Page 14 of Thunder with a Chance of Lovestruck
My time with the goblin had been extremely limited. Most of what I knew about him had come from Amice’s letters and from phone calls home. But it was easy to see how amazing he was with my niece.
He turned his head, his yellow gaze on me. “Rat-tell,” he said in almost a hiss.
That was about as close to my name as he had gotten so far, and I was calling it a win.
“Toirdhealbhach,” I said with a nod and a smile. His name was certainly a mouthful.
As Dave predicted, the goblin had taken a protective role in Astria’s life and I, for one, was thankful he was around. Sure, to most, he looked sinister and like something out of a nightmare, but I knew better. I’d seen him with my niece. He cherished her as if she were a precious gem. He was a playmate and a caregiver, even with his questionable choices for shadow puppets and his decision to depict a gruesome scene on the wall.
Astria seemed to like him. That was all that really mattered—right?
“Toirdhealbhach,” I said, easing closer and nodding to the shadows on the wall. “Maybe make something less scary. She’s just a baby. You wouldn’t want to frighten her, would you?”
He cocked his head to the side in obvious confusion. “Less…scarrrry?”
I nodded to the monsters he was making dance on the wall. “How about something cute like a bunny or a teddy bear?”
“Th-hee-sse not scarrrry,” he said in a low hiss, nodding to the shadows he was currently making. “Astria likes th-hee-sse. She not like bed-e-bears.”
“Teddy bears,” I corrected.
He nodded, repeating what he’d called them as if he’d said it the right way.
I didn’t bother to correct him again.
My niece was all smiles as she chewed on her fist and sat up in her crib, her attention glued to the show on the wall. She squealed with laughter as one of the shadow monsters ate another in a rather grisly display.
I sighed. “Toirdhealbhach.”
Astria turned her head, her green eyes wide. “Tor-id,” she blurted.
“What’s that, sweetie?” I asked.
She pointed to Toirdhealbhach. “Tor-id.”
“You’ve given him a nickname? I love it.” I laughed, lifting her from the crib and kissing her chubby cheek. “You’re getting so big and talking already.”
She hugged me and kissed my cheek.
A second later, wetness seeped through my T-shirt, and I realized why she’d been awake to start with, even though she’d only gone down for bed an hour ago. She’d wet through her diaper, and now I was wearing the results. With a laugh, I carried her over to the changing table, under the close supervision of the goblin.
He nodded along as I went through the routine of peeling the wet clothing from Astria.
“Can you hold her a minute?” I asked, handing her to the goblin.
He eased her against him, and she giggled as I set about changing the sheets in the crib.
Toirdhealbhach, or Torid, according to my niece, followed me as I left the nursery and went to the bathroom across the hall. I started the water in the oversize sink and let it get lukewarm before putting the stopper in. The sink filled, and I grabbed for the gentle soap I knew Amice used on Astria as well as a washcloth. I shut off the water and motioned to Torid.
Torid brought Astria over to the sink and gently placed her in it, only to then hold her waist, making it impossible for me to get to her with ease.
“Toirdhealbhach,” I said.
“Torid,” he corrected, obviously liking the shortened name Astria had given him.
I nodded. “Torid, I can’t wash her if you’re in the way.
“Hasto hold her,” he said, sounding very serious. “No…fall under.”
