"Can I call you padre?" Rachael asked and for a moment, Raymond was silent. He knew the meaning of that Spanish word. Was it really okay for her to call him that?
"Is your mother there?" He asked her and she looked at Alexa who was yet to understand the meaning of that word.
"Yes, she is." She answered.
"Is she okay with you calling me that?" He asked her and once again, she looked at her mother.
"I didn't ask her first." She said, "But my mummy doesn't seem to have a problem with it."
'She probably doesn't know the meaning of it yet. Otherwise, she wouldn't want her daughter to call me padre, which means father. But I still can't reject it. I already said she could call me anything.'
He looked up at Steve who was wondering what their conversation was about for him to be thinking so long.
"Mister, do you not want me to call you that?" Rachael asked, her tone suddenly turning solemn and Raymond felt he had hurt her feelings.