"Ferch pert,” Grace chirped back at him, giggling to herself. "Yes. Hot chocolate please mummy?"

Sioni smiled broadly at his new ally.

“I don’t think so, we should get hom-”

“It’s not far, like..”

“Plllllleeeeeeeeaaaaaseeeeeeee?”

Sioni just smiled and watched Esperanza’s face. The struggle, he knew, was not whether to give in to Grace. The struggle was entirely with herself.

“You know what the harm is, Sioni.”

“What?” He said, his face a picture of innocence. “It’s not like she’s likely to put on weight. Not the way she runs around; I seen her, isn’t it?” He turned back to Grace, still playing the game. “Besides, hot chocolate is milk, mostly, isn’t it? And milk is good for kiddies, see?”

He turned back and looked at Espa, taking in the soft line of her face, the dark heat of her eyes. He looked deeply into those eyes, not pleading, but willing her to say yes. She missed him as much as he had missed her; a daily, dull, aching emptiness in his life.

“I can’t....”

“Of course you can. No one will mind if Siarli is ten minutes late for her nap.” He stood looking down at her, remembering the time when it was the other way around. He’d grown, taller, broader, tougher. And a good deal more sure of himself than he had ever been. Just coping with Kaleb had helped with that, let alone the rest of the game. But if Kaleb had done anything for Sioni, it was to strengthen his determination to get Espi back. He’d grown to like Kaleb, in an odd way. He felt he understood what drove the man. But it made no difference. Kaleb was wrong for Esperanza, and that was that.

“Fine. One hot chocolate for Grace, then we do have to get Charlie home.”

What? Don’t I get a hot chocolate myself, seein’ as how I’m paying for this? You might even get a cuppa out of this yourself, Espi fach, if you plays your cards right. Generous, I am, see?” He gave Grace a wink. “They got some pretty nice Chelsea buns there too, ferch pert. I’ll see if I can wangle one for both us, shall I?”

He bent down and started gathering up the blanket and bits and pieces. He knew it was pressing his luck, but he looked up at Espa and asked, “Do you want to carry the baby, or shall I? Give you a break like.”

Sometimes, Sioni thought to himself, I can be positively wicked.

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Not Getting Any Younger