Page 102 of The Silence Between

“You don't have to—“ Mari started.

“Consider it an early birthday present,” Leo cut her off.

I watched their interaction, seeing how Leo was always watching out for his siblings, always thinking about what they needed or wanted. But I also noticed how they looked out for him too, in smaller ways. Mari making sure he ate some of the funnel cake. Diego offering to carry the bags without being asked. Sophie linking her arm through his while she chattered about school.

“Your sister's art teacher is waving you over,” I mentioned to Leo, spotting Ms. Jenkins trying to get his attention.

“Probably about the summer program,” he said. “I'll be right back.”

While he went to talk to her, I found myself standing with his siblings, suddenly aware this was the first time I'd been alone with all three of them.

“So,” Mari said casually. “You and Leo seem to be getting along well.”

I felt my face heat up. “We're... yeah. He's great.”

“He is,” she agreed. “And he seems happier lately.”

Diego nodded, surprising me by joining the conversation. “He smiles more. Like, actual smiles, not the fake ones he does when he's tired but trying to pretend everything's fine.”

“He laughed at dinner yesterday,” Sophie added. “Really laughed. He snorted milk out his nose and everything.”

I didn't know what to say to that, touched by their observations and what they implied.

“He deserves to be happy,” Mari said simply. “He's given up a lot for us.”

“He doesn't see it that way,” I replied.

“We know,” Diego said. “Doesn't make it less true.”

Leo came back then, holding some brochures. “Art camp secured for Sophie. Ms. Jenkins says she can get a partial scholarship too.”

Sophie lit up like Christmas morning. “Really? The pottery workshop too?”

“The whole program,” Leo confirmed, and got tackled.

As it got darker, the festival started winding down. Vendors began packing up, families headed home, and the crowd thinned out. We walked slowly back toward Leo's apartment, Sophie skipping ahead while still buzzing on sugar and excitement.

“That was fun,” Diego said, then quickly added, “I mean, for a small town thing. Whatever.”

Mari rolled her eyes at his need to play it cool. “You had fun. Admit it.”

“Maybe,” he allowed.

Leo fell into step beside me as we walked, close enough that our hands occasionally brushed. “Thanks for today,” he said quietly. “It meant a lot. To all of us.”

“Thanks for including me,” I replied. “It felt... nice. Being part of it.”

He looked at me then, really looked, and something passed between us that made my chest tight in the best way.

“Yeah,” he said softly. “It did.”

By the time we reached their apartment building, Sophie was crashing from her sugar high, leaning heavily against Mari. Diego had stopped pretending he wasn't tired, and even Leo looked more relaxed than I'd seen him in public before.

“You don't have to stay,” Leo said after the kids had left, the apartment suddenly quiet in their absence. “I know it's been a long day.”

“I'd like to stay,” I replied. “If that's okay.”

His small smile told me everything I needed to know. We moved to the balcony, two beers from the refrigerator between us, the night sky opening above the cramped confines of East Riverton. The hours slipped by in comfortable conversation, moving from the day's events to books we'd both read, to plans for the bookstore's next event.

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