Mommy Mouse (sequel to City Mouse)

Chapter 35: Communication

Henry and Mouse thanked the Santangelos over and over, after the detectives left, while Henry held Leo in his lap. Mouse looked at this beautiful family up close, since she'd only ever seen them from across the lobby until now. They were a spectacular example of beautiful genetics in action. Every child had hair of a different color, though all had curls to a greater (Francie and Lottie) or lesser (Clio and Finn) degree.

Pete Santangelo was a complete and total hottie, of course. She'd known this for years, and seeing him up close did nothing to change her opinion. It made sense that his wife would be as beautiful as him, though in a completely different way. There was something of a Pre-Raphaelite madonna about her, a kind of peaceful beneficence, with her kind, placid expression and her beautiful smile.

Before they left, she motioned for the twins, and they came to stand in front of her, suddenly shy and holding each other's hands. They looked at her curiously, eyes large, wondering what she wanted.

"I want to thank you girls," Mouse said, smiling, even though her voice was serious. "Leo has been going through so much lately, and we're so, so grateful that he found you two, that you were there for him."

"We didn't do anything, though, we just talked at night on the talkie-talkies," Lottie explained, looking over at Leo and smiling. "It was really fun for us, too."

"Leo's really nice," Brina chimed in, as she, too, looked over at Leo and smiled a freckly, scrunchy-faced grin. "We only have sisters to talk to, 'cause Finn's still too little, so it was neat to talk to him, to have a boy friend." She heard her words and stopped, embarrassed.

Next to her, Lottie, too, laughed when she heard "boy" and "friend" said next to each other by her sister.

"Well, considering how things could've gone, I'm just really happy that he found you guys first, that's all I'm trying to say," Mouse reiterated. She reached out and pulled the little girls to her, hugging them.

Their arms came back around Mouse immediately, with strength and enthusiasm. These children were obviously used to being hugged and showing physical affection.

"Thank you, thank you so much, you guys," Mouse said. She couldn't stop the tears, so she just let them come while she hugged the two little people who had helped Leo through so much.

Suddenly Brina laughed and lifted her head from where she'd laid it on Mouse's shoulder.

"Hey!" she proclaimed. "I just felt your baby in your tummy! It moved! Lottie, did you feel it?"

Her sister nodded vigorously, her grin huge. "I felt it! I felt it too! Like when Finn was in our mommy!" She looked up at Mouse. "Leo told us it's a girl baby," she announced. "That's nice, isn't it?"

Mouse nodded, sniffing and releasing them so she could wipe her eyes. "It is nice, it's a really nice thing, and we're really excited that Leo's going to have a sister."

Henry and Mouse rose, with Henry still holding Leo.

"We can't thank you enough," Mouse said to Pete and Daisy. "We can never repay you for this, for keeping him safe, for giving him a place to go when he needed someone."

Pete and Daisy both demurred, saying they hadn't done anything.

"It was all them, wasn't it?" Daisy said with a laugh, gesturing at the twins. "We didn't even know he was here, you know?"

"Yes, but you raised them," Mouse insisted. "You made them the beautiful people that they are, who had the decency, the kindness to help him--when I think of what could've happened to him if he'd actually left the building--" she was unable to continue. Her throat got tight, and fresh tears filled her eyes.