they woke late in the morning and, though corbyn wanted to burrow under the covers and make love to daniel, olivia was no doubt anxious for them to come down. she didn't get to see him near as often as she wanted and skype just wasn't the same.
olivia drilled the guess of the house with questions while they ate breakfast. daniel took them in stride, patiently answering each one. corbyn'd never seen him around kids, but daniel was a natural with her. afterward, they went to olivia's art room to color, and he got a great shot of their heads huddled together working on the same drawing. that one was going up on the wall before they left.
the brunet'd been anxious to get daniel alone for the shots he wanted, but late light would be better for what he had in mind. he sat back in the chair in olivia's room, listening to his two best people chat about stuff and smiling at how full his heart was.
finished with the picture, olivia held it out for daniel. "to take home."
"for me? really?" daniel grinned and swiped a strand of strawberry blonde hair off olivia's cheek, the gesture maternal. "i know just the place for it."
after they talked a few more minutes, corbyn stood. "how about a walk outside? the temperature is supposed to be in the double digits today."
olivia bounced, tugging on daniel's sleeve. "i can show you my tree house!"
"lead the way."
they bundled into their gear and walked across the front yard toward the woods. gabbie decided to join them and fell into step next to corbyn, with olivia and daniel several paces ahead.
"they're getting along well."
he glanced at olivia's caretaker. returning his gaze to them, he smiled. "like old friends. it's a good sight."
"aye." they walked silently a few paces, the wind brisk off the mountain. "does daniel know everything? he-? you've mentioned him often enough, but we were a little surprised he came."
corbyn nodded. "i told him last night. daniel knew some of it beforehand." he stopped and turned to gabbie. "i trust him with my life, with olivia's, or else daniel wouldn't be here."
gabbie raised a gloved hand. "say no more. i understand." she glanced at them, then around the land. "what's your plan for when the trial is over?"
blowing out a breath, corbyn shook his head. "hell if i know. i keep waiting for marais to call and say they let rizzoli go on a misdemeanor. it hardly seems real."
he started walking again, uneasy that they were getting so far ahead. the location was distant from civilization and roads, but wildlife was still a factor. bears, lynx. just as he thought it, an eagle flew overhead.
"olivia will need an adjustment period," gabbie said, head down against the wind.
"yeah. we'll acclimate her slowly." she had a private tutor and skyped into a classroom via the public school system for a few hours a day, but it wasn't the same as physically being there. olivia hadn't even been shopping before. the risk of her being seen was too great. "will you and tate stay on? we'll bounce back and forth, i'm sure, but you're like family."
"you know we will. whatever you need. we love that kid an awful lot, corbyn."
thank god for the disverys. he wasn't a praying man, but he didn't know what he would've done all these years without the two of them to help raise olivia. "i tried my best, gabbie," he said quietly. his poor niece had never known friends, never known normal. "doesn't seem like enough."
