Sorry for the delay. So this was 3 chapters until Jack butted in with more to say and then the others wouldn't keep quiet either, so there are 4 chapters to finish with. With thanks to everyone who's read and especially if you've reviewed. Thanks so much for your kind comments and to a couple of people who have binge read the whole thing over half term. Super thanks and Leo's birthday cake to Tigpop, Hushedgreylily and Caramelchan who have faithfully reviewed and supported me all the way.


February

Chapter 55

"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Leo, Happy Birthday to you." Sang Harry, Nikki, Anne, Leo's nursery friend Emily and her mother at Leo's low key birthday party. It was more of a play date than a party, just with Grandma, extra food for the children – and of course a birthday cake.

"Blow out the candles Leo," encouraged his Grandma. "You can make a wish."

Nikki shot Harry a look and Harry stared pointedly at his mother.

"What? You always have a birthday wish." Anne retorted.

Leo screwed up his eyes and made a show of thinking hard then gave the candles a big blow and smiled contentedly as everyone clapped and cheered.

Harry cut the cake and served it, and they sat and ate at the kitchen table. Looking about her kitchen, Nikki noticed that one set of her cupboards still had their handles tied together as they had been when Harry had child proofed her kitchen all those months ago. She barely noticed the changes he'd made now. So much had changed in the last eight months. Leo and Emily licked at the buttercream icing and ate the chocolate drops from their cakes, then Leo tapped his chin and pointed over to the bricks he had been playing with.

"Yes, you may get down," Harry answered.

"Thank you. Please get down?" Emily asked and Harry nodded again. The two children ran back to the game they had been playing. Emily carefully gave Leo the instructions and Leo followed along precisely.

"They play so nicely together," Nikki commented to Emily's mother, Sally. "We all enjoy it when she comes over to play, she's so good with Leo."

"Thanks for having her so much. I didn't think Freddie's arrival would cause the upheaval it has. But all those extra doctor's appointments. You've been so kind."

"It's not a problem. It's sometimes easier having her here than just having Leo on his own," Harry admitted. "And anyway, you took Leo for us the other morning. Emily's never made any comment about Leo's signing."

"I asked her about that," Sally began. "I asked her how she could play such good games with Leo when he didn't talk to her. Do you know what she said?"

"No?"

"She gave me one of those looks that only a three year old can give you and said. 'Don't be silly Mummy of course he talks,' and then ran off back to what she was doing. I really don't think she's noticed."

"Children are curious creatures, and Leo is certainly a one of a kind," Anne admitted. "He's just like his father was at that age in many ways. Harry's always had a stubborn streak."

"Mum…" Harry warned in a low tone.

"It's true darling, until you learned to read; which was mercifully, before you went to school you were a peculiar child. After that you always had your head in a book…"

"Mum."

"What? You and Leo are like peas in a pod! All the Cunningham men have needed a strong woman by their side. Leo's just found a friend earlier than you did. Maybe I should have done things differently," Anne mused.

"Mum!" Harry hissed again as Nikki began to chuckle.

"What's the problem with him having a birthday wish anyway?" she continued.

"Didn't you hear about his Christmas ones?" Harry asked. He'd seemed to retell the tale endlessly over the New Year, he couldn't imagine he hadn't told his own mother.

"No," Anne looked bemused, but maybe she'd just forgotten, there was a lot she seemed to forget these days.

"He was taken to see Father Christmas by his other Grandma and the two things he asked for were for his Daddy to be happy and for a new mummy!" Anne sipped her tea and laughed.

"He's got a pretty good track record of wishes coming true then, those candles had better live up to their promise. What do you suppose he wished for?"

"There's no knowing with Leo, he has such a good imagination," Nikki commented dryly.

"I hope he's not going to be disappointed this Christmas!" Anne continued.

"Still there's months before we get back to Christmas. I'm still coming to terms with what happened this Christmas!" She said and smiled at Nikki. "I don't know how you do it, but maybe you don't notice my son's faults in the same way that little Emily here hasn't noticed that our Leo doesn't talk."

"Mum!" barked Harry.

"Oh come on sweetheart. Nikki's a treasure. I'm not sure why it took you so long to realise." Anne had never passed comment on Harry's first wife. She'd not really had a chance to get to know her, and she was smart enough to realise that there was more to the story than her son was prepared to tell her and wise enough not to ask.

"I can't be brilliant at everything," Harry pouted breaking Anne's train of thought and Sally and Nikki laughed.

It was two months since Harry had properly returned. Leo had not questioned the movement of Harry from his bed to Nikki's, he'd not had nightmares, but he only spoke to them in the home and only if no-one else was present. He never mentioned their trip back to America or his other Grandmother. Following Harry's lead, Leo had reduced his need to keep his distance from Nikki and happily curled up on her lap for a story or a cuddle. His play was still very structured and he still spent hours lining up his cars, but gone was the atmosphere that he was blocking out the rest of the world, or that he was unaware of the rest of the world.

"It's very quiet in there," Harry commented. Realising that the cake on his plate had disappeared and he hadn't heard the two children for some minutes. He got up and peered around the doorway. Leo was squatting on the floor next to the car seat containing Emily's sleeping baby brother.

"Look!" Harry whispered to the others and they joined him to spy on the children.


And before I'm castigated for bad parenting, I'm imagining that Sally had a line of sight into the room containing her sleeping baby and she hasn't really left him alone in the clutches of two, three year olds...

Leo is exhibiting far more traditional symptoms of selective mutism in this chapter, having done my research AFTER writing this I learned that the stopping talking altogether is very rare, and used mainly in books and films as a plot device. Real selective mutism is much more likely to be associated with social anxiety allowing the child to talk freely at home but becoming too anxious to speak in other contexts. Just so we all have our facts straight and I'll remember next time to do the research before the writing. So it may be a plot device… but I liked it!