Leo didn’t have an answer to that. He turned his back on Fliss and shrugged. “Lila likes horses.”
“I’ll get them, then.”
He heard her go, and it seemed like no time at all had passed before she was back with a pink plastic box.
Fliss stopped in the doorway again and held them out. “They’re a bit manky now, but they used to be my favourite bath toys. Dad still teases me for lining them up in size order.”
Leo took the box and signed to Lila, “You can play with them in the bath.”
Then he looked back at Fliss. “Who’s your dad?”
Lila fumbled with the box lid. Fliss moved to help before Leo thought to stop her. “Reg is my dad, at least the only one I’ve ever known. He and Kate took me in when I was two.”
If Leo remembered right, Fliss was twenty now. Eighteen years. Fuck. “Why do you live here and not by yourself?”
“Because this is my home, and the real world sucks arse.”
A grin escaped Leo before he could stop it. He watched Lila dig the best ponies out of the box and place them carefully in the water, then he considered his new foster sister. With her blonde hair and pale skin, she didn’t resemble Charlie, though she was equally gorgeous.
Leo frowned. When had he decided Charlie was gorgeous? Not that it mattered, because Charliewasgorgeous and—
“Leo?” Fliss held out her hands to help Lila into the bath. “Is this okay?”
Leo shrugged, but Lila hesitated, her eyes on Leo. “Go on,” he signed. “Get in.”
“You’re really good with her,” Fliss remarked when Lila was settled. “Have you always looked after her like this?”
Leo knelt at the side of the bath. “No. I didn’t need to before.”
Fliss nodded like she knew. Perhaps she did. Leo had seen the ever-growing files that followed him and Lila wherever they went. Maybe Fliss had too. Or perhaps she had her own file of darkness and death.
Lila splashed Leo’s arm. “Play with me.”
Leo picked up a pony, a pink one with glittery hair. “Name?”
Lila shrugged and pointed at Fliss. “Ask her.”
“You ask.”
“Sparkles,” Fliss signed. She picked up another pony and carefully finger-spelled the name.
Leo snorted, though he was glad that Fliss had tackled that sign for him. “Captain America?”
“Hey, don’t blame me.” Fliss rolled her eyes. “This one’s Charlie’s. He used to love that Marvel crap. He’s into some weird Japanese rubbish these days.”
Leo didn’t know why he cared, but he filed the Charlie-themed snippet away for future reference. “Thanks for lending us the ponies.”
“No worries.” Fliss stood and dried her hands. “Don’t tell Mum I said this, but I quite like it when they take little ones like Lila. Gives me an excuse to get all the pink shit out. Oh, and Leo?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t give Reg a hard time. He’s a good man—the best—and if I see you squaring up to him again, I’ll deck you myself.”
It was late by the time Leo left Lila for the night. Her new bedroom had unsettled her, and she’d only fallen asleep when Leo had crawled under her duvet.
He’d crept away to find Kate watching from the top of the stairs.
“Well done, Leo. It’s not easy getting a young one to sleep when they’re in a new place.”
