as if they had known each other for years. Roz wasn’t usually this demonstrative, but she had told Mark she planned to do all she could to welcome the boys into a warm home.
Axl stuck out his stubby arms toward the twins, as if he wanted a hug, too. To everyone’s surprise, including Axl’s, Samuel picked the two-year-old up in his arms and hugged him. Axl grabbed a fistful of the boy’s blond hair and tugged it hard. Samuel laughed and spun Axl around.
His twin watched the whole thing with a dimpled smile. When Samuel returned Axl to the floor, Daniel pointed at the toddler. “He’s funny-looking.”
Roz’s happy expression changed. “What did you say?”
“He’s funny-looking. His face makes me laugh.”
Roz moved toward Axl as if she had to protect him. “He has a perfectly nice face. And his hair is coming in nice and curly.”
“He’s funny-looking,” Daniel repeated. “No lie.”
Lea stepped toward him and spoke up. “Sometimes it’s better to say something nice,” she said.
“Sometimes.” Daniel’s smile returned. He exchanged a quick glance with his brother. “But the laddy looks like a chimpanzee, don’t you know?”
“Panzee,” Axl repeated. He giggled. He seemed to like the word. “Panzee.”
Roz started to say something but restrained herself. “Well, I hope you boys like it here. Welcome to our family.”
“We like it already,” Samuel said. “We never had a couch.”
“Mark, show them their room,” Lea said.
But before Mark could move, the front door swung open, letting in a burst of warm sunshine, followed by Elena. She stopped at the door and called to the new arrivals. “Hey, guys! You’re here!”
They turned and studied her.
She swept into the room and shook hands with both of them at once. “Oh, wow. How do I tell you apart?”
“I’m the smart one,” Daniel said.
“He’s the weird one,” Samuel told her.
“You can tell them by the dimples,” Lea offered. “See? Daniel has those dimples on his cheeks and Samuel doesn’t.”
“Weird,” Elena said. She squinted at them. “Do you always dress alike?”
“Your mum bought us this,” Daniel said, tugging at the baggy red T-shirt. “We lost our clothes. We lost everything.” His voice cracked on the last word. He lowered his eyes.
“Don’t worry.” Lea stepped up behind them and put a hand on each one’s shoulder. “That’s the first thing on my list. We’ll go shopping and buy you all the clothes you need.”
They turned their heads and smiled up at her.
Lea sighed. “Oh, I’m just so happy you are both here. Look at me. I have tears in my eyes.” She walked over to Mark and pressed her face against the front of his shirt. “
“Panzee,” Axl offered.
Daniel reached down and picked Axl up again. Axl poked his nose against Daniel’s nose. “Chimpanzee,” Daniel said.
“Panzee.” Axl repeated the word.
Daniel lifted his eyes to Roz. “Do you feed him lots and lots of bananas?”
Roz squinted at him. “Excuse me?”
“You know. Chimpanzee food?”
Again, Mark saw Roz restrain herself. “I guess I’ll have to get used to your sense of humor, Daniel.”
Samuel snickered. “Daniel doesn’t have a sense of humor. He’s just strange, don’t you know.”
“Chimpanzee,” Daniel and Axl said in unison. Then they both giggled.
Daniel turned back to Roz. “He’s my new pet.”
Roz’s mouth dropped open.
Daniel twirled Axl above his head. Axl laughed. “Yes, boyo. You’re my new pet. Gonna slip you lots and lots of peanuts.”
“Panzee,” Axl repeated and tossed back his head and giggled.
“Look how sweet they are,” Lea whispered, leaning her head against Mark’s shoulder and squeezing his arm. “They’re being so nice to Axl. Isn’t that the sweetest?”
“I’m not sure Roz would agree with you,” Mark whispered back, watching Daniel twirl Axl faster and faster. “She looks upset.”
“They’re just being playful,” Lea said, tears glistening in her eyes. “They don’t know they insulted Roz. They’re not trying to be mean.”
The twins appeared to like their attic room. Mark had hired some local carpenters to add walls and finish the ceiling and carpet the floor and paint the room a comforting pastel blue-green.
The eaves were low, so they all had to duck their heads. He and Roz had gone to Hildreth’s, the old department store in Southampton, and bought soft-looking, comfortable, homey furniture for the room. And twin beds, which Mark placed side by side at the end of the attic, with the window looking down to the backyard.
Now they were bouncing on their beds, giggling and raising their hands to the low ceiling. Watching them, Lea clapped her hands and let out a gleeful cheer. “They like the room, Mark.” She kissed his cheek. Her face was wet from her tears.
Mark playfully tugged her hair. “I’m glad you’re so happy.”
“I
Elena stood behind them at the top of the attic stairs. She appeared to be studying the twins as if they were zoo specimens. Ira had chosen not to join them up here.
Earlier in the week, when Mark broke the news to Elena that Lea was coming home with two orphaned boys, he was prepared for some kind of strong reaction. He didn’t expect the shrug he received and the muttered “Whatever.”
Then she quickly added, “As long as they stay out of my room and don’t annoy my friends.”
That broke the tension. “They’re going to be a little strange at first,” he warned her. “They grew up on a tiny island. And they’ve been through a lot of tragedy.”
Elena rolled her eyes. “Dad, they’re twelve, right?
They both laughed.
He knew Elena would take it in stride, as she did everything. There would definitely be problems with her along the way. A teenager with
Ira was a different story. Take him to town for lunch and talk to him again? Tell him he had to pitch in and make this work? Tell him the family really needed his help?
Mark knew he’d just roll his eyes and say, “Tell me something I don’t know.”
Or worse: “Shut up, Dad. You’re a jerk.
The twins were on their backs now, sprawled on the beds, luxuriating, sinking their heads into the pale green pillows. The room was pale blue and green, water colors, soothing and perhaps, a reminder of their island home.
Roz and Mark had put a lot of thought into all this while Lea was working to bring them off the island.
“Let’s show the boys the rest of the house,” Lea said. “Come on, get up, guys. We’ll give you the grand tour.”
Elena led the way downstairs. Her room was at the near end of the hall. She pushed the door open so the boys could take a glimpse. Above her bed, she had a framed poster of a girl gymnast, arms outstretched, flying high in the air. The closet door was covered with cutout photos of actors from the teen-trauma TV shows she watched
