Chapter 8
Lenora gasped awake as a little pair of hands grabbed her face. Toby giggled down at her.
"Well!" She grabbed him and rolled over so the giggling baby was sitting on her chest, "How did YOU get in here?"
Toby didn't reply. He just giggled and flopped forward so his head was tucked under her chin. Lenora chuckled and sat up.
"Come on, Little Man. Let's go find your Papa and brother."
She scooted out of bed and set off down the hall. She found Otto and Eli in the kitchen. Otto had a book propped open on the table. He was feeding Eli with one hand and eating his oatmeal with the other.
"Are we trading babies today?" Lenora teased.
Otto grinned up at her, "In my defence, he vvas still asleep vvhen I put him in bed vviz you. Eli vvas avake so I brought him vviz me."
Lenora nodded and stole a spoonful of oatmeal from his bowl. She fed it to Toby. He squealed and ate it with gusto.
"Looks like we can add 'blueberries' to the list of things Toby Bear will eat."
"I really don't zink vve need ze list. Bärchen vvill eat just about anyzing vve put in front of him."
"True," Lenora set Toby in the highchair and fastened a bib around his neck, "Maybe it would be better to do a list of things he WON'T eat."(1)
Otto chuckled and set Eli's bottle on the table. Lying the baby over one arm, he bounced him gently to burp him. Lenora smiled and made two more bowls of blueberry oatmeal for her and Toby.
"VValt und I are going to do ze last of ze shopping for ze New Years party. Do you vvant me to take vone of ze boys? Or boz?"
"No, that's ok. I was thinking I'd take them to the park today. Maybe to the gardens to see the early flowers. We got the house clean yesterday so there's nothing really to do there."
"You don't have to explain," Otto closed his book and handed her Eli before moving to do the dishes, "I just zought you might like a day to yourself. But maybe VValt und I vvill come und pester you zree around lunchtime."
"Does that mean I should pack extra?"
"No. VVe'll bring lunch. Or maybe pick you all up."
The kitchen was quiet for a moment before Otto looked back.
"Actually, Lenora, zere vvas vone ozer zing I wanted to talk to you about."
She looked up as he sat back at the table with them. Seeing the look on her face, Otto shook his head.
"Don't vvorry. It's not bad. It's good, actually. Toby is starting to sleep zrough ze night. He only really vvakes up vvhen Eli cries."
Lenora nodded and turned to focus on feeding Toby. Her tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth.
"So...I vvas zinking zat vve could move Eli into ze bedroom vviz us."
She looked back, "What?"
"I just zought, if he vvas in our room, vve vvouldn't have to go as far to take care of him und Toby vvouldn't be vvoken up by him at night. VVin vvin."
Lenora blinked at him before looking down at her baby, "But you shouldn't have to be woken up either. I mean, you already do so much for us and-"
Otto pressed the tip of one finger against her lips, "Und I don't mind. After all, you do so much for Toby und I. I do believe zat is my son you are feeding right now."
"It's not just helping take care of Eli. You also let us live here rent free, you agreed to pretend to be married to me after I fudged up with Maranda, you even agreed to stay Eli's Papa after this is all over. You don't deserve to be woken up at night by a baby that was, more or less, thrown into your life."
He was silent for a moment. Even Toby seemed to quiet down. Then, Otto leaned forward and gently turned Lenora's face back towards him.
"Hey. None of zis vvas 'zrown into my life'. I CHOSE all of zis. From day vone, I chose to help you und Eli. Und, you know vvhat? I don't regret any of it. Not for a second. My life is all ze better just for having you und our boys in it. I don't mind vvaking up to help you take care of Eli in ze middle of ze night. I promise."
The kitchen fell silent once more. Lenora looked down and tightened her grip on her son. Otto swiped his thumb over her chin before sitting back again.
"VVe could bring Toby in ze bedroom if you vvould prefer," He offered, "I just zought it vvould be a better idea to bring in Eli."
She nodded, "We can bring in Eli. You're right, there'll be less chance of him waking Toby that way."
He smiled and squeezed her hand gently. Then he tickled Eli's feet and Toby's neck before grabbing his jacket and running out the door to meet his brother. Lenora sighed and fed Toby another spoonful of oatmeal.
"You're Papa is going to ruin me, boys," she muttered, "By the time this is all over my standards are going to be much too high."
LLB
Toby shrieked and kicked in the front of the stroller. Lenora chuckled and tucked the blanket around Eli more securly. The older baby was completely captivated by the few colorful flowers already growing in the public gardens.
"Oh! Hello!"
Lenora jumped at the sudden voice. A young woman with a little blond baby strapped to her chest in a carrier stood behind her. Her long red curls trailed down her back.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. It's just that I've never seen you here before," The woman held out her hand, "I'm Shawna Johnson and this is my little boy, Seamus. You wouldn't happen to be Lenora Scaarbach, would you?"
Lenora felt heat rush to her face, "I-I am. And these are my boys, Toby and Eli. How-um-how did…"
"How did I know who you are?" Shawna chuckled, "I used to work with Barbara Strickler. We were studying at the hospital together, too and were pregnant with our sons at the same time. We've kept in touch and she mentioned you."
The tension seeped out of Lenora's shoulders and she nodded slowly.
"I was just on my way to meet up with some friends. Care to join us?"
Lenora blinked at Shawna for a moment before looking down at Seamus and back to Toby and Eli.
"It's alright if you don't want to," The redhead assured her, "But we all get together with our little ones a couple times a week and I just thought you might like to join in the fun."
Lenora kept her eyes trained on her sons for a moment longer before smiling and turning back to the other woman,"We'd love to."
Shawna burst into a wide grin, "Great! Come on. The others are just over here."
Lenora wheeled the stroller around and followed her new friend to the top of a nearby hill. The other two parents were sitting on a large picnic blanket with their daughters.
"Lenora, this is Javier Nunes and his daughter, Claire, and Lydia Wang and her daughter, Mary. Guys, this is Lenora Scaarbach and her sons, Toby and Eli."
Javier and Lydia smiled up at her and waved. Lenora smiled back and fished Toby and Eli out of their stroller. Sitting on the blanket, she lay her boys down with the other babies.
"So, you're Nomura's sister-in-law?" Lydia leaned forward.
"Oh. Yes." Lenora kept one hand on Toby's head.
The other woman chuckled, "Her and I work together at the museum with Shawna's mother. That's how we met."
"And Lydia's husband, Kano, and I work together at the bank," Javier rolled Claire onto her belly.(1)
Lenora nodded and lay Eil in her lap, "I was a teacher before Eli was born. I plan to go back once he's stronger."
"Here here," Javier nodded.
"Me too," Lydia bounced Mary.
"I would but...I'm going to be staying home with Seamus until he starts school," Shawna set her baby on the blanket in front of her, "Let's just say Richard's more...traditional."
The group fell silent. Lenora looked at each of them before fixing her gaze back on the babies.
"So, Lenora," Shawna grabbed her attention, "What did you teach?"
"I taught maths and English in Germany and maths and science here. In-In America I mean. Oh! And Otto and I ran the theater program as well."
"Damn, that's a lot on your plate," Lydia school her head, "I thought I had lot to do."
"And you arrived just in time," Shawna said, "Our high school is looking for a math teacher and theater director."
"But not science?" She couldn't help but ask, "I thought they were the same teacher here?"
"No," Javier grinned, "The AUSTRIAN Spanish teacher took that one over."
"Really?"
"Yes. Javier thinks it sooo amusing that an Austrian man is teaching Spanish," Lydia rolled her eyes.
"I know it's 'Spain Spanish'," He rolled his eyes and chuckled, "But it's still funny to me for some reason."
Lenora chuckled, "True. But Karl lived in Spain for two years. And his wife was Spanish."
They stared at her. She stiffened. She had done it again.
"O-Otto explained it all to me. Trust me. I laughed, too."
That fought a laugh out of them all. Lenora grinned. The four parents chat and played with their babies for most of the morning. They exchanged parenting advice and passed each other's babies around. They also swapped joking stories about their families, work, and other friends.
"I WISH you could have seen the look on Rich's face when Seamus spit up on him!" Shawna laughed, "That was the last time I got him to feed his son."
Lydia and Javier laughed.
"Yes! The look of absolute TERROR on Kano's face last time Mary spit up on him. In his defence, she spit u over his shoulder and it was running down his back."
"Oh! That is the WORST! Except for maybe the time Claire spit up on Ophelia's ESSAY."
They all laughed at that.
"Yeah...That was the last time she took care of Claire doing her homework. One at a time ever since."
Lenroa chuckled and shook her head, feeding Eli while she listened.
"What about you, Jay? How's Otto with Toby and Eli?" Lydia played with her daughter's feet.
"Well…"She thought back, "He usually laughs when the boys spit up on him. I kind of have to wonder if he's human."
"Really?" Shawna bounced Seamus gently, "Damn."
"Yeah," She thought back to that morning, "Heh. Toby's started sleeping through the night and he actually offered to have Eli sleep in our room. I told him we could bring Toby since he took care of him solo while I was...in the hospital with Eli and still in Germany but he insisted."
The others blinked at her. Shawna turned.
"Seriously, where do these men hide? How do you find them?"
"VVe're usually in our homes but vve can be found at vvork or helping our families."
Lenora jumped and turned at the sound of her 'husbands' voice. He smiled and kissed her cheek before sitting next to her.
Walt chuckled, "Well, it's a good thing we brought lunch rather than take you out. Hello, ladies, Javier, Seamus."
He lay Jim on the blanket with the other babies.
"I take it you're part of this little 'club' as well, Walt?" Lenora lifted an eyebrow.
"I usually join in on weekends when Barbara's in class," he shrugged.
Toby shrieked at the sight of his father. JIm burbled at his cousins and the other babies. Otto scooped up Toby and blew a raspberry on his cheek. Lenora chuckled and shook her head. Everyone pulled out their lunches, offering bits to each other and the older babies. Otto put one arm behind Lenora as he leaned back. She leaned lightly against his shoulder.
LLB
Lenora giggled at the look on Walt's face. Drew and Nomura were tossing Jim back and forth. Much to the little boy's delight and his father's horror. Barbara chuckled and shook her head.
Suddenly, Otto materialized at Lenora's side. He lifted Toby into his lap and offered her a glass of sparkling apple juice. The countdown on the TV was beginning. Drew and Nomura tossed Jim in time with the count.
"Five! Four! Three! Two! ONE! Happy New Year!"
They all tipped their drinks back. Walt swept Barbara into a deep bow, kissing her just as deeply. Nomura bestowed Drew and Jim with matching kisses on the cheek. Otto kissed Toby's soft red curls before turning back to Lenora. She kissed Eli's forehead gently. Otto curled one hand around the back of her neck, pulling her closer. She leaned in without hesitation.
"Lenora!" His sharp whisper jolted her awake.
Eli was tucked into the crook of Otto's arm as he knelt beside her bed.
"Otto? Wha-"
"Sh!" He covered her mouth with one hand.
In the new silence she heard it. The quiet rustling and clatter from downstairs. Someone was in the house! Her blood ran cold as Otto handed her the baby.
"I'm going to get Toby," he breathed, "Don't move. I'll be right back."
She nodded and curled tighter around her baby. Otto squeezed her shoulder and slipped out the door. He kept close to the walls where the floor made the least amount of noise. Seconds were hours as she wait for him to return. For a second, the sounds downstairs stopped and, with them, her heart. Then, the door inched open.
Otto knelt by her bed once more, Toby sound asleep against his chest. He gently eased the larger baby in her arms with Eli. Without a word, he tucked one arm under her knees and the other around her back. Lenora curled into him as he lifted her and the boys into his arms. With nearly silent, even footsteps he crossed the room to the closet and eased the door open. He sat her down gently and pulled the hanging clothes in front of them. Then he pulled the shoes and a box fan to hide her legs.
"Try to keep ze boys quiet," He breathed before kissing her forehead, "I'll be back soon."
"Otto?" She tucked the babies closer.
"It'll be ok, Meine Leibe," He gave her a shaky smile before closing the closet door.
Lenora was left waiting once more. Toby and Eli slept on, none the wiser to what was going on. She did her best to keep her own breathing even and quiet. She couldn't hear much through the clothes, door, and walls. She could have sworn she heard the front door open and close but the alarm never went off. Suddenly, the closet door swung open. Lenora held her breath and tucked the babies closer. Otto parted the clothes and knelt beside her. Had she not been holding their sons, she would have thrown her arms around him. As it was, he scooped her up and settled her in his lap there on the floor. With Lenora's face in his neck and Otto's arms around her, she could feel him trembling.
"Um...Herr and Frau Scaarbach?" A young detective stood in the doorway to the bedroom, wringing his hands, "I'm sorry to interrupt but there's a couple at the door claiming to be your brother and his wife. In light of tonight's events, we thought it best to verify they are who they claim to be."
Otto nodded but didn't say a word. Lenora looked up at the detective and read his nametag.
"Thank you, Detective...Scott. Otto's brother and his family live next door. They probably saw the commotion and came to make sure we were alright."
Lewis Scott nodded and went back downstairs. Lenora scooted off Otto's lap and clumsily got to her feet.
"Come on, Otto. Let's go downstairs with the others. Do you want to take Toby Bear?"
He shook his head and wrapped one arm around her back. His grip was tight enough to hurt. In the living room, Scott and his partner were talking with Walter and Barbara, who had Jim asleep against her shoulder. The culprit of the break in sat in a corner.
"Maranda?!" Lenora held her babies closer.
"You know this woman, Ma'am?" The superior officer inquired.
"In a way, Sir. Miss. Pepperjack is very convinced that I am her missing sister."
"I'm still not convinced you aren't."
Maranda's voice was barely audible. Walt stepped between them. Gently, he pried Otto's fingers from Lenora's elbow and led him a few feet away. Barbara put her free arm around Lenora's shoulder's and guided her to the sofa.
"The detectives are going to want to ask you both some questions," She explained, "But Walt's going to calm Otto down a bit first. Would you like me to take Toby?"
Lenora shook her head, watching the brothers over Barbara's shoulder, "Barbara. I've never seen Otto like that. He was SHAKING. And-and the look in his eyes...Why did he go to investigate? He had no way of knowing it was just Maranda. It could have been...him…"
"Him?" Detective Scott turned.
"Um, Lenora had a stalker who was after her for a while before we got her to Arcadia," Barbara explained, "A stalker who is VERY convinced that Eli is his."
"Oh…" he backed away.
Barbara shook her head and looked at her husband and his brother. Walter had Otto pulled to his chest and was whispering to him in German. Otto had his arms around his brother's ribs and his face pressed into his chest. The taller brother gave his wife the subtlest of nods. Barbara nodded back.
"Remember his baby sister?" Barbara turned back, holding Jim all the closer.
Lenora gasped and shook her head.
" Her and their parents were killed in a home invasion gone wrong. Otto was in the house the whole time but no one knew. It was two more days before they found him hidden in a cupboard in the basement. And...he never fully recovered...You know how Otto has this super in depth security system? One that even wires in the windows?" Her voice dropped to a whisper, "And he always locks the door. Even when you're all home?"
Lenora nodded.
"Do you know that he has a little pistol in a lockbox under the bed?"
The color drained from Lenora's face. She shook her head.
Barbara nodded sadly, "We all have our demons and...this is his. He lost them that way and, tonight, he could have lost you and the boys the same way."
Lenora hung her head and hugged Toby and Eli. Her head snapped up.
"Barbara…"
The other woman looked away, "You think you're the only one who joined this family by accident?"
Before Lenora could say any more, Otto and Walt returned. Otto sat beside her and wrapped one arm gently around her back.
"Es tut mir leid, Lenora. I promised to protect you and I...I just felt like I failed vvhen she got in," he pressed his temple to hers for a moment before sitting up, "Speaking of vvhich, how DID she get in?"
"Bathroom window," Scott explained.
"HOW?" Lenora stared at the other woman, "It's six feet off the ground and opens SIX INCHES."
"Zere's a reason it vvas ze only vone NOT vvired into ze system," Otto agreed.
"Yeah. You need a new window."
The superior officer shook his head, "Do you want to press charges or…"
Otto and Lenora exchanged a look before replying.
"No. VVe vvont press charges. Maranda, I understand vvhat you vvere trying to do but zis HAS to STOP. I know; I vvould do anyzing to get my family back. But harassing Lenora isn't going to bring Loraine back."
It was only a couple minutes more before the police escorted Maranda out. Walt pulled Barbara and Jim close and turned to face Otto and Lenora.
"Will you two be alright until morning?"
"We could stay here if it would help."
"No. VVe'll be fine,'' Otto assured them.
"Though, I think the boys will be sleeping with us for the rest of the night."
Otto nodded and rubbed Toby's back.
"Alright. If you're sure. I closed and relatched the bathroom window but we'll have to fix it and wire it in tomorrow."
Otto nodded again, "Danke, VValt, Barbara. I'm sorry you vvere vvoken up so early. Especially since vve vvere just up all night for New Years."
"Don't worry about it, Bruderlein. Remember what Mum used to say? 'We're a family. And family looks out for one another.'"
Otto smiled, "I remember, Fledermaus."
"Good. Don't forget it. See you all tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow."
Once they left, Lenora let out the sigh she didn't know she had been hiding. Otto groaned in agreement. Together, they went back to their bedroom. They lay in silence for a while, just holding their babies.
Seeing that Otto had neither moved nor fallen back asleep, Lenora rolled out of bed. She wrapped her blanket around her and Eli and crossed the room to Otto's bed.
"Scoot over."
She wait for him to wiggle back before lying down and laying Eli next to Toby. It was a tight fit. The twin bed was not meant for two people let alone two adults and their babies.
"Please don't scare me like that again," She whispered.
"I vvon't. VValt und I vvill be fixing the vvindow und vvireing-"
"No. I meant what you did. Hiding the boys and I then going to face whoever it was. Had it been anyone other than Maranda you could have been KILLED. Please? Promise me you won't do something like that again?"
Otto stared at her for a moment, "Ok. I promise. Das verspreche Ich."
Lenora nodded, satisfied, and snuggled deeper into her blanket."
LLB
1) Funny story: This is actually something I saw in my business textbook. A 'Javier Nunes' was listed as an accountant in one example and a 'Mr. Wang' was used in another. I just thought it would be a funny little addition to the characters.