On the journey home, Londo kept catching himself watching Claudia as she clung to Leonard.
It was only natural. Anyone who found a little girl had suddenly appeared in their grandson's room would pay attention, and Claudia was the kind of perfectly pretty child who drew the eye even more.
Leonard's explanation to Londo was as bare-bones as it got: she was a girl he knew. No backstory, no lead-up, just the end result. Claudia was coming home with him to spend the summer.
No matter how Londo turned it over in his head, it felt wrong.
Claudia seemed timid, always pressed against Leonard as she nervously looked around. The slightest noise would send her shrinking back into his arms.
And yet she was intensely curious. Anything on the train caught her interest, and she'd stare with wide-eyed innocence before tugging at Leonard, asking him to explain.
Leonard, for his part, was endlessly patient. No matter how many times Claudia asked the same question, he would just smile and answer again.
It was obvious the two of them were close, but Londo still couldn't shake the feeling that something didn't add up.
Even if Claudia and Leonard got along, what did that have to do with her parents? How could they possibly trust Leonard so completely?
Leonard showed no sign of wanting to explain, which left Londo stuck. He couldn't exactly pull the "I'm your grandfather" card and force an answer.
Besides, Londo didn't think he had any grandfatherly authority to speak of. He'd raised Leonard like a free-range child, never sent him to school, never disciplined him, and in the end Leonard had become the wizard Londo had always looked up to and longed to be…
Someone like that wasn't going to care about "grandfatherly authority."
And then there was the money. Londo noticed Leonard indulged Claudia in everything. Whatever she wanted to eat or drink, Leonard would pay for it without hesitation.
After watching Leonard buy yet another heap of snacks on the train, Londo finally couldn't hold it in.
"Leonard, where are you getting all this money?"
"Oh, Claudia's parents gave it to me," Leonard said offhandedly.
The moment he said it, Londo's expression turned complicated, dark clouds gathering on his face.
Leonard glanced at him, a little puzzled, but didn't think much of it. He helped Claudia unwrap her sweets and opened a bottle of milk for her.
A long time passed. Leonard had nearly forgotten the question entirely when Londo suddenly blurted out, "Sigh… fine. If you're marrying into the family, then you're marrying into the family. For you, that might even be a good thing."
Leonard: ???
Leonard froze and stared at Londo, baffled, half-convinced the old man had spun some wildly inappropriate story in his head.
Marrying into the family? What was he even talking about?
Just then, Claudia's face turned bright red. She tugged at Leonard's sleeve, shyly mumbling, "Leonard, I want to go to the restroom."
"Oh. Okay, I'll take you," Leonard said, standing up.
"What? You're going to help her use the toilet?" Londo exclaimed.
Leonard's face darkened. He shot Londo a look. "I'm just taking her to the restroom door!"
And anyway, even if he did help, so what? Back when Claudia had only just become human and wasn't used to things, wasn't it Leonard who had taught her?
Why was the old man acting like every little thing was a scandal today?
By the afternoon, the three of them had caught a ride back to Londo's farm.
"Go play, but don't go too far. Come back for dinner later," Londo reminded them before heading home, leaving Leonard to take Claudia out on his own.
Surrounded by familiar scenery, Leonard took a deep breath, a quiet sense of nostalgia rising in his chest.
All things considered, it had been almost a year since he'd last been here. To his own surprise, he really had missed this countryside.
"Come on, Claudia. I'll take you around and show you the area," Leonard said, holding her hand.
"Mm!" Claudia looked around with bright curiosity, gripping Leonard's hand while her other hand carefully clutched his sleeve.
In a new place, the little unicorn wanted to see everything, yet she was also wary of the unfamiliar surroundings.
Soft strands of hair brushed against Leonard's shoulder, carrying with them the faint, fresh scent of grass and leaves.
Leonard led Claudia toward the small stream he used to visit often.
Along the way, Claudia gradually relaxed. She no longer clung to Leonard constantly, instead darting about like a little bird. No matter how far she ran, though, she always circled back to him.
Sometimes she would return with a tiny flower. Other times she brought over a stone with an interesting shape and asked Leonard to keep it for her.
Leonard accepted everything without complaint, slipping each little treasure into his pocket.
Before long, the two of them reached the stream.
The Cotswolds were known for their old-fashioned rural landscape, free from industrial pollution. The water was crystal clear, flowing over pale sand and smooth pebbles, with colorful little fish visible at the bottom.
The moment Claudia saw the stream, excitement lit up her face. Her eyes sparkled as she tugged eagerly at Leonard's sleeve, clearly unable to wait.
Leonard immediately understood what she wanted. He crouched down and tested the water with his hand, then nodded.
"You can go play, but don't get your clothes wet, all right?"
The weather was pleasant, and the water was cool but comfortable. Playing in it wouldn't be a problem. Besides, the stream was shallow. Even the deepest part only came up to Leonard's thighs, so there was no real danger.
"Okay!" Claudia replied brightly. She hurriedly took off her shoes and socks, revealing her smooth, pale little feet.
At the edge of the stream, Claudia watched the flowing water, hesitated, then stretched out one foot. Her pink toes lightly touched the surface, testing the temperature.
The cool water made her gasp, and she quickly pulled her foot back. But after a moment, she couldn't resist and stretched it out again.
After a few rounds of tentative testing, Claudia finally stepped fully into the stream. The water flowed over her ankles and past her heels, and her face filled with contentment.
"Leonard, come on!" Claudia lifted the hem of her skirt and waved at him. As she walked through the water, she looked like a little deer wading through a stream, light and graceful.
Leonard, of course, didn't refuse her invitation. He rolled up his trousers, went barefoot into the stream, and took Claudia's hand as they played together in the water.
The boy and girl splashed and laughed, and the girl's clear, joyful laughter drifted downstream with the flowing water.