Physically, she was as warm and responsive as always, but he sensed an air of detachment about her that troubled him. It was as if a new barrier had arisen between them and he had no idea where it had come from.
He hadn’t spoken about Karen again since his first attempt to open up to Flora about his past. He wasn’t sure why. In that instant, he had felt ready to tell her everything. In many ways, he still did. But events had overtaken them. Was now the right time for him to pour out his heart? More importantly, was Flora in any frame of mind to hear the truth about his past?
Even though things had quietened down, the investigation was still ongoing. His head was telling him now was not a good time to make any decisions about the future. At the same time, his heart was giving him other messages.
Being with Flora and the boys had opened up a whole new world to him, one he had never dared dream he would see. Within a short space of time, they had become his family. At first, he had been afraid he was using them to replace what he had lost when Karen and the baby died. But he was able to take a step back and view the situation objectively. Flora, Stevie, and Frankie were important to him in their own right, not as substitutes for anyone else.
They were a little team who had slipped into his life and taken over his heart. Almost without noticing how it had happened, he found himself missing the boys when they weren’t around. He would automatically plan child-friendly activities and look forward to the chaos they brought to his once peaceful life.
He had grown accustomed to stepping over discarded toys. All his belongings were now placed above toddler height. He understood that Stevie and Frankie would wipe their hands, mouths, and noses on his clothing. Refereeing unreasonable squabbles had become part of his everyday life. He’d even learned it was wise to spell out any words that might trigger an outburst of “want.” Every time he heard the twins call him “Dr. Leon,” his heart soared. Their laughter was one of the sweetest sounds he’d ever heard. When he tried to picture his life without them, he found it impossible.
Even so, Flora was at the center of everything. She had thrown Leon off his dull path and forced him to look at his life differently. And he liked this new view. More than anything, he liked having her at the center of it.
Since there were also three-year-old twins in his new vista, any periods of introspection were short lived. Bedtime was always interesting and, on this particular night, Stevie and Frankie were more determined than ever to prolong the inevitable.
Having requested toast for supper, Stevie promptly gave his to Tiny, then started to cry. “Tiny ate my supper.”
Leon turned away to prepare more toast, only to be interrupted by the sound of more crying from Frankie. “Stevie ate my supper.”
“This could be a long night,” Flora said, as she and Leon each carried a twin toward the bedroom.
Two bedtime stories later, the boys were still wide awake.
“Want a song.” Frankie wriggled around in his bed like a pajama-clad worm.
“Okay.” Flora tucked the bedclothes around him again. “But you have to lie still and listen.”
“Want Dr. Leon to sing a song.”
“Uh.” Leon sent a helpless glance in Flora’s direction. “Singing is not one of Dr. Leon’s strengths.”
She smiled. “They won’t care. It’s like a story—they just want to listen to your voice.”
Leon sat on Stevie’s bed, dredging his memory for the words of a song his mother used to sing to him at bedtime. Feeling slightly self-conscious under the gaze of his audience of three, he began to sing. After a few lines, Stevie reached up and placed a hand over his mouth.
“Sing better, Dr. Leon.”
“That’s the best I can do.” Leon’s voice was muffled by the small fingers covering his lips. He met Flora’s eyes and found hers were brimming with laughter.
“Mommy do it.” Stevie turned his head to look at Flora.
She came to sit beside Leon and he rested his chin on her shoulder as she crooned a lullaby in a soft voice. Stevie’s eyelids began to droop, and a glance across the room showed that Frankie was sprawled across his bed, already asleep.
It was a moment of perfect peace. They were caught up in the center of a horrific murder inquiry, but, for Leon, the rest of the world had drifted away. There was just this. Serenity, comfort, and warmth. Everything he needed was right there within his grasp. In that room. If he had the courage to take it.
Flora’s voice grew quieter, then ceased. She drew Leon’s arm around her waist and they sat in silence for a few more minutes, checking that the twins were really asleep. Finally, she gave a long, slow sigh. “I think we’re safe.”
Once they’d sneaked from the room, Leon paused outside the door. “Three-year-old music critics. My self-esteem is in tatters.”
Flora rose on the tips of her toes to press a kiss onto his lips. “Don’t worry, I still—” He didn’t know what she’d been about to say. After a heartbeat’s hesitation, she recovered quickly. “Like your singing.”
“You do?” He gripped her hips, drawing her closer. “Wow. No one’s ever said that to me before.”
Her eyes twinkled with mischief. “When I said ‘like,’ I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. I don’t think you’re quite ready to perform publicly.”
He placed a hand over his heart. “You just
