Apocalypse Days: I Rule with Foresight and a Powerful Son
Chapter 81: The World Of A Three Year Old

Chapter 81: 81: The World Of A Three Year Old

Leo watched the flames dance in the night, the fire crackling and casting shadows that flickered across the faces of the people around him. He liked the fire—it was warm and made him feel safe, like when Mommy tucked him in with his favourite blanket.¹

Before we had to leave it behind, he thought with a small frown.

Leo sat comfortably on Zara’s lap, his small hands clutching a piece of bread as she fed him small bites of their shared meal.

But something was different tonight. Mommy was sitting far away from Uncle, and they weren’t talking. Leo tilted his head, his little brow furrowed in confusion as he tried to understand why. Usually, they laughed and talked. But now, they were quiet, and it felt...weird.

The smell of cooking food wafted through the air, making his small stomach rumble. Zara was feeding him spoonfuls of soup, her movements gentle but distracted. Leo could feel her mind wasn’t really with him. She was staring ahead, her lips pressed tightly together, eyes distant.

"Mommy, it’s hot," he said, touching the edge of the bowl.

Zara snapped out of her thoughts and glanced down at him. "Careful, Leo. Let me blow on it first." She took the spoon, gently blowing on the steaming liquid before offering it back to him. "Better?"

Leo nodded, swallowing the warm soup.

He wriggled in Zara’s lap, trying to get comfortable while keeping his focus on the mesmerizing dance of the flames. Something was wrong, he just couldn’t think of it.

He peeked over at Winter, who sat a short distance away, leaning against a log with his arms crossed. The usual warmth in his eyes was missing. Instead, he stared into the fire, lost in thought.

"Why isn’t Uncle Winter sitting with us?" Leo asked, his small voice breaking the quiet.

Zara hesitated, her hand pausing mid-air with the next spoonful. "He just needs a little space, sweetheart."

Leo frowned, the corners of his mouth turning down.

He remembered hearing them talking loudly earlier. Well, more like Mommy talking a lot and Uncle was quiet. Leo didn’t understand what they were saying, but he knew it was about him. They had looked at him, and he heard his name. So it had to be about him!

Leo’s big eyes darted between them. Why weren’t they happy? Did I do something bad?

He thought about it, his little fingers playing with the edge of his mommy’s sleeve. He didn’t spill anything today. He didn’t cry or throw his toys. Maybe it was something else.

Was it because I brought the truck out of the happy place?

"Why aren’t you smiling, Mommy?" Leo asked, his voice small and curious.

Zara blinked, her hand momentarily pausing as she held a spoon of soup to his lips. Her eyes softened, and she shook her head gently. but her face still looked sad. Like when daddy didn’t come home with them. "I’m just a little tired, sweetheart," she said, her voice gentle but distant. "Eat up, okay?"

Leo accepted the spoon, chewing slowly as his gaze shifted back to Winter. "Is Uncle mad?"

The question hung in the air, making Zara stiffen slightly. She glanced at Winter, who had caught the question but remained silent, his jaw tightening just a fraction. "No, he’s not mad," Zara answered, brushing a hand through Leo’s soft hair. "We’re just... having a quiet moment."

"Was it about me?" he asked quietly.

Leo wasn’t entirely convinced.

Zara’s heart ached at the worry in his voice. She smoothed his hair, leaning down to kiss his forehead. "No, darling. It’s not about you. You don’t need to worry about it, okay?"

Winter, catching the last part of the conversation, glanced over. His gaze softened as it met Leo’s, and he offered a small, reassuring smile. "Hey, kiddo. Everything’s fine. Sometimes grown-ups just have things to talk about."

Leo nodded slowly, though the crease in his brow didn’t quite disappear.

He watched Winter for a moment longer before turning his attention to the other members of their group. These uncles had suddenly joined them one day and they all went together in that strange toy car, but it was real and really big.

His gaze shifted to the older man sitting across from them, he had a kind face, with weird deep lines that squeezed when he smiled. Was he ok? The mister who had been in front has and the younger uncle who was playing with a toy truck. Leo’s brow furrowed, and that truck looked familiar.

Mike was fiddling with a small toy truck—Leo’s toy truck—adjusting its tiny wheels with a screwdriver.

He set aside his tools and was now testing the wheels of the toy truck, making it roll smoothly over a flat rock.

Leo’s curiosity piqued. "What is he doing?" he asked, pulling away at Zara’s sleeve, his voice brightening.

"Probably checking out your truck, might fix it," Zara responded, holding the spoon to his mouth again.

"Why is he fixing my truck?" Leo asked, his head tilting as he watched Mike work with fascination.

Mike looked up, a playful smile tugging at his lips. "Your truck needed a little help," he explained, holding up the toy. "I think it’s all better now."

Leo’s eyes lit up. "Can I see?"

"Sure thing, kiddo," Mike said, extending the toy toward him.

Zara helped Leo down from her lap, watching as he toddled over to Mike, his small hands reaching eagerly for the truck.

He knelt beside the engineer, watching intently as the young man demonstrated how the truck’s wheels now turned smoothly. Leo’s face lit up with excitement.

"Can I try?" he asked eagerly.

"Of course," the engineer replied, handing the truck over. "Give it a go."

Leo pushed the truck along the ground, watching as it rolled smoothly over the uneven surface. His earlier worries faded as he became engrossed in his new toy. The older man chuckled, watching Leo with a twinkle in his eye.

"Kids can teach us a thing or two about finding joy in the simple things," he said, his voice warm.

The doctor nodded, smiling. "Indeed. A moment like this is a good reminder."

Leo looked up, noticing the way the grown-ups were watching him. He gave them a big, toothy grin, his earlier sadness momentarily forgotten. He drove the truck in circles around the campfire, the little wheels leaving faint tracks in the dirt.

*****

Leo sat cross-legged on the ground, his toy truck forgotten beside him as he watched the grown-ups move around. His big eyes followed his mommy as she picked up the pot they had used for the soup. She tried to lift it, but it was still a little hot. Her hands jerked back, and she bit her lip.

Ah, he thought with a frown as he struggled to get up. The bad pot hurt his mommy!

Winter, who had been nearby folding a blanket, noticed and walked over without a word. He took the pot from Mommy’s hands and dropped it on the floor while checking to see if Mommy wasn’t too hurt.

Leo noticed how they both froze, staring at each other and then Winter said something and dropped her hand gently. Then he turned to carefully pour out the remaining soup into a container, before leaving Mommy there.

Why didn’t he kiss the pain away?

His mommy looked down, her shoulders slumping a little.

Leo frowned, feeling the sadness in the air. He didn’t like it when they were like this.

"Why don’t you kiss that pain away, Mommy?" Leo asked innocently, his little voice breaking the silence.

Zara glanced at him, forcing a small smile. "There’s no need for that, baby."

"But it will keep hurting if he doesn’t do it," Leo insisted, finally getting off the blanket and toddling over.

The others were also looking at them now.

Zara kept smiling at him and knelt. "Why dont you do it, baby?" She held out her hand.

"Yeah kid, maybe show him how it’s done," the uncle with the circle eyes said.

Uncle didn’t know how to kiss away booboos? Leo looked at Winter in shock.

"Leo?" his mommy’s voice had him looking at her. "come on baby," she urged gently.

Leo pulled the hand close and noticed how red her palm was. It looked really angry. His mommy was so strong, he would have been crying if it was him.

"Dont cry Mommy, it will be all good now. Shoo away pain. Shoo," he mumbled as he pecked the booboo.

He stepped back to look at it but Mommy closed her hand in a fist. "Good job baby, I dont feel anything again." she praised him.

Leo preened under the praise and turned to Winter. "That’s how you do it, ok?!"

Winter gave a curt nod, but his gaze didn’t meet hers again. He turned back to folding the blanket, leaving Zara standing there, holding the pot and looking sad.

Leo’s little heart ached. He wanted them to be friends again, like before.

As the night grew darker, the group began rolling out their sleeping bags near the fire. Leo watched his mommy lay out their bedding, her hands smoothing the fabric carefully. He stood on the side, waiting for Uncle to come and sit beside them, but he didn’t.

Instead, Uncle set his own sleeping bag on the other side of the fire.

Why?

Leo’s gaze flicked between them, his small mind working to understand why they seemed so far apart, even when they were right there. He didn’t like it. He wanted them close, like before.

Suddenly, his mommy grunted as she struggled with a knot in one of the straps holding the sleeping bag. She tugged at it, her fingers fumbling. Uncle, noticing her struggle, walked over silently. Without a word, he reached down, his hands covering hers as he helped untangle the stubborn knot.

were they being friends again? Leo watched closely as they worked.

His mommy’s eyes flicked up to Winter’s face. Winter, too, paused, his gaze softening just a little.

But then, as if realizing what was happening, Winter pulled his hands back quickly, stepping away. His face hardened, and he turned as if to return to his sleeping bag but Leo wasn’t having it.

"No!" He shouted, startling the group.

Mommy quickly reached for him, checking to see if he was hurt. "What is it, baby? What’s wrong?"

Uncle was right behind her, a worried frown on his face.

Leo flushed, not expecting everyone to turn to him like this. He hid his face in his mommy’s shoulder and grabbed Winter’s shirt.

"What was that sweetie?" Mommy asked, rubbing his back gently.

"Speak up kiddo," uncle urged, grabbing his hand.

"I want us to sleep together."