Odette carried the crying Julien into his bedroom and shut the door. Her anger seethed. How dare he make her son cry! That entitled bastard! She thought.
"It's alright." She soothed as she rubbed Julien's back until he finally calmed.
A few minutes after Julien stopped crying, the door creaked open. Odette still held Julien, his head laying on her chest and his finger in his mouth as he had done since he was a baby. Edna walked in carrying two plates of food and sat the on the table beside the bed. She gave Odette a small, sympathetic smile before she left the room and Julien lifted his head.
"Come. Let's eat." Odette encouraged.
When they had finished, Julien crawled in floor and began playing with his train. Odette heard commotion outside and looked out the window to find a box truck being unloaded and the contents taken into her new house with Alfie supervising. Odette left Julien to play and informed Edna that she would be across the street if he needed anything before she walked toward the street and Alfie's unknown temperament.
Alfie heard Odette's heels on the pavement and rolled his eyes when she walked by with her lips pursed, refusing to look at him.
"Where do you want this boss?" Ollie asked as he and Ishmael unloaded a sofa.
"Ask her." Alfie replied, motioning with his cane to Odette.
"I will show you." Odette replied with her thick French accent.
When all of her new belongings had been unloaded and set up to her liking, the crew left, leaving the room filled with tension.
"How is the boy?" Alfie asked.
Odette scoffed, "THE BOY is fine, no thanks to your temper."
"Did you eat?" Alfie responded, his voice tight with what control he had left.
"That is your concern?" Odette snapped back.
"Yes. Yes, it is my fucking concern!" Alfie's body vibrated with irritation at the stubborn woman before him.
Odette shook her head in indignation. Alfie held his hands up as if he wanted to strangle the woman before he dropped them and ran his hands through his beard.
"Did. You. Eat?" Alfie asked, his teeth clenched.
"Yes. We ate. Are we allowed to sleep in this house tonight or must we stay under your roof again?"
"Sleep in the fucking street if you want." Alfie said as he turned to leave.
Alfie poured himself a glass of whiskey to calm his anger while Odette went to check on Julien and his train. A few minutes later, Alfie stood in the doorway of Julien's room and Julien paused, looking up at his father. Alfie shifted and Julien jumped as if he were afraid. Alfie released a sigh and knelt to be at eye level with the boy. Julien hesitated, leaning toward his mother.
"Can your dad play with your train too?" Odette asked Julien, not wanting the tension between her and Alfie to affect the new relationship with his father.
"No, maman." Julien said before he hugged his train to his chest.
Alfie's eyes dropped and Odette could see the pang of disappointment in his face.
"That's alright. You play with the train. Hmm?" Alfie said as he stood and gave a small smile to his son before turning to leave, deciding to give the small boy some space.
Julien watched him walk away and took a few steps to peek around the door as Alfie proceeded down the hallway, whispering "Dad" as he lost sight of his father.
Odette could see his small, conflicted heart reflected on his face as he looked at the toy train in his hand.
"Maman." Julien said, his little voice the only noise in the room.
"Oui? Yes?"
"I want to play with my dad." He confessed.
"I think your father would like that very much. You can go ask him." Odette suggested and Julien looked toward the empty corridor.
Alfie poured himself another drink, staring out at the street when he heard a small noise behind him. Turning, he saw Julien, his large dark blue eyes staring up at him. Odette watched from the doorway as Julien silently held his train up to Alfie and Alfie put his glass down and kneel, accepting the train.
When Julien yawned after twenty minutes of playing, Alfie looked at Odette.
"Julien, would you like to go see our new house?" She asked as she came forward.
Julien rubbed his eyes, fatigue catching up with him.
Odette picked up her son and looked at Alfie, "Do you want to come with us?"
Alfie raised an eyebrow at her, and Odette rolled her eyes playfully.
"You provided the house for us. It would not be too much to allow you to be there while your son sees it for the first time."
"How gracious of you." Alfie said with a smile.
"I know." Odette replied before turning on her heels and Alfie rolled his eyes, his smile still on his face.
They walked across the street, Julien laying his head on Odette's shoulder.
When they opened the door, Odette looked down at Julien who remained with his head on her shoulder and his eyes glancing around slowly.
"What do you think?" Odette asked him, encouraging him to look around.
Julien said nothing, simply resting in his mother's arms.
"C'mon, lets have a look." She tried to put him on his feet, but Julien wrapped his arms tightly around her neck and began to scream. "What is the matter?" Odette asked, a crease forming between her brows.
"It's been a long day." Alfie pointed out.
"Yes, I suppose." Odette said, obviously still concerned. "Perhaps a bath and bed?" She asked Julien who didn't respond.
"I'm right across the street if you need anything." Alfie said.
"I know. Thank you." Odette responded, the anger from dinner seemingly gone.
"Get some rest." Alfie said as he mussed Julien's hair, who did not react.
Alfie walked back to his house, noticing the silence after having a three-year-old around for the day. He ran a hand down his face, exhausted from the day and his argument with Odette. She got a fucking job. He thought before he shook his head.
"Well, we can remedy that, can't we?" he said before he stood and walked to his telephone.
The next morning Alfie was having a good day at work. He had bought another jewelry shop, threatened the baker that hired Odette, and yelled at Darby Sabini over the telephone. By the time afternoon came, Alfie decided he needed a release of his excess energy and called for one of his favorite women.
He was in his house when she arrived and he didn't waste time, having her ride him on the sofa before he bent her over the side of his chair until he finished. He had just put his trousers back on when a frantic knock came to his door. He glanced back at the woman who was pulling her knickers back on and turned toward the door. Opening it, he found a worried and tired looking Odette carrying a seemingly sleeping Julien.
"I'm sorry!" She said in French, her voice raw and distraught. "I have done everything I could think of, it's not working!"
"What's happened?" Alfie asked, his alarm peaking at her distress.
Odette walked past Alfie, pushing her way into the sitting room when she froze, seeing the half-naked woman slipping her dress on. Odette stared at the women for a moment before looking back an noticing Alfie was shirtless.
"Odette?" Alfie pressed, stepping toward the mother of his child and wanting answers.
The woman walked to Alfie, a bored expression on her face as she held her hand out. Alfie took a few bills out of his pocket and put them in her hand, barely giving her a second glance, and looked expectantly at Odette.
Odette stared at him, her eyes wide and angry at the scene she had walked in on.
Alfie raised his eyebrows at her, his irritation at her silence telling her he wanted answers.
"Forget it." She said with an edge, "I will figure it out on my own." Before she turned to leave.
When she turned Alfie could see his son's face was pale, with the exception of his cheeks which were bright red and Alfie knew something was very wrong.