When I was trying to choose a snippet of something for Father's Day weekend last week, I kept finding scenes I loved with fathers and children, and I wasn't sure what to share. I also came across this scene in The Artist's Masquerade in which Flavian meets Amory and Philip's baby son for the first time and has absolutely no idea what to do when presented with a baby. (It's a bit over six sentences again—sorry! I'll do better next time!)
Julien was a beautiful baby, Cathal could admit without much bias. Julien even had a pleasant disposition, but Cathal wasn’t the one trying to get the child to sleep at night. And he was quite all right with that.
“He’s fascinated by you.”
Amory’s remark, directed at Flavian, brought Cathal out of his musing. Flavian was looking at the baby as if he wasn’t entirely sure what manner of creature Julien was. A frown drew Flavian’s brows together as he contemplated the baby, who was smiling and staring at him, dark eyes wide. Fascinated, just as Amory said.
“I don’t know why he would be, Your Highness,” Flavian said, hardly glancing up from his focus on Julien.
“Would you like to hold him?” Amory asked.
Cathal would have laughed at the mingled shock and horror on Flavian’s face if he didn’t think it would insult both Flavian and Amory unforgivably. Though Amory seemed to be suppressing amusement of his own. Cathal wondered if Amory was trying to torture Flavian for some reason when Amory lifted Julien and handed him to Flavian.