"Are we all ready to go?" Eva asked as she picked up the raincoats.
"You won't need those." Callum said quite sternly as he looked at the coats.
"It's going to rain later."
"It's an overcast. I've checked the weather forecast." Callum straightened up.
"There are rain clouds on the horizon."
"Are you one of those that feel the rain in their knees?" Callum asked in a patronising tone.
"There's some truth in that too." Eva started to scowl at him. She didn't like his tone.
"Don't be ridiculous. You won't need raincoats."
"We will. It's going to rain."
"It isn't. I've made sure of that."
"So now you can control the weather? How big was the cheque for that to be the case?" Eva asked spitefully.
"I trust a group of scientists in the MET office to best predict the weather." Callum rolled his eyes.
"I am taking the raincoats."
"Just leave them."
"No."
"It'll just get in everyone's way and it'll be an extra thing to carry."
"I am taking the coats."
"Absolutely not."
"It's going to rain."
"Bullshit."
"Watch your language." Eva hissed at him. She noticed the two pairs of eyes fixed on them and let out a sigh. "If it does rain, I will be telling you 'I told you so' until the day you die." She pointed at Callum and put the coats away.
"Okay. Let's make a game out of this." Callum decided. "If it rains, you can tell me whatever you wish until the day I die, but if it doesn't, you get to do one thing for me."
"What thing?"
"I haven't decided yet."
"I do not like agreeing to whatever mysterious favour you may request in the future. It sounds dodgy." Eva tilted her head. "I am not killing anyone for you!"
"What?" Callum looked up at her in utter surprise. "No. God, do you have to jump to the worst possible scenario?"
"I haven't even say out loud the worst case scenario so you wouldn't know."
"Is being a hitman for me not the worst case scenario?" Callum raised his eyebrows.
"Frankly, no."
"What is?"
"The girls are here." Eva said instead and walked passed him, reaching for their hands and walking out of the apartment. Callum followed and waited patiently as she locked up the door. He still looked as if he tried to work out the scenario which Eva had in her mind.
"Make it that it will be something at most mildly uncomfortable but not disrespectful or in any way illegal." Callum offered as they were walking down the stairs.
"That leaves you very little field to manoeuvre. I find most things massively uncomfortable."
"Oh well. Is it a deal, then?"
"Maybe." Eva shrugged. She froze when they reached outside. "A limousine?" She turned and asked Callum.
The driver came out but Callum waved him away, opening the door himself to let the girls in. Eva still stood motionless when Callum turned over to her watching her expectantly. The girls were already sat inside, talking excitedly about the vehicle.
"Are you coming, Eva?" Callum asked. Eva widened her eyes and nodded, getting into the car quite clumsily.
She sat next to Suzie whilst Callum sat opposite them with Emmi.
Suzie placed her head on Eva's arm, going back to her quiet demeanour. Emmi was chatting to Callum who seemed to just nod.
Eva was distant in her thoughts, looking outside the window as they drove through the city.
She hasn't sat in a limousine in quite a long time. It felt alien now. She managed to distance herself from her past enough that what was once so familiar, was now new and strange.
She glanced over at Callum who had his stoic face back on, as he nodded at Emmi who pointed at something outside, a squirrel which she spotted running up the tree. Maybe it was her skewed vision but she thought he acted different today. In court he definitely fought for the full custody. Today he acted as if he came to terms with sharing the girls with her. At least for now. She felt that this was only an act for the girls.
Callum seemed gentle with the girls. He definitely was patient with Emmi's flood of words now.
"Eva, can we go to see auntie Donna tomorrow?" Suzie asked whilst Eva was caressing her head and hugging her more closely.
"Sure." Eva nodded.
"Auntie?" Callum looked at Eva quizzically.
"She's a friend." Eva smiled. "Girls seem to adore her. I suppose it is because she spoils them rotten."
"No. It's because she's funny." Emmi said quickly.
"Yes, she is." Eva agreed.
"Is there anyone else besides Eva and Donna?" Callum asked Emmi. Emmi shook her head.
"No, uncle Cal. It's just Eva and auntie Donna."
Eva blushed worried what Callum might think of her. His blue eyes seemed to pierce through her again.
"I see. Well, you have me too now." Callum smiled.
They soon arrived at a zoo which was completely empty.
"Is it closed?" Suzie asked with worry. Eva looked around and shared Suzie's fear.
Callum smiled. Of course it wasn't closed. Not for them, at least.
It became quickly apparent that the entire place was opened just for them. They were the only visitors.
Girls absolutely loved it as the staff allowed them to feed some animals, such as penguins, and they could watch others without queues and crowds. There was a bird show and girls squealed happily as the butterfly landed on Eva's cardigan.
They wandered around for a few hours.
As girls run ahead, Callum started walking beside Eva. At first they were silent, but soon they started to talk.
"Auntie Donna?" He asked first.
"She's my best friend. She took on the role of a cool aunt for the girls. You know the type. The one that travels to random places and brings the weirdest stories and souvenirs."
"I see." Callum nodded, his curiosity satisfied. At least a part of it. He had so many questions that he struggled to voice. But he was at least grateful that Eva didn't expose girls to her dating life, by the sounds of it, of course. He couldn't be certain. He noticed already when she was pointing the knife at him that she had no rings on her fingers. He wondered if she did it all by herself.
"Emmi is a little chatterbox." Eva said. "Isn't she? How many squirrels did she see?"
"A few." Callum smiled. "She reminds me of Aileen more. Suzie remind me of Malcolm. He was more reserved."
"I obviously didn't know them but I do see you in Suzie. It's not necessarily that she's reserved, it is more that she's thoughtful and considering." Eva looked over at Callum. "Aileen was you sister, wasn't she?"
"Yes, she was. She was my older sister. More of a mum to me than our mother."
"I'm sorry for your loss."
"It's been a year. I almost came to terms with it." Callum said but his eyes gave him away. Eva knew that look. She had that look since she remembered.
A wet drop fell onto Eva's face. She looked up at the darkening clouds. She was right.
Within seconds the rain fell so hard that it felt as if they stepped under the waterfall.
Eva picked up Emmi with a huff, and Callum followed her picking Suzie up with definitely much less of a difficulty. They run towards the aquarium where they quickly run inside absolutely soaked. The water was dripping off every bit of fibre on them.
Eva was panting as she placed Emmi back. She just managed to cover Emmi that she wasn't nearly as wet.
She looked up and scowled at Callum.
"I told you so." She said through her gritted teeth.
"You're a witch, aren't you?" Callum furrowed his brows. His hair was stuck to his forehead and sides of his face revealing just how long it was.
"No, I am not a witch. I can just recognise Nimbostratus cloud from the distance." Eva grumbled. "I think it's time to go home, girls. We're all soaked."
"I'll drop Robert a message to bring some umbrellas across."
"Don't worry. We're all soaked anyways." Eva decided. "Who gets back to the car first!"
It took Callum a moment to realise what Eva was doing. Eva already run back into the rain with Emmi and Suzie squealing happily and jumping into the puddles.
Callum shook his head before running behind them.
They got to the parked limousine as wet as they could, with girls as excited as ever.
"Oh, Mr Anderson, you should've message me! I would have brought out the umbrellas." Robert came out and looked at them with worry.
"It's alright, Robert. Let's go home now." Callum instructed as he took out blankets from the boot of the car.
They got in, with Emmi and Suzie sitting together. Callum passed the blankets out as he got in last and sat beside Eva.
Eva tensed up, feeling uncomfortable being in such a close proximity to Callum but she quickly leaned against the other side and focused on what was outside of the window.
The girls fell asleep during the ride.
"You still haven't told me what would have been worse than being a hitman." Callum said to Eva whilst taking everything out of his pockets.
Eva looked over at the sleeping girls.
"I had a few thoughts but thinking back they were rather ridiculous."
"Go on."
"Aren't you curious." Eva shook her head in disapproval.
"You can't leave me on such a cliffhanger."
"I suppose it would be anything that might require having any relationship with yourself." Eva said carefully.
Callum looked over at her. Eva wasn't too certain what he thought or felt.
She couldn't recognise a hint of hurt that he felt at a suggestion that considering him in any way was going to be the worst thing to happen to Eva. Maybe this was the exact statement that made him think about how they could get along long term. But the next thought surprised him more. Eva would consider having a romantic relationship with him as the worst thing to ever happen to her.
This was not exactly what Eva thought. She had a much more explicit image in her mind. But then, not even once would she think that Callum would think of her in a romantic way.
"I told you so." Eva repeated.
"Yep." Callum nodded. She did tell him and he doubted her. She was proving to him more and more that she wasn't stupid or simple. He never expected her to get half of a custody. He never expected her to fight for the girls, in court and outside. He definitely should never underestimate her.
"I'll make sure to remind you frequently enough so you don't forget." Eva smiled triumphantly. "By the way, what did you wanted to get me to do if you were to be right?"
"I would have forced you to use a cheque I was to give you." Callum answered honestly.
Eva laughed at Callum's stubbornness and ridiculousness.
"Good thing I'm always right."
"Uh-huh." Callum agreed sarcastically.