Leo sauntered into his sister's house, a broad grin plastered across his face. He'd just closed a huge deal at work, and the feeling was electric. He clapped his hands together, already picturing the expensive bottle of wine he'd buy to celebrate. "Hey, Maya, where's little Lily? I brought her a dinosaur-shaped cookie!" He boomed, his voice full of warmth and assurance.
Maya called from the kitchen, "In the living room, drawing. And Leo, stop yelling! She’s sensitive these days." He strolled into the living room, cookie box held high.
Lily, his five-year-old niece, was hunched over a drawing, her brow furrowed in concentration. He crouched beside her, examining the picture. It was a vibrant mess of crayon colors, but amidst the chaos, a figure stood out – a tall, lanky man with mismatched buttons for eyes and a perpetually tilted hat. He had a faint, familiar tug at his gut, but it was nothing he could place. "Wow, Lily, that’s…colorful."
"It's Bartholomew," Lily said without looking up. "He's helping me draw a castle."
Leo ruffled her hair, a chuckle rumbling in his chest. "Bartholomew, huh? He looks… interesting." He stood up, towering over the drawing. He felt a light, airy feeling in his chest, as if he could lift off the ground. He went to get a glass of water, and then he forgot all about it.