Sixty-One

ZORAS POV

I looked down at the twins who had identical sunny grins and ice cream smeared all over their faces.

"Hello, you two," I said, forcing myself to smile at them. "How are you doing this afternoon?"

Still holding on to my legs, they pulled back a bit.

"We are having a lot of fun with Elliot, mum," Finn said excitedly.

I stared at him in surprise. All traces of the reserve he had been treating Elliot with was gone. I wondered what Elliot had done to make Finn thaw towards him. I shot Elliot a glare.

"Yes, mum," added Freya. "We came here from school. It was Elliot's idea. Finn and rode the carousel until we were almost dizzy and then-"

Finn interrupted. "-and then Elliot finished telling us the story he didn't get to finish the other day."

"Sounds nice," I said.

I straightened a bit and glanced over at Elliot, half an ear on what the kids were saying. Elliot didn't even have the good grace to look away, or look sorry at least. By my expression, it was clear that I did not a