Chapter 3: Bruno's Little Bookworm
"Can you read to me, Tio Felix?"
In Casita's library, Felix was sitting on the sofa with the morning's newspaper when 4-year-old Luna ran up to him, holding her favorite storybook.
With a smile, he lifted his sobrina onto his lap and arched an eyebrow, curious as he asked, "How come you don't want your Papi to read to you?"
"I thought Papi can't read," Luna replied, frowning in confusion. "If he can't see, then how can he read to me?"
"Your Papi can't read words like you and I can," Felix clarified. "Bruno's books have little bumps in them that symbolize letters. He feels the bumps and reads the words they spell."
Thinking of how often she went to her tios for stories, Luna frowned as she slid off Felix's knee, grabbing her book and holding it to her chest as she gave him an apologetic look. "Tio Felix? Is it okay if I ask Papi to read to me instead?"
Bending down to kiss Luna's forehead and playfully tousle her hair, Felix smiled and agreed. "I believe your Papi would really enjoy reading to you." As he saw the little girl dash away, Felix returned his attention to the newspaper.
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In her father's room upstairs, Luna discovered him in the sitting area of his tower, with a book open in front of him, his fingers gently tracing the raised bumps on the pages. Pulling on Bruno's ruana, she waited for him to extend his hand towards her before asking, "Papi, can you read me a story?"
Picking Luna up as he stood, Bruno couldn't help the smile on his face as he went over to the bookshelves, feeling the book spines as he spoke. "What kind of story do you want to hear?"
Seeing a few of the rats perched on the shelves, Luna grinned as she requested, "The book about the super smart rats."
'Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH' had always been Luna's favorite, especially when she listened to the story with her father's rats. The rats seemed to understand the story just as much, if not more, than she did and cheered as the rats helped move Mrs. Frisby's house to safety.
Finding his Braille copy of the book, Bruno pulled it and carried the book and his daughter over to his favorite armchair, getting comfortable before opening the book and going to the first chapter. But as he started to read, he stopped as Luna asked, "Papi? Can you teach me how to read like you?"
It took Bruno a moment to find his voice, but he finally nodded. "Yes, I can, moonbeam. I would love to teach you how to read like I do."
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