Liam Jr. watched Chloe for a long moment before burying his small face into her shoulder, retreating once again into his silent "turtle shell."
Chloe sighed, feeling the familiar weight of his withdrawal. She realized she couldn't force him to come out before he was ready.
Throughout the morning, Xavier stayed with the boy. They spent time working on interlocking wooden puzzles before Xavier picked up a collection of English fables. To Chloe’s surprise, Liam Jr. listened with rapt attention. She hadn't realized he was fluent in English, but then she remembered he had spent much of his early life in the United States, so his bilingualism made perfect sense.
As the boy grew tired, he instinctively rested his head on Xavier’s lap. Xavier reached down, his large hand gently ruffling the boy
