“—or at Pilates,” Luis carries on. “We’re here for you. Get yourself booked into the salon for next Saturday. We’ll take Reine again. Mum’s Bums and Tums was quite good fun.”
“Agreed, although my bum and tum are already in excellent shape.” Sebastian comes back into the living room, holding out two cups of tea. He collapses onto the sofa, stretching out his long legs. “So, same time next week?”
Ari hesitates. It’s brief, but Luis has sharp eyes, and he peers at Ari carefully.
“What is it?” he asks.
“It’s nothing, well, not nothing . . .”
“Yes?” Sebastian presses her, sipping from his tea. He hands the other cup to Luis wordlessly.
“It’s just... I’m so grateful for everything you’re both doing for me... taking me in, giving me a job—”
“You’re my sister,” Sebastian protests. “I haven’t forgotten that you chose me over our parents, either. And to be fair, you’re amazing at your work. Don’t sell yourself short. You’re earning your keep.”
Ari nods. “Yes, but you gave me a place to live too, until I sorted myself out. And you were there when Reine was coming and—” She pauses, taking a deep breath. “I just... don’t want you both getting attached.”
“Attached?” Luis asks. “To our niece?”
“Yes,” she says awkwardly. “Tom is coming for me, you see, and I might have to leave and... Well, I don’t want either of you to get hurt.”
“Tom.” Sebastian’s voice is blank. “Of course. He’s coming for you. We keep forgetting.”
Ari swallows, shifting Reine in her arms. “Yes, Tom. He promised he would find me.”
Again, there’s silence. Ari shifts Reine once again, hoping the baby would start to cry, or gurgle, or do something — anything — to end this quiet.
A look of something like compassion crosses Luis’s face. “Of course he’s coming, Ari. But you don’t have to worry about us. Let us help you, just until he arrives. And then he can take over, and we’ll carry on being the best uncles in the world.”
* * *
But he never did come, and Luis did get attached.
Now, he was sitting by the broken-down car with Reine next to him. When Ari pulled up beside them, cutting the engine and stepping onto the verge, she heard Luis’s voice speaking to her daughter clearly.
“Mira, princesa, tu mamá está aquí,” he was saying, but Ari had already scooped Reine into her arms.
“Hello, Mummy,” Reine said as Ari held her tight. “I’m hungry.”
Ari laughed. “You always are.” She kissed Reine’s dark honey hair as she placed her down. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. Just hungry.”
Ari turned to Luis, who hugged her warmly. “Are you okay?” he asked, but she shook her head.
“No. No, not really.”
A look of concern crossed Luis’s handsome face, and he frowned. “What’s up?”
Ari chewed on her lip. She looked down at her daughter, running a hand down her cheek.
“There are some biscuits in my bag in the car,” she told her. “Go and find them and have a few, okay?”
Reine nodded, eagerly moving towards the car, and once she was at a distance Ari turned back to Luis.
“It’s Tom.” She watched as Luis’s forehead creased.
“Tom?” he asked. “What about him?”
