Watch the Stars with Me

Chapter 29

The sound of Aster coming down the stairs to greet her uncle and his special friend was enough to pull the adult's attention away from Violet and Leon's awkwardly long embrace and the fact that an apparent stranger had received a letter from Dietfried's younger brother who had passed away.

When Aster got to the foot of the staircase she immediately started to sign to her uncle. "Hello! Are you ready to chase me?" Everyone laughed and Aster seized the moment to run past he uncle, who immediately caught her and pulled her up into the air before pulling her into a hug and settling her back on to solid ground.

"Did you meet L-E-O-N? He's my new best friend." She smiles as she turns towards Leon and Violet, noticing the blushes still on their cheeks and their body language before turning back to her uncle.

Dietfriend eyed Leon before responding with an exaggerated pout. "I thought I was your best friend?" He recognized Leon now that he had a moment to really look at him. He knew his face from the sleeve of one of his nieces favorite books, he knew of the man because of how well Gilbert had spoken of him.

Aster hugged her uncle before assuring him. "You are! You are! And he's my new best friend. I have enough room in my heart for at least ten best friends. So far I have Mommy, you, uncle Kyle, uncle Hodgins, aunt Iberis, Forrest, Leon, and daddy!"

His heart felt pinched when she mentions her father, he's never been more grateful for another human being. There is no possible way for her to remember his brother, but between the stories Dietfriend and Violet share, the letters she gets from him twice a year, and the little notes she finds in some of Gilbert's books, she feels like she knows him, and she isn't shy about it. He smiles to stop any tears from forming. "That's only eight. So you have room for two more?" He questions her. She nods her head with a bright smile in response. When his eyes flicker from hers over to her mother she catches the end of her mother's statement about having lunch in the dining room.

Leon didn't really know where to sit as he followed Violet into warm dining room with it's red wallpaper and golden accents. The curtains on the large windows and door that lead to a covered patio are all open so there is no need for any of the lights or candles to illuminate the large room. He watched as Violet took the seat at the head of the table, Aster to her right and Dietfriend took the left so he could be facing his niece with Irma next to him as they shared their good news. Aster turned to Leon after sitting in her chair and motion for him to sit next to her. As he approached he watched as Violet's cheeks stayed red as she watched him sit down next to Aster and thank the little one.

"Do you sign Leon?" Dietfried asked, a little tense, trying to hide any pleasantries he might feel towards him until he was sure of the man who was making his late brother's wife blush like that.

Leon shifted in his chair, and did his best to sign while he spoke so that Aster wouldn't feel so excluded. "I only sign a little, but I plan to continue learning. I have an excellent teacher her in Leiden." He turned to Aster who was now blushing and softly giggled as she excitedly signs "It's me! I'm his teacher! He's a very good student, he doesn't even let Major distract him from my teachings."

Leon looked a little lost towards the end, picking up the sign for Major cause him to lose track, what did the cat have to do with anything.

"She says your immune to the cat's distractions." Violet explains.

Lunch is brought in and while they eat Leon tries desperately to keep up with all of the sign language happening between Violet, Aster, and Dietfried until a lovely almost whisper travels to him fro across the table. "It's a lot to keep up with isn't it?" Irma smiles warmly before taking a bite of her soup. Her pale orange hair is tucked into a loose braid and tucked up into a low bun. She's wearing a stunning navy blue and black dress that makes her amber eyes pop.

Leon smiles at her. "I think it's a beautiful language. I'm looking forward to learning more of it."

Irma's eyes stay on him as they begin their own conversation. "I'm a big fan too. Violet and I have actually been working on some ways to incorporate more of it into my next opera."

Leon's eyes brightened at the concept. "So maybe Aster could enjoy more of it, and other people who have hearing loss can as well."

"Aster already enjoys the opera." Dietfried cut in.

"Darling..." Irma sounds a little irritated at her fiancé for barging into the conversation.

"She does." Dietfried shrugs before taking a bite of his soup.

Leon turns to Aster. "What do you like about the O-P-E-R-A?"

Aster signs as she chews and Leon has absolutely no idea what she is saying until Violet speaks up. "She says she likes the way the music makes the ground and air vibrate. Her favorite part though is the acting and the costumes. She especially likes it when the lead chacacters--" He blush reddens and Dietfried finishes the interpretation. "She likes it when they reunite and kiss in the end."

Leon laughed and signed to Aster, although his eyes wondered to Violet. "Me too."

Dietfried tapped the table to get Aster's attention before speaking and signing, his eyes on Aster the whole time. "Speaking of romantic things. There is something I would like to ask you Aster."

Aster rolls her eyes at her uncle and very dramatically signs. "For the last time, no. I will not marry you prince Zucchini! Go rule your own kingdom! I don't need a king to rule over my kingdom!" Violet quickly caught up and spoke it all out loud for Leon and Irma.

After the laughter settles Dietfried continues. "You're very right process Strawberry. You do not. But I do need a Queen to help rule mine. So I am wondering if you would be the flower girl at the wedding for lady Irma— I mean lady Plum and I's wedding this Winter?"

Aster stood up in her chair and started clapping, almost stepping up on to the counter until both Violet and Leon put their arms out to stop her. Her metal hand brushed against his arm as the pulled away so the child could get down and run to her uncle. He knows she could feel his touch, but she did notice the contact, and although there was a lot of excitement from the other three in the room celebrating the engagement and upcoming wedding, Violet and Leon were fixed on each other for a moment, and he felt like he might know the answer to his question.