Chapter 230: Things Change
Franz parked the car and cut the engine. The twins were already unbuckling their seatbelts before he could tell them to sit still.
"Sit still," he said.
They didn’t sit still.
Lily was out first, her shoes hitting the pavement before Franz had even opened his door. She was wearing her star pajamas under her coat. Leo followed slower, the whale tucked under his arm, his tablet in his other hand. His shoes were on the wrong feet. Franz noticed but didn’t say anything.
The building was tall and modern, all glass and steel, reflecting the dark water of the river below. City lights blinked on the surface. The cold bit through Franz’s jacket. His ears hurt.
He herded the twins toward the entrance. Lily pressed the elevator button twice before he could stop her.
"We’re going to see Kyle," she announced. "I brought my new crayons. The sparkly ones. The ones Aunt Aria got me before she left."
Leo held up his tablet. I HAVE THE WHALE.
"I see that."
"The whale goes everywhere now," Lily added. "Leo even took it to the bathroom."
Leo didn’t look embarrassed. He just held the whale tighter.
The elevator opened. They got in. Lily pressed the button for Julian’s floor three times. The doors closed.
Julian opened the door before Franz could knock.
He looked tired. His shirt was wrinkled, untucked. His hair was messier than usual.
"You brought the whole crew," he said.
"They wanted to see Kyle."
Lily pushed past Franz’s leg. "Where is he?"
Julian pointed down the hallway. "Second door on the left. The one with the dinosaur drawing."
Lily ran. Her feet slapped against the hardwood. Leo followed. Slower, but he followed. His shoes squeaked with every step.
Franz stepped inside. The apartment was warm. Too warm.
Nate was already there, sitting on the couch with a drink in his hand. His feet were up on the coffee table. Gilbert was standing by the window, looking out at the river.
"Nice of you to join us," Nate said.
"Traffic."
"You live twenty minutes away."
"There was traffic."
Nate snorted. But he didn’t push.
Franz walked down the hallway to see Kyle’s room.
The door was open. The room used to be a guest room. Neutral walls. A bed no one slept in. A closet full of nothing.
Now it was different.
Dinosaur sheets. Bright green with little T-rexes stomping across the fabric. A rug with cars printed on it. A shelf with a few toys lined up neatly. A nightlight shaped like a dinosaur, casting a soft green glow. A drawing on the wall—a house with a sun in the corner and a person with too many fingers on each hand.
Kyle was sitting on the bed. He was holding a stuffed dinosaur. Green, like the sheets.
Lily climbed onto the bed next to him. She didn’t ask.
"We brought puzzles," she said. "And my sparkly crayons. The ones Aunt Aria got me."
Kyle looked at Leo. Leo held up his tablet.
I HAVE THE WHALE.
Kyle nodded. Because Lily was already pulling out the puzzles.
Franz watched for a moment. Then he left them to play.
He walked back to the living room and sat on the couch. The cushions were stiff.
"They’re in Kyle’s room," Franz said.
Julian nodded. He was standing by the kitchen counter. "First time he’s sleeping over."
Nate raised his glass. "Congratulations. You’re officially a dad."
Julian didn’t laugh. "Ellie has a night shift at the hospital. She asked if I could watch him. I said yes."
"That’s the right answer," Gilbert said from the window.
"I know. Still nervous." Julian picked up a glass from the counter. Didn’t pour anything into it. Just held it. "What if he wakes up in the middle of the night and doesn’t know where he is?"
"Then you tell him," Franz said.
"What if he cries?"
"Then you hold him."
Julian looked at Franz. "Is that what you did? With Leo and Lily?"
Franz thought about the first few weeks. The screaming. The silence. Leo standing in the doorway every night, not crying, not speaking, just standing there.
"Something like that," Franz said.
Franz looked around the apartment. Clean. But there were small signs now. A sippy cup on the kitchen counter. A coloring book on the end table. A pair of tiny shoes by the door.
"The place looks livelier," Franz said.
Nate snorted. "You mean it’s a mess."
Julian groaned. He set down the glass and ran a hand through his hair. "I spend half my free time cleaning now. Crayons on the floor. Crumbs on the couch. Sticky fingerprints on the windows. I cleaned that window yesterday." He pointed at the window Gilbert was standing in front of. "There’s already a new fingerprint."
Gilbert looked down at the glass. He didn’t move his hand.
"That’s what children do," Gilbert said.
"I know. I just wasn’t prepared for it." Julian looked down the hallway. His voice got lower. "I’ve lived here for eight years. Bachelor pad. Everything in its place. Now there’s a dinosaur nightlight in the bathroom."
Nate laughed. "The horror."
Julian didn’t laugh. But his mouth twitched. "You joke. But I bumped into it last night. Scared myself."
"Because of the dinosaur?"
"Because I forgot it was there. I got up to use the bathroom at two in the morning and there was a green glow coming from the wall. I thought someone was in the apartment."
Nate was laughing for real now. Gilbert was smiling. Even Franz felt his mouth twitch.
"It’s not funny," Julian said.
"It’s a little funny," Nate said.
Julian stared at him for a moment. Then he sighed. "Fine. It’s a little funny."
"I’m thinking of moving," Julian said.
The room got quieter.
Gilbert turned from the window. "Moving where?"
"Somewhere with more space. Somewhere Kyle can have his own room. Somewhere with a yard, maybe."
Nate set down his drink. "You hate yards."
"I hate a lot of things. I’m learning to hate them less."
Franz watched Julian. His hands were in his pockets. His shoulders were relaxed in a way they never used to be.
"Ellie says there’s no need to move. She says the apartment is practical for me and Kyle."
"She’s right. Kid is still young," Gilbert said.
"I know." Julian stood by the window, next to Gilbert, looking out at the river. "But still, I consider it. I’ve been here for eight years. I didn’t think I’d leave."
"Things change," Franz said.
Julian looked at him. "Yeah. They do."
Gilbert turned to Franz. His voice was lower now.
"How are the twins doing? Without Arianne."
Franz leaned back. The stiff cushions didn’t give.
"Easier than last time."
"Easier how?"
"Last time she left, Leo stood outside her door for hours. Lily wouldn’t eat. She just sat at the table and stared at her plate." Franz paused. "This time, they’re playing. Leo left the whale on the floor this morning."
Nate raised an eyebrow. "What changed?"
"Arianne gave them something to do before she left. She asked them to plan activities for the trip. They’ve been busy ever since."
Julian nodded. "That’s smart."
"She’s smart."
Gilbert smiled. "She always was."
"What trip?" Nate asked.
Franz reached for his drink. The glass was cold in his hand.
"We’re planning to go north. For Arianne’s birthday. She’s turning thirty-six."
"Northern lights?" Gilbert asked.
Franz looked at him. "How did you know?"
"She mentioned it once. Years ago. At a dinner at Alex’s place. Someone asked her what she wanted to do before she turned forty. She said she wanted to see the northern lights." Gilbert shrugged. "I remember things."
Franz nodded. "Northern lights. Snow. A cabin. The twins are excited."
Nate whistled. "That’s a big trip."
"It’s four days. Maybe seven."
"With twins?"
"With twins."
Nate shook his head. "Good luck."
"We’ll need it."
Gilbert was quiet for a moment. He was still looking out the window.
"I know a place," he said.
Franz looked at him.
"My family owns property up north. Far. No neighbors. No paparazzi. Just snow and trees and sky."
Franz sat up straighter. The cushions creaked. "How far?"
"Far enough that you won’t be bothered. Close enough that you won’t freeze to death on the drive."
Nate laughed. "That’s reassuring."
Gilbert ignored him. "Privacy is secured. Security is already in place. My uncle uses it for hunting trips. There’s a cabin. It’s old, but it’s solid. Fireplace. Big windows. The kind of place where you can see the sky from every room."
Franz thought about it. "Can we use it?"
Gilbert nodded. "I’ll make some calls. Send you the details."
"Thank you."
Gilbert waved a hand. "Don’t thank me yet. The place is old. The heating is temperamental. My uncle refuses to update anything. He says the cold builds character."
"We’ll bring blankets."
Gilbert almost smiled. "You’ll need them."
The door to Kyle’s room opened.
Lily came out first. Her hair was messy, strands sticking up in every direction. Her cheeks were pink. She was holding a dinosaur. Green. Squishy-looking.
"Uncle Franz. Kyle has a dinosaur that ROARS when you press its belly."
"That sounds loud."
"It is. Leo pressed it four times."
Leo appeared behind her. He didn’t look sorry. The whale was still under his arm, but now he was holding the dinosaur too. One in each hand.
Kyle came out last. He was holding the dinosaur’s twin. His thumb was resting on its stomach. He looked shy again.
Julian knelt down to Kyle’s level. His knees cracked.
"Did you have fun?"
Kyle nodded. His thumb moved on the dinosaur’s belly. A small roar came out. He flinched.
"Can Leo and Lily stay?" Kyle asked.
Julian looked at Franz. Franz shook his head.
"They have to go home," Julian said. "But they can come back."
Kyle looked at Leo. Leo picked up his tablet. He had to shift the whale and the dinosaur to one arm to type.
WE WILL COME BACK.
Kyle read the words. His lips moved as he sounded them out. Then he nodded. "Okay."
Franz stood up. "We should go."
Lily groaned. The loud kind.
"Five more minutes."
"No."
"Four."
"No."
"Three?"
"No."
She sighed. Heavy and loud. "Fine."
Franz walked to the door. The twins followed. Lily was still holding the dinosaur. Franz didn’t ask her to put it back.
Leo paused at the threshold. He looked back at Kyle. Then he lifted his hand. Small wave. The whale dangled from his other arm.
Kyle waved back.
Julian walked them to the elevator. His hands were in his pockets.
"Thanks for coming," he said.
"Thanks for having us."
Julian looked at the door to Kyle’s room. Still open. The dinosaur nightlight visible from the hallway. A small green glow on the wall.
"He’s scared of the dark. Ellie bought that nightlight. I thought it was silly. Now I can’t sleep without it. The hallway feels too empty when it’s off."
Franz didn’t say anything.
"Eight years. I didn’t think I’d ever want to leave this place."
"And now?"
Julian looked at the elevator doors. "Now I’m looking at houses with yards."
The elevator arrived. The doors opened with a soft ding.
Franz stepped inside. The twins followed.
"See you at the next one," Franz said.
Julian nodded. "Tell Arianne we said hello."
"I will."
The doors closed.
In the car, Lily was quiet.
Franz glanced in the rearview mirror. She was holding the dinosaur in her lap, staring out the window. The city lights moved across her face.
"Did you have fun?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Are you tired?"
"No."
She yawned. Her whole body stretched with it.
Leo was next to her, the whale tucked between him and the door, the dinosaur in his lap. His eyes were half-closed. His head kept nodding forward and then snapping back up.
Franz drove. The roads were emptier now. Late.
"Uncle Franz."
"Mm."
"Kyle’s room is small."
"It is."
"His bed is small too."
"He’s three. He doesn’t need a big bed."
Lily was quiet for a moment. The dinosaur’s belly squeaked under her thumb.
"Can Leo and I have dinosaur sheets?"
Franz smiled. "We’ll see."
"That means yes."
"That means we’ll see."
Lily yawned again. She didn’t argue.
Franz looked at her in the rearview mirror. Her eyes were closing. Leo’s head had finally dropped onto Lily’s shoulder. She didn’t push him away.
Franz drove home. The roads were empty. The sky was dark. The twins were both asleep by the time he pulled into the driveway.
He sat in the car for a moment. Engine off. Lights off. Just the dark and the sound of two children breathing. The whale was on the floor now. It had fallen between Leo’s feet.
Franz picked it up. Held it for a moment. Then he got out of the car and opened the back door.
He carried Leo first. The boy didn’t wake. His head rested on Franz’s shoulder. His arms hung loose.
Then he came back for Lily. She was heavier.
Aunt Estella met him at the door. She took the whale without a word.
Franz put the twins to bed. Tucked them in. Turned on the nightlight.
He stood in the doorway for a moment. Watching them breathe.
Then he went to his room.
The bed was still empty on the left side.
Two more days. Then she’d be home.