He flinches, his body curving inwards. He looks like he wants to make himself smaller. I approach him carefully, making sure to keep the sofa between us. “I’m glad to see you again.”
“Because I enjoyed spending time with you.”
He blushes red. “Why aren’t you in the basement?”
“Your brother agreed to let me out for a breather. I was missing the sun.”
“I hate the sun. It’s too bright.”
“It’s life-giving, Lev. If it weren’t for the sun, it’d be dark and cold and scary all the time.” I inch towards him a little, watching his face the whole time to see if I tread too close. “But I’ve seen you go outside sometimes. When you play football with Uri.”
“It’s our quality time,” he recites in a mumble.
I smile. Something about big, scary Uri inviting his younger brother out for “quality time” m
