Balancing Act

119

"Oh, I heard you outside, I sometimes remember random things like that," Paris explained like it was no big deal.

The seats were really meant for just two to be sitting side-by-side, but three skinny eight-year-olds could scoot if they wanted to and thankfully the kids weren't complaining at this point, simply wanting for the train-ride to commence.

Paris helped her kids shed off their winter coats and reached up to place them in the overhead net-shelves, and then removed her own black wool coat she'd worn for years.

"So you must be roughly the same age? Silas, here, is eight. What are your names?" Vikki asked, having simply unzipped her jacket and removed her neckwarmer.

"They just turned eight too," Paris commented, expecting her kids to introduce themselves.

"We're not supposed to say our names to people we don't know," Gabriela, dressed in a red velvet dress, which shed' picked out herself for the occasion, replied in a snappy tone.

"Gabriela, we've talked about this - this is a company event - I know these people, even if you don't know all of their names just yet," Paris explained.

"No, it's my fault. And you're right, you should talk to strangers," Vikki commented. "That's something you should remember also, Silas - you hear that," she said to the boy who was fidgeting with his tangle toy. "But how about we get to know one and other then - I'm Vikki, this is Silas," she added.

"I'm Gabriela," the dusty blonde girl spoke, though her name had already been revealed.

"I'm Timoteo," the boy spoke. He looked more like his father everyday, while with Gabriela Paris actually had a chance to forget about Doyle, with Timoteo it was like staring him in the face each day.

"You've got such interesting names," Vikki noted. "There's a bit of a religious affiliation behind those names, isn't there? God's honor, God's messenger... something like that?" she pondered out loud.

"I'm impressed," Paris commented. "Silas should be the God of forest?" she asked, not really needing to ask.

"Well, it looks like we're definitely on the good side of Gods here, aren't we - doesn't even matter which one," Vikki laughed.

As most of the kids were seated the train pulled off. It was just supposed to be a few hours ride while the elves kept the kids entertained with a few games and singing, letting the parents breathe a little easier. Silas wasn't much for participating but he did like to sing, the only trouble being that he would've gladly sang one song over and over again, which took some convincing from Vikki.

"So I hope you've settled in nicely at the clinic by now, and Hartford," Paris commented as the elves had all of the kids' attention an hour later.

"I have - I ended up hurrying the sellers out of their house to move faster, so there's a bunch of unfinished things. But I guess it'll get done eventually," Vikki commented.

"Oh yeah, where are you located?" Paris inquired. Technically she could've just checked the personnel files to extinguish her curiosity, but she decided that'd just make her a creep - maybe she was that anyways?

"Argyle Avenue. I honestly would've been fine somewhere simpler - maybe closer to his school," she said, adding, "but it made sense to get something closer to my ex's mother. Got to take any support network you can get, right?" with a shrug.

Paris didn't really agree, preferring to buy her support system in as a service., but then again she'd always had that possibility, and asking anything from her parents wasn't really even an option in her mind and Doyle's were already dead. Thankfully, neither of her parents lived in Hartford these days, her dad residing in Marsseilles and mother somewhere in the Caribbean - which island it was this time she didn't really care anymore. The only polite motions that she kept up with them was the holiday postcard, but adding nothing personalized other than having the kids sign it themselves.