You Never Know (Random Updates)

Chapter 40

Owen POV

She's fidgeting again.

My gray eyes stay on her as I watch her enter the common room.

The ends of her sleeves are clenched tightly in her fists as her eyes scan the room. Relief fills them as they land on the little boy that is listening to Silas tell him about Greece. Interesting, that's a maternal instinct if I ever saw one. Lisa was correct, she does have the instinct her birth mother clearly does not have.

Dr. Green's eyes are dark green. He is concerned, this must not be good. Hopefully she isn't getting an infection from that boy. Speaking of which, I need to see what Mr. Morgan and Mr. Henshaw have been able to find out regarding him, his family, her mother, and that despicable woman. Surely there is something I can do legally.

"Hey, have a nice nap?" Victor asked, snapping me out of my thoughts, as he notices Sean is on one side of her and Gabe on the other.

"Hi Hi," Liam smiles proudly as he hops off Silas' lap, rushing over to her. "We go?"

"Go?" She looks at him with confusion as she sits on the floor. Does she not remember our plans or did she not think we were serious about it? Perhaps she isn't fully awake yet. "Whoa!" she gasps as hands come up under her arms and lift her off the floor.

"There," Mr. Taylor Jr says as he places her on the couch next to Silas who drapes a blanket over her lap.

"Here you go," Mr. Taylor Sr says as he walks over to her with a very colorful milkshake that is spilling sprinkles all over the floor.

I watch as she hesitates but after Liam tells her that he helped make it, she takes the sugar filled drink and takes a sip. Good girl.

"We go when done, Hi Hi?" he asks as he bounces up and down in front of her.

"Go?" she repeats. My eyes follow her movement of setting that glass by her feet after spotting Max sleeping in his bed in front of the fireplace. She only took one sip and judging from Mr. Taylor Jr's jaw clenching, he noticed as well. Even with his displeasure of junk food, he is willing to overlook it if it means her putting on some necessary weight.

"Fwiends," Liam says proudly. "We go fwiends. Put up tree and be wif fwiends Hi Hi."

I watch the shock cross her face before she hides it behind a smile. I briefly wonder if anyone else caught that and how different her smile is compared to the one we saw in the kitchen when she thought it was just her and her brother. This one is clearly fake but real enough that her brother hasn't caught onto it yet. I can feel the anger building in me at the knowledge that she is feeling the need to mask because of us. Knowing the rest of the family, they are feeling the same way and mentally promising to use this time to try and redeem ourselves.

"I'm sorry, I completely forgot. Um, if you are sure then we can go get packed," she says as she readjusts her grip on her sweater sleeves. Her right leg starts to lightly bounce as she watches a huge smile cross Liam's face.

"Yay! I's pack me and yous dwink den comes help pack yous!" Liam cheers before trying to rush off.

"Slow down, Lee Lee," She smiles softly as she ran her fingers through his hair to try and tame some of his curls down. I wonder how her fingers would feel in my hair. No, I mustn't think about that right now. "You could fall and get hurt rushing like that. Remember what we talked about when it comes to rushing?"

He nods his head, "Me no wash, me walk wike Spike! Swow and steady."

"That's right," she smiles as he takes big steps in place. I force myself not to smirk at the small toddler acting with a resemblance of King Kong taking to him ginormous steps. "Now Spike walk, okay?" She watched him take two big steps before nodding. "Yes, your Spike walk is perfect Lee Lee," she says with a megawatt smile at his goofiness. I swear one day that smile will be directed at us.

"How was your nap, Princess?" Mr. Morgan asks from my side when she turns to look at her hands in her lap since she couldn't see Liam anymore.

"What?" she gasps as her eyes dart to him in shock. They are doe-like.

"She slept well," I hear Mr. Coleman answer for her as I watch him pick up her cup, "Drink before it melts."

A small shiver goes down her spine at the slight sternness in his voice. 'Hmm, seems like she is a submissive but is she really...only time will tell' I think as I adjust my sleeves and press out any wrinkles in the jacket. This holiday is going to be very interesting in more than one way. I need to get Dr. Green alone for a moment and discuss what is clearly on his mind. Decisions, decisions.

Heidi took the cup back into her hands which seemed to be shaking slightly although she was trying terribly to hide it. With a strained smile and glossy eyes, she nodded her head while taking deep breaths. A low hum of what seemed to be a rhyme came from her before she finally took a small sip. We desperately need to find a way to get her to eat more. Mr. Taylore Jr. seems as though he is seconds away from blowing a gasket at her lack of appetite. Mr. Taylor Sr. seems not far behind him in her lack of enjoyment of the surgery drink.

Mr. Coleman took a seat next to her draping his arm over the back resting it upon her shoulders and squeezing a little before whispering, "Good girl." Heidi shivered as her eyes dilated a little. Yes, this holiday is going to be quite entertaining.