Page 35 of Lee

Rori gave him a quick smile before looking down at her camera. Lee let his gaze linger on her for a moment before looking out over the garden. There were trees in amongst the flowers that cast shadows over parts of the garden, including the cement bench they were sitting on.

A breeze ruffled through the leaves of the tree behind them, accompanied by the sound of children’s laughter and the soft rumble of car engines in the distance. It was peaceful and serene, and Lee took a deep breath, appreciating the beauty of the moment.

The beauty of nature, but also the beauty of the woman sitting next to him. Hers was a subtle, gentle beauty that normally wouldn’t have caught his eye. However, in all his interactions with her, he’d come to appreciate her understated beauty.

Maybe it was because of the turmoil of his previous relationship. Or maybe it was because of the complexity of his feelings regarding his search for his biological parents.

Whatever the case, Lee felt calm and settled in her presence.

“Are you really sure it won’t matter to the people who are there if I come?”

The question was spoken in a soft, uncertain voice, leaving Lee to wonder why she was so tentative about her welcome.

“I’m absolutely positive,” Lee told her. “Why don’t you come for a few minutes, and if you decide you’d rather not stay, you can leave. If you come, you can meet Elsa. She loved to meet new friends.”

“She’s here?”

“Yep. The kids wanted her to come.”

“Okay. As long as you’re sure…”

“I am.”

“I just need to pack up my camera,” Rori said as she removed the lens from her camera, then bent to carefully tuck the pieces into the bag.

Once she was done, she got to her feet and picked up both the camera bag and her backpack.

“Can I carry the camera bag for you?” Lee asked, since it looked like the heavier and bulkier of the two.

“Sure.” She held it out to him, her fingers brushing his as he took the handle from her. “Thank you.”

“We’re not too far from here,” Lee said as they walked along the path to the exit of the garden.

“Is your whole family there?”

“No. Four of my siblings don’t live in Serenity at the moment. I’m not sure if everyone who lives here is coming either. But don’t worry about remembering names. If you forget, just ask me.”

“Do your parents live here too?” she asked as they followed the road to where the group had gathered.

“Yes, they do, but they’re not here right now, though they’ll be home soon. They travel a lot, offering their medical expertise to clinics and orphanages around the world. Right now, they’re at an orphanage in Thailand with one of my brothers.”

“They’re doctors?”

“Yep. They were doctors at the clinic here, but now some of my siblings have taken over running it.”

As they neared the picnic area, the kids spotted them and came running over with Elsa.

“Rori, you’ve met Layla and Amelia already, but this is my nephew Peyton.”

The kids smiled at Rori as they exchanged greetings, then Peyton picked Elsa up. “This is Uncle Lee’s dog, Elsa. We love her.”

Rori reached out and let Elsa sniff her hand before giving her some scratches behind her ears. “She’s beautiful.”

“She does some neat tricks,” Layla said. “She’s so smart.”

“Why don’t we go back to your parents, and you can show Rori what Elsa can do?”

Peyton put Elsa back down, and holding her leash, he and the girls ran toward their group.

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