“Eric is on his way to prison. There were enough witnesses in that room to see what he did, what he’s done, and what he planned to do.” Aiden strokes a hand over my hair and takes another exaggerated breath, reminding me to do the same. “You don’t have to worry about him anymore.”
I can only hope he is right. There’s no way Dax or Aiden would allow him to get away with the kind of shit he pulled today.I lean into that thought and let it bolster me. I might have a stack of problems ahead, but Eric Feelan and his beatings are no longer one of them. I count out ten steady breaths and feel my chest ease.
Aiden smiles encouragingly. “I have a surprise for you. It is the other reason I brought you here.”
“Surprise? I think I am all surprised out, Aiden. I’ve had more than my fair share.” I try to laugh but the sound is off, and my smile is still a little strained.
“You’ll like this one. It will do you some good. Come on.” He reaches inside the car for my hand, lifting it from my lap and pulling me gently from the vehicle. He watches for a second or two to be sure I’m okay, then he lifts Casey out and hands her to me. The boys clamour out on their own. Aiden lifts Casey’s diaper bag and hangs the strap over his shoulder. The bag, second-hand, is a tattered mess of bright flowers and googly-eyed cartoon suns. Not the ideal style choice for his sharp suit.
“Not your first rodeo?” I nod to the bag on his shoulder.
“I wrangled my nieces. They were almost as well behaved as your little soldiers.” The boys puff out their chests and salute Aiden. He salutes back giving them cause to giggle excitedly. I can’t remember them ever getting the chance to play with grown-ups other than me or Mum. It makes my heart sing to watch him indulging them.
“Okay, lead on. This better be worth it or we will dump you at the monkey enclosure and leave you there. Right, kids?”
“Mumkey, mumkey, ass cream, ass cream,” Casey cheers. Aiden spins to face her, his eyebrows in his hairline.
“Did she just say what I think she—?”
“You want ice cream?” I ask, provoking her.
“Ass cream! Ass cream!” she yells loudly, slapping her hands together. Aiden roars with laughter and I can’t help laughing right along with him.
*
Who knew the zoo could be so much fun? Aiden, it seems, and he enjoys every second of it from what I can see. He gives each of the kids his full attention and seems to know exactly what to say or do to keep them engaged in each of the exhibits. We’d grabbed breakfast in the form of sausage rolls we could eat as we explored, learned that the monkeys were natural thieves, and the giraffes were the lookouts. The elephants used their trunks to spray us with water and the penguins were just pigeons wearing smart suits like Aiden’s. The boys love it, and Casey loves the energy. She’s talked more today than I’ve ever heard.
We sat down like a family in the restaurant for lunch and ordered whatever we wanted. Aiden even read out the menu for the boys which meant I had the honour of bursting a few bubbles when they tried to order dessert instead of real sustenance. We got a full plate of food each and I almost laughed when the twins stared in horror at the sheer amount of food there.
Even with that, Aiden seemed to understand, encouraging them to eat what they could and to stop when they felt full. I watched my hungry siblings gorge until they almost burst and then try to squirrel some of the leftovers into their pockets for later. Aiden requested to-go boxes for them and packaged up the remains without derision or judgement. Just constant reassurance that everything was okay.
He only left us for ten minutes and although the sternness of his expression spoke volumes, he didn’t say a single word about it for the rest of the day. The only time he shows how much he knows is when he catches me slipping into my own head. The number of times he reaches out to squeeze my hand or tap my nose or make other little physical connections is more than any other person has in my entire lifetime.
It’s no surprise that by the time we’ve finished gawping at the lions being fed, I’m sure I’ve fallen a little in love with Aiden Driscoll.
“Okay, time for a little competition,” he begins, and all three children turn away from the lions to hang off every word. “This time we are going to find out who can bounce Casey the highest. Sound good?” The boys nod. Casey looks a little worried. She is either way smarter than she looks or she’s tired.
“Bounce?” I ask.
“This way.” Aiden directs us to an indoor play centre for the kids. There are tons of activities and experimental play areas, the one he ushers us toward is the smallest. A tiny booth with a big wooden sign overhead painted in rich ochres and bright yellows. It readsThe Lion’s Den. Aiden points at the door. “That is your surprise.”
I eye it warily. The sign on the door asks, Can you roar as loud as a lion?and explains that the small cramped space is a soundproofed chamber where you are encouraged to roar as loudly as you can and see whether you can beat the decibel levels of the animals at the zoo. Depending on how loud you are, you get a score and sticker printed for your efforts.
I don’t get it. How is this my surprise?
Aiden notices my confusion. His grin lights up the room, but it doesn’t explain a single thing going on in his head. “Ready to let off a little steam?” he teases.
Oh! He wants me to scream it all out? Actually, that sounds fun. “Here.” He hands me a small stack of coins. “Try to get a sticker for each of us. I’ll take the kids to the trampoline.” He points out another activity just across the way; a booth named the Kangaroo Leap. I figure what that’s for, bouncing Casey until she vomits. It’s open and easy to see the kids from outside the small trampoline area. No one can get to them, and I seriously doubt Aiden will let the kids out of his sight for a second. There are other families milling around too, so I’m not exactly leaving the kids alone with just Aiden.
As much as I might trust him with me, I would never trust anyone alone with the kids. Eric Feelan proved that not even their father can be trusted.
Glancing back at the booth, I try to work out how long I’ll be gone…a minute? Two at most?
“Okay. If she gets sick it’s your fault,” I tease. I hand Casey over to him and step into the booth, shutting the door behind me. A sound clicks and then the internal screens flash to life. A quick video explains what I have to do and once I feed the first coin into the slot, a countdown ticks on screen. As the ‘one…’ morphs into a bright green ‘go!’I scream for all I’m worth, but as thrilling as it is to let it out, I still felt like I’m holding back.
The machine eats a second coin, and this time I roar. I roar for this morning, for Gresh’s almost-attack, for the fear I felt, for the argument with Dax, for the kids and they fact that I’ve torn them from their home.
The third coin pays for the anger, pain, and fear I experienced that night on the stairs. For the blood on my hands, for the life that nearly extinguished under my fingers, for the boy who lays in a hospital bed with an uncertain future.
