Читать книгу Silken Embrace - Zuri Day - Страница 15

Chapter 7

Terrell leaned against the doorjamb, watching his friend since high school, Luther, playfully interacting with a group of five-and six-year-old boys. They used to wreak havoc in the clubs, engaging ladies who wanted to be with them and angering men who wanted to be them. Since getting married and having children, Luther had gone from tough guy to teddy bear. Terrell was proud of his friends and business partners who’d stepped up to the plate and agreed to be mentors and role models for the young men who came to the center, many of whose fathers were absent, deployed or incarcerated. Luther was the perfect one to handle the little ones. Terrell mentored the teens.

All except one young boy, whom he looked for now. Kyle was seated on a mat, surrounded by Legos, using his imagination to create something grand.

Terrell stepped into the room and after a brief chat with Luther walked over to where Kyle was playing and kneeled down.

“Hey, little man.”

“I’m not little.” This said while remaining focused on the task at hand. “I’m big.”

“Oh, all right. Excuse my error.” In this moment, Terrell realized just how infrequent he interacted with people under the age of ten and, thinking of his nieces and nephews, over the age of two. Terrell found himself in the rare position of being at a loss for words. But he’d told Aliyah that he’d take special interest in, and mentor, her son. He was a man of his word. So he placed down the deck of math flash cards he’d used earlier with the teens, sat beside Kyle and picked up a bright red block.