#lichantony

Enjoy!

As Antony dropped off little Lorenzo at Lisandro's doorstep, he rattled off a series of instructions, leaving Lisandro feeling overwhelmed. "Make sure he eats his meals, takes his afternoon nap, and keep him entertained. He loves dinosaurs, so try to play with his toy dinosaur collection if you can. Oh, and I almost forgot, he's afraid of the dark, so make sure all the lights are on. Thanks, Licha, I owe you big time!"

"Um....right."

The house went quiet with Antony shutting the door behind him. Suddenly Lisandro wass left with a kid who hadn't been taught that it's rude to stare.

"What?" He hissed at the child.

"What are we gonna do today?"

"Watch TV."

Lisandro helped Lorenzo with his things, hanging the childs jacket and backpack on a hook in thehallway.

"But I'm hungry." Lorenzo said, as Lisandro gave the kid a quick tour of his apartment, settling in the living room.

"You can eat in front of the TV."

Lisandro flipped through the channels to find somthing child appropiate to watch. "Fear Factor. You like that show don't you?"

"No."

Lisandro ignored the boy and left him to make a light snack in the kitchen. He grabbed a caprisun from the fridge and a couple of apples from the fruit bowl, which he cut into ridiculously small pieces, muttering, "No one is choking on my watch."

He returned to the living room to see Lorenzo's eyes glued to the TV, an expression of terror on his faces.

"What? What's happening?" Lisandro rushed forward with the apples and caprisun, joining Lorenzo on the couch.

"Why are they making people eat those bugs?" Lorenzo covered his eyes with his hands.

"Don't look away." Lisandro laughed. "This is the best part."

"I don't wanna see." The boy cried.

"Oh come on."

As the only responsible adult in the house, Lisandro felt compelled to grabbed the remote and shut off the TV. Only then did little Lorenzo drop his hands from his face.

"How about we go to the park?"

"Yay!"

Kids could entertain themselves at the park, he thought, with all the swings and monkeybars they had down there. The first real obstacle Lisandro faced babysitting Lorenzo, came when they got back home to have lunch.

Unsure of his dietary preferences, Lisandro presented an assortment of snacks and a bowl of macaroni and cheese. Lorenzo picked at his food, making a mess in the process that left Lisandro both amused and exasperated. Eventually, after much coaxing and some silly faces, Lorenzo finished his meal, albeit with orange cheese stains on his clothes.

"Bathroom, now!" Lisandro ordered. "And don't touch anything on your way there."

After lunch, it was time for Lorenzo afternoon nap. Lisandro tried his best to create a quiet and calm environment, but Lorenzo had other plans. He resisted the idea of napping, running around the apartment like a mini cyclone. Lisandro finally resorted to playing a soothing lullaby, which eventually lulled Lorenzo into slumber.

"I wanna go home."

Around six a clock Lisandro had some of his friends come over to watch a game played in the Argentinian football league. They were all having a good time, eating take out and being a bit too loud. It is what must have woken little Lorenzo up as he appeared in front of the TV with a blanket wrapped around his body.

"Home, what do you mean?" Lisandro tapped the cuchens beside him. "Come watch the game with us." He hoped that would get the kid to move out of the way, however, Lorenzo shook his head and started to wail, tears flowing like a river.

"I want my, Pãi. I want to go home!"

"Jesus Licha, make it stop." His friends cupped their ears with their hands.

There was a gut groping feeling watching Lorenzo run off with tears in his eyes.

Lisandro stood. "Guys, I think you better leave."

"Leave, why should we leave?" It was Lisandro who had invited them after all.

"Just leave please, I need a minute with the kid."

Displeased, his friends did what they were told, leaving Lisandro alone with Lorenzo. He found him hiding out in the guestroom, which Lisandro had his maids make childproof for the night.

He knocked on the door. "Lorenzo, can I come in?"

"No."

The boy lay on the bed, his little body trembling with his quiet sniffles.

"Come on, don't do that to your uncle." Lisandro entered the room, approaching the bed

Lorenzo turned his head, revealing a pair of bloodshot eyes. "Você não é meu tio." (You are not my uncle.)

"Not your real uncle, no. But your dad is like a brother to me, which means I care about you too."

"Like my tio?"

Lisandro sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching out to tousle Lorenzo curls with his hand. "Exactly like your tio." He smiled.

"Pãi says that you are his best friend."

"We are more than best friend's. I love your dad very much. Someday you might understand."

Lorenzo nodded. "I understand, I love Pãi very much too."

"Well he'll be glad to hear that."

With Lorenzo finally wiping his tears Lisandro took a moment to catch his breath. He marveled at the unexpected challenges of childcare but found himself smiling at the thought of spending time with such a vibrant and imaginative little boy.

As the two of them still had a couple of hours to kill before Lorenzo's bedtime, Lisandro discovered a newfound talent for pretending to be a dinosaur. He roared, stomped, and chased after Lorenzo throughout the apartment, their laughter filling the air. They spent hours building imaginary dinosaur habitats, complete with makeshift caves and foliage.

However, as the evening approached, Lisandro realized that they hadn't prepared dinner yet. Panicking, he quickly rummaged through the fridge, desperately searching for something easy and kid-friendly to make. With a sigh of relief, he found a frozen pizza. Lisandro popped it into the oven, and soon the delicious aroma filled the room.

Eventually lights started to flicker, signaling dusk. Remembering Antony's mention that Lorenzo afraid of the dark, Lisandro turned on every lamp in the house. The warm glow illuminated the room, creating a cozy atmosphere. However as Lisandro lay in his own bed ready to call it the night, there was a light knock on his door.

"Yes?"

Lorenzo pocked his head through, seeing that Lisandro was still awake the boy rushed over to his bed.

"What is it, can't sleep?"

Lorenzo nodded, stretching his arms up in the air. Lisandro sighed but reached out to lift up the boy, welcoming him into his bed.

"But no kicking." He warned. "Or you'll be left sleeping on the floor, got it?"

The boy gave half a nod before he lay knocked out asleep. Lisandro shook his head in disbelief and reached out to dim the lights in his room.

Lorenzo did not respect the no kicking rule, but Lisandro was just glad that the boy hadn't woken up during the night, scared of the dark or crying for his dad.

When Antony arrived the next morning, Lisandro was at the door, exhausted but content.

"How did it go?" Antony asked.

"Next time you need a sitter get somebody else to do it."

Antony's face erupted in braud smile. "Thanks Licha, I owe you one."

Lorenzo stepped into his shoes and followed his dad out the door. However, halfway towards the elevator he decided to run back to were Lisandro stood watching them in his doorway.

"Bye uncle Lisandro!"

Lisandro stumbled backwards as he was ambushed with a big hug from Lorenzo.

"See you next time." He waved before returning to his dad.