Page 41 of Hot Momosa

“Easy, there.” Leo reached for it, but it was too late. Whatever was inside leaked through the candy-red package.

“Yuck!” Holding his wet hands in front of himself, Gunnar screwed up his face.

“What is that?” I braced myself for the oncoming tantrum.

“It’s just water.” Leo set the box on the table gently and nodded to the red-faced toddler. “Pull the ribbon and open the box from the top.”

Gunnar snapped his mouth shut, climbed onto a chair, and gently untied the bow. With a little assistance from his dad, he lifted the lid and peered inside. His eyes widened and his mouth opened. In ultra-slow motion, a smile split his face as he glanced at us and back inside.

I’d never seen him react with such awe, or dramatics. “What is it?”

“Fish!” Gunnar grabbed for the box again, but this time Leo was ready for him.

“We have to be careful not to shake his house.” He pulled the bowl from the box and set it on the table. A bright yellow goldfish swam in nervous circles around a sprig of plastic leaves.

The child nodded without taking his eyes off the fish.

“You bought him a pet?” Never, and I mean never, in a million years would I have given a living creature to a toddler.

“He loves visiting the aquarium,” Leo whispered. “It was the first thing out of his mouth when I asked what he wanted for Christmas.”

“Thank God he didn’t ask for a pony.” Watching Gunnar stare at the fish eased my irritation a little. But I couldn’t shake the feeling this was a very bad idea. Too many things could go wrong, not least of which the fish could die.

“Remember, don’t shake his house.” Leo stood.

“I not.” He leaned close and kissed the glass bowl.

I seated myself at the table to help keep an eye on the situation. “What are you going to name it?”

“Leo.” Gunnar nodded. “Leo Fish.”

“Won’t that be a confusing having two Leos?”

The boy gave me a you-can’t-be-serious expression that made me wonder what sort of hell I was in for when he hit his teen years.

“I like it.” Walking into the kitchen, Leo smiled like a kid with the golden ticket. “Let’s eat, then we have a tree to decorate and stockings to hang.”

By the time Leo and I put the star on the tree, I needed a second nap, and I wasn’t the only one. Gunnar had zonked on one of the fluffy dog beds before we’d finished untangling the Christmas lights. Leo fared a little better, but he’d lost some of his enthusiasm while searching for the burnt-out bulbs.

“I’m exhausted.” I sank onto the couch and let my head fall back against the soft cushions.

“Same.” Leo plopped down beside me. “Do you think he had a good time?”

“You have to ask?”

“It’s hard to tell the difference between fun and a sugar high.” He laced his fingers with mine.

After the kiss he’d laid on me earlier, I wasn’t sure how I felt about him holding my hand so casually. Part of me craved the sense of normalcy being with Leo brought, but the wounded little girl inside me was scared he’d hurt me again.

As if moving more than his neck was simply too much effort, he rolled his head in my direction. “What happened with Harrison today?”

“I told him I didn’t want to marry him. Again.” The meeting seemed more like days before rather than hours. It was so easy to pretend the rest of the world didn’t exist while locked in the condo with Leo and Gunnar. Too easy.

“He didn’t take it well?”

“More like he won’t take no for an answer. He has some ridiculous idea that I’d make the perfect politician’s wife and doesn’t care about the minor details, like the fact I don’t love him.”

“He’s an idiot.” Leo grinned. “But I’m happy to hear you’re not in love with the schmuck.”

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