”
“Yeah. If tonight doesn't work, then you two work out a time for the two of you to go.”
“Actually, today might work, but next week at the theatre downtown they are having an Agatha Christie week to celebrate her birthday.”
“Ask him, if he wants to go, then I am happy to pay for it.”
“I'll pay, if he wants to go.”
“Alright, I should let you go now.” He hung up after her goodbye. “Hey, Cole!”
“Yes?” Cole peeked at Kolia hopefully.
“The theatre downtown is having an Agatha Christie week, do you want to go?”
“Yeah!” Cole's eyes light up like it was Christmas. “Can we go?”
“Yeah, but it doesn't start until Sunday. Do you want to go to And Then There Were None tonight?”
“Yeah!”
“Alright. Get your coat on. We'll get something to eat," Cole had not actually eaten much of the Spaghetti-O's, "and then head off to the play.”
“Okies!” As Cole rushed to get ready, Kolia texted Amanda, 'Hey, taking Cole to the play, I'll have him back by ten or so.' Cole's impatient voice came from the front door. “Hurry up! Want to go!”
“Alright, Cole, I'm coming.”