Mimi, as far as Lachlan knows, has never left the Estate.
Lachlan isn’t stupid, he knows the children of powerful men are high-value targets, but he also knows that even for men like Alistair Penhalyx, to noteverhave his children leave the Estate is extreme.
After the attack, Jules is more subdued than he ever has been in the past and he hardly leaves Mimi’s side, even sleeping in the same bed with her.No new replacement is brought in for Larisa Belkin, no newMorning Momma.The third room of the Cove remains empty.
Once or twice, Lachlan has heard Jules trying to tell Mimi that Lachlan, who he refers to asthebodyguard,isn’t so bad and if there’s another emergency, she should go with him.But each time he tells her this, no matter how gently, Mimi starts crying and doesn’t stop for hours.
In August, the little girl turns four years old without her father there, only her brother, childminders she no longer trusts enough to go near, and a mountain of expensive gifts she shows no interest in.She carries around an old stuffed unicorn whose rainbow is reduced to faded pastels.
That seems to be her favourite thing.
With a new flow state achieved in terms of security and staff, Lachlan can afford to take his one day off, but he doesn’t really leave the Estate.He wears civilian clothes, actually goes andbuyssome because the ones he had are dull, barely any different from his tactical suits.He buys light blue jeans, sneakers and a lavender tee, all of which make him lookridiculousin his opinion.He also lets his hair down.He wears these clothes and just… walks aroundnearbyMimi.It’s his day off, so he can afford to spend time wandering, chatting, checking on things that don’t need to be checked on.
He doesn’t invade her space, he just exists in lighter shades, looking relaxed despite being fundamentally incapable of it.
He gets a few curious glances through wide teary eyes before she wails for Jules, still afraid of him even in pastels.
Carrigan, who he expected Mimi to feel safer around, isn’t allowed anywhere near either.Lachlan knows the childminders are all worried.They say Mimi won’t let anyone carry her anymore, doesn’t want cuddles from anyone but her brother and when Jules is in study, she sits alone in her room, hugging her unicorn and telling him not to be afraid.It’s a bad situation that Jules made worse, but Lachlan can’t blame either of them.
So he takes drastic measures.
During the month Blaire is head of household, Lachlan has a window to implement changes under the wire, things that the replacement won’t know about.He takes full advantage of this opportunity as he’s become friendly with Blaire and she’s in alignment with his goals.With noClara, whose body went into the furnace along with those of the intruders in the sub-levels of the Estate, Lachlan can make changes without her running to the old man.
All but a few of the chefs are slowly replaced.Lachlan makes it very clear to the new staff that they are to present when questioned one agenda but quietly adhere to another which is Jules getting some fucking proteinand nourishment.The next element is presence in the East Wing, which he designates as“Echo Bay”for radio code.He can’t reduce presence, but he can slightly bubble it, create space.Given that there’s a good portion of the East Wing designated only to the children, he brings in a decorator and points at the darker, shadowyparts of the wing and instructs that it be made brighter without any significant changes the old man would disapprove of.
Slowly,very slowly,he makes it happy, airy, bright and homey with a lot of pink and pastel purples, pretty neon blues and soft sunset oranges.The old floor kicks up a clap when walked on, so he lays down vibrant, thick rugs with unicorns on them which he knows Mimi likes.
The biggest change of all is the riskiest because if the old man sees it, Lachlan knows he’ll be ridiculed if not outright reprimanded, but he has his month of temporary freedom and he uses it well, so for that month, all security in the East Wing wear children’s backpacks.All different kinds, all different animals, some glittery, some not.
Lachlan’s is a very floofy fox whose tail is rainbow-striped, but the best one he saves for Carrigan, who gets the unicorn because he’s really hoping for Mimi to like and trust her, knowing it won’t ever be that way with him.The otherscary people in suitswear them too.
At first, it’s met with scorn and enormous mistrust from Jules.‘You realise this is the shit predators do, right?’he demands quietly one day when Lachlan escorts him out into the grounds and Mimi stays inside.‘It’s pathetic.’
Lachlan says nothing.It’s hard to make a serious point while the rainbow tail of his fox is swaying back and forth.
But he keeps at it.
After a week, Mimi watches him with wary interest from the safety of Jules’ lap.After ten days she runs up behind Lachlan, touches the tail of the fox and then runs away again.
After two weeks of wearing the same fucking backpack day in, day out, no longer able tofeelhow stupid he looks, she speaks to him.Lachlan is patrolling the exterior of the wing during low-risk hours.He hears tiny, determined footfalls on the plush, new rugs and waits until she comes into his eyeline, not wanting to whirl around and alarm her.That day, Mimi is wearing a fairy dress with wings and holding a glittery wand in one hand, a ham and cheese sandwich in the other, half eaten.Her brown hair is a mess, and she has paint smudges on her cheeks.
Cautiously, looking back constantly, she makes her way around until she’s halfway in front of him.Lachlan looks down at her, expression neutral.
He waits.
Her face performs several emotional overtures, until she lands on something earnest.‘I like your fox,’ she tells him and then run-walks in the other direction the way children seem to do.When Lachlan follows her journey, he sees Jules waiting in the doorway leading to their wing,waiting for his baby sister to come running back into his arms.He doesn’t look at Lachlan once, only her.Jules smiles at her while she excitedly bounces on her toes, telling him of her bravery.
Another three days go by, and Mimi very shyly asks Lachlan if he likes foxes, to which he answers in a gentle tone that yes, he does.
‘What’s his name?’she asks of the fox backpack while Lachlan mills around on his day off in jeans, pink tee and sneakers.
Lachlan hadn’t thought that far ahead but he picks a name, having spied an opportunity.‘Why don’t you guess?’
Mimi seems suspicious.‘Why?’
‘Because you’re so smart, I bet you’ll guess it.’
‘Where he from?’
