Chapter 6
The remainder of their time at Le Petit Chêne passed in a tense, surreal quiet. Leo finished the plate of spaghetti down to the last smear of marinara sauce, the simple meal clearly acting as a physical anchor for his exhausted body. Arthur kept his distance behind the host stand, casting disapproving glances whenever a server walked past booth four, but he wisely chose not to test Eleanor’s ultimatum further.
When the bill arrived, Eleanor placed a hundred-dollar bill on the silver tray without glancing at the total, adding a generous tip that made the young waiter's eyes widen. She slid out of the booth, her beige suit jacket settling neatly over her shoulders.
“Come on, boys,” Eleanor said softly, her voice carrying a firm, maternal authority that left no room for argument. “We’re going home.”
Leo froze, his hand coming up to touch the scabbed cut along his jawline. His eyes darted toward the exit doors, panic flaring anew in his dark irises. “Home? I don't… I can't go to a station. Please.”
“You are not going to any station, Leo,” Eleanor said, her voice steady and reassuring as she knelt slightly to be at eye level with the two boys. “You’re coming with us. My home has a guest room, a shower, and a first-aid kit. And nobody is going to hurt you there.”
Julian stood beside Leo, offering his hand. “Trust us, Leo. My mom is the best.”
Reluctantly, mistrustfully, Leo took Julian’s outstretched hand. His fingers were cold against Julian’s warm palm. Together, the two boys slid out of the booth, walking side-by-side behind Eleanor as she led them toward the grand exit of the restaurant.
The crisp night air hit them the moment the heavy glass doors swung open. The rain had stopped, leaving the asphalt slick and reflecting the neon signs of Grand Avenue in shimmering puddles. The city hummed with its usual indifferent rhythm—taxis honking, pedestrians rushing past with umbrellas, the distant wail of a siren somewhere downtown.
Eleanor unlocked her dark sedan parked curbside, the hazard lights blinking twice in the darkness. She opened the rear door, gesturing for the boys to climb in. Leo hesitated for a fraction of a second, his eyes scanning the dark alleyway adjacent to the restaurant as if half-expecting someone to emerge from the shadows.
May you like
“Get in, Leo,” Eleanor urged gently, shielding him from the cold wind with her own body.
Once both boys were safely buckled into the back seat, Eleanor slid behind the steering wheel. She started the engine, the heater immediately blowing warm air across the cabin. She looked in the rearview mirror, meeting Julian’s protective gaze and Leo’s wary, hunted eyes. She shifted into drive, pulling away from the curb and steering into the labyrinth of city streets, completely unaware that the truck that had almost killed Julian was not an accident at all.
