Chapter 36

She'd turned and found herself back up the stairs and outside the flat before she'd known what had happened.

"Leo?" she said tremulously. "You called me?"

Leo flung his hands around violently, he pointed at her, shook his head, signed 'no' and pointed at the flat. Nikki wasn't sure what he was on about although she had a hunch. This was not the time to mistranslate.

"You know I don't understand the signs so well Leo. Do you think you could use words?"

Leo opened his mouth, closed it again and looked at Nikki. He changed his weight from foot to foot and he signed what Nikki now recognised as the 'where' sign very slowly and deliberately. Pointed at Nikki and pointed at the flat.

'He didn't tell you,' Nikki whispered aghast. He had told Leo about the new flat but not mentioned the fact that it was Harry and Leo's flat, not hers. What had Harry been thinking? Leo needed to be told before you clipped and unclipped his car seat for him, or touched him at all. He did not like change. Why had Harry not warned him?

"Leo no like house." Leo said out loud. His voice she noted had an ever so slight transatlantic accent. She tried not to react, to whoop with joy or startle Leo, to just listen to his words and not dance around distracted by the fact that he had spoken.

"Why don't you like the house Leo? We saw your room, it was blue and had a car picture. I thought you liked it."

"Leo no like house," he repeated with feeling. Behind Leo, Nikki noticed Harry put his head out of the doorway. His face a mixture of awe and terror.

"What's wrong with the house Leo?" Nikki asked.

"No room house for Nikki. Where Nikki room? Nikki not Leo's friend now?"

Nikki blinked back her tears and crouched down until she was level with Leo.

"Nikki likes Leo very much. Nikki is Leo's friend." She used her handshake 'friend' sign. "Daddy wanted a house just for Leo and Daddy."

"Nikki not Daddy's friend?" Leo asked, signing and talking together.

"Nikki will always be Daddy's friend. Nikki will always be Leo's friend." She assured him.

"Leo go back Nikki house." Leo said stubbornly and took a step towards her. "Leo like Nikki house. Leo no like this house."

"Can't you take that inside?" growled the voice from the window of the next door flat that Nikki had heard through the walls earlier. She saw Leo's face begin to crumble, saw his arms twitch at his sides. Saw his chest start to hitch in a way she'd not seen since the flour incident in the kitchen.

"But don't you want your own room Leo, there's not really space at my house." Nikki suggested, trying desperately to catch Harry's gaze, to say the right thing, and not undermine his authority. But Harry was just staring at his son, tears streaming down his cheeks. She knew what she thought the right thing should be. Anyone could see that both men in front of her were still lost and far from home.

Leo turned and looked at his father behind him.

Harry quickly scrubbed at his eyes and tried to talk, but his voice came out even more high pitched than Leo's. He tapped his lips and pointed to Leo and then to Nikki. Harry started to sign.

"Daddy says," began Leo translating for his father for once. "Daddy says, he no like this house. Daddy says he sorry." Nikki knew the sign for sorry, Leo wasn't making it up, he really was translating for his father. "Daddy says he's a naughty friend." 'Bad friend' mouthed Harry behind Leo so he couldn't see. And then mouthed 'he's talking!'

"Why is Daddy a naughty friend, Leo?" Nikki asked; Leo turned to his father.

"Daddy makes Nikki sad," Harry replied, finally gaining control of his voice. Leo put his head on one side and looked between the two adults.

"Leo no make Nikki sad." Leo declared proudly.

Harry signed some more, but Leo shook his head at his father.

"Daddy naughty friend," Leo said. "Daddy sorry."

"I think we should probably all go and talk about this somewhere else." Nikki suggested.

Leo tapped his fingertips together. "Home?" There was no question in his mind where home was. Nikki she saw the dark shape of a very tall man hovering at the door of the next flat. She was also aware that Leo had started inventing words for Harry and was no longer translating.

"This won't stay on the market for long Mr Cunningham," the lettings agent interjected. "There are plenty of people who would jump at this flat, I let you have the first look after you told me about your circumstances." She gave Leo an askance look. "If you've changed your mind…"

Harry heaved a sigh. "We can't take it," Harry said decisively. "I'm sorry for wasting your time." The lettings agent closed the door with a bang, locked it and scampered down the stairs before anything else could happen.

"Shall we go?" Nikki asked and held out a hand to Leo. He took it gladly and climbed back down the stairs and let her strap him into his car seat. Harry followed them. He thought back to that first day in the conference room when he had played all his cards to manipulate Nikki into doing what he wanted. Ensuring the outcome he wanted by pushing all of his old colleague's buttons. It had been so easy. He wasn't proud of it, but other than the bad taste it had left in his mouth it had been simple.

Somewhere in the intervening weeks he had lost the upper hand. He looked at his son walking hand in hand with Nikki and wasn't sure which one of them was holding all the good cards now. The only thing stopping him from feeling utterly wretched was the memory of Leo's voice. But now Leo had manipulated them both into getting his way and with the danger passed he would inevitably descend back to his silent world. And they would all end up back at Nikki's. That was not how the story was supposed to end.

Nikki shot him a look as he slumped into the front seat. Harry just shook his head. He hated being powerless, it was his biggest fear, being powerless and out of control.

"Shall we go get coffee or go home?" Nikki asked.

"Home!" shouted Leo from the back, a broad smile on his face. Nikki forced herself to look back at the road. Leo's smiles were as rare as his words. She couldn't read Harry's expression but she could see his knuckles through the tightly clenched fists.

So... suggestions?