Lost Too Much

LOST TOO MUCH Chapter 21

Callen settled Bronte and the children into the safe house not too far from the mission. It was a Californian style house, painted blue with white trimmings and a gorgeous front verandah with a view over a secluded garden. Hetty had chosen well on this particular property. No eyes from the road could see into the front garden and the agents and parties who they were protecting could at least sit out on the verandah and relax. The rear garden had a gate through to an alley way for a quick get away if the need arose, with security cameras fitted for extra security. The garden had been tended to recently. It was neat and weeded, ready for the coming winter. A large tree sat in the middle of the garden and had turned a golden colour, it's leaves had begun to drop and scatter on the lawn underneath it. The property had a tranquil feel about the place and he hoped it soothed Bronte and the children. There was a swing out back tied under a large oak, its leaves had also changed to an amber colour. As he looked around the house for a bed for Thomas, he was pleased to see that Hetty had well equipped the house with a portacot and high chair, which had been folded away in a closet. He pulled them out and set them up in the smallest bedroom. He also found some soft toys in a box, high up in the cupboard and brought them out for Thomas to play with. He had no idea what a one year old needed and was thankful that Bronte did.

He found Bronte on the swinging chair, at the far end of the front verandah. Thomas sat on her lap and she had Max and Ella sitting either side of her, eager for her to rock the seat even further. The smiles on their faces made him realise just how resilient children could be, but he also knew how too much bad stuff destroyed a child's emotional well being. For now, Max and Ella appeared to be enjoying themselves, that in itself was a relief. He was more concerned over how clingy Thomas was of Bronte, who showed no sign of placing him on the mat, which he'd laid out in front of her. He stepped forward.

"Would Thomas like to play on the mat?" The boy buried his head into Bronte's chest, but Callen had a trick up his sleeve. Well in this case, behind his back. He pulled out a soft honey coloured bear that had caught his attention in the box he'd found. It had a blue ribbon tied around his neck and looked perfect for a one year old boy. He pulled it out from behind him and brought him closer to Tommy. He'd had fun playing this game with Sam's daughter, Kamran, many times over the years and it always ended up with her in giggles.

"Hello, Tommy. My name is Bluey. I love lots of cuddles and I love to be squished and taken on lots of adventures." Callen put on a funny voice, like he'd done in the past with Kamran and no sooner had he begun, Tommy had turned and pulled his hands out to grab Bluey. The boy squished him tight into his arms and giggled at Callen's funny voice. He slid down from Bronte's lap and started talking to the bear, as his tiny feet carried him in a wobbly way towards the mat. He sat down with the teddy and interacted with the bear and the other toys on the mat. There was a fire truck, airplane and lots of small cars for him to play with. It was really sweet when Callen knelt down and brought a train onto the mat. The boy's eyes almost popped out of his head when he saw him.

"Thomas." The blue train with a smiley face went chugga, chugga, choo choo along the mat as the boy played with his favourite train, the one that shared his name.

Bronte looked over at Callen with tears in her eyes. "Well I never thought I would ever see the day when I saw you playing with a one year old." She'd watched him build a relationship with his son, Michael, and her son, Max, over the past five months with pride. She tried hard and she could see the time he'd spent with Sam's daughter had paid off. But she never expected to see this side of him, interacting with a one year old boy whom he'd never met before. It took her breath away and she found herself pondering, what if they had a child? She shook the thought from her head, there was no way it would happen. Not now. She wasn't sure if she could go through bringing another child into the world and have them torn from her. She'd lost two already and the one she had, was still in danger.