Susanne whispered, leaning up on his tiptoes so that she was only inches from his ear. "I love you."
He smiled sweetly, and leaned down to whisper back in her ear. "I love you too, Annie."
She smiled at the nickname she hadn't heard since they were in high school.
As they both turned back to face the house, the large oak door creaked open.
* * *
"That's how they came to me." Cleo concluded, her lips curling into a smirk. She was staring at Sophie with hawk-like eyes, judging her reaction. "As two kids, struggling to create a life for themselves."
Sophie sat very still. She didn't know what to say, or even what to think.
The only thought that floated through her mind was that they'd been here. Her parents, who'd she'd never had the chance to speak to, had been in this very room. They'd lived here, spending the precious few remaining years of their lives working for this woman.
At least, that's what they expected her to believe.
"So, my parent's were art thieves." She began eventually, staring at her hands.
"More or less. They didn't limit themselves to just art, like Robert here." Sophie could still feel Cleo watching her.
"You expect me to believe this?" Sophie asked, not meeting the woman's eyes.
"Yes." Cleo answered bluntly. "Is it really that strange?"
"My grandparent's never told me anything about my parents, but your story is insane."
"Not really, if you think about it." Cleo crossed her arms. "You've seen for yourself how skilled Robert is. You know that he's an art thief, and you know that this lifestyle is possible. In fact, there's been more than a few movies made about thieves in the past." She held out her hand in the air. Gwyn, who had been waiting in the doorway, came forward and placed a photograph in her hands. "If you still don't believe me, try looking at this."
She passed the picture to Sophie, who held it with shaking hands. In the middle of the photograph were four people, standing before this very house. The two in the middle looked exactly like the couple that Cleo had described. The man had bright red hair, and sharp green eyes. The woman's hair was a light brown color, and her features were soft. They looked quite odd standing beside each other. The man was very tall, and the woman was exceptionally short. Almost as short as Sophie. Behind them stood another couple, this one older, and more familiar.
"It's my grandparents." Sophie whispered, wondering why it didn't surprise her. She'd half believed Cleo from the beginning, but now she had no more reason for doubt. She wished she could argue against the proof she held in her hands, but it was useless. As she stared at the photograph, Sophie felt her heart squeeze in her chest. As she stared at the people who were supposed to be her parents for the first time, she felt a connection to them. She had the same shade of hair as her father, and she could see many of her own features on her mother's face.
"Now do you believe me?" Cleo asked smugly.
Sophie took a deep breath, and handed the photograph back to Gwyn.
"I still don't understand why I'm here. Susanne and Gerard Parker passed away a long time ago. What do you want from me?" Sophie put on her best business-like voice. It was the exact same tone she used to argue with her professors.
"Robert already told you. We made a promise with your grandmother that we'd look after you when she passed away." Cleo turned to Robert who wouldn't meet her eyes.
"A promise that you can easily decline." Robert added, glancing up at Sophie.
"My grandmother passed away over a year ago. What took you so long to find me?" Sophie ignored Robert, and stared at Cleo coldly. She didn't like talking about her grandmother with these people. They made her second-guess her grandmother's intentions, and she didn't want to think badly of the person she loved more than anyone in the world. After her grandfather had passed
He smiled sweetly, and leaned down to whisper back in her ear. "I love you too, Annie."
She smiled at the nickname she hadn't heard since they were in high school.
As they both turned back to face the house, the large oak door creaked open.
* * *
"That's how they came to me." Cleo concluded, her lips curling into a smirk. She was staring at Sophie with hawk-like eyes, judging her reaction. "As two kids, struggling to create a life for themselves."
Sophie sat very still. She didn't know what to say, or even what to think.
The only thought that floated through her mind was that they'd been here. Her parents, who'd she'd never had the chance to speak to, had been in this very room. They'd lived here, spending the precious few remaining years of their lives working for this woman.
At least, that's what they expected her to believe.
"So, my parent's were art thieves." She began eventually, staring at her hands.
"More or less. They didn't limit themselves to just art, like Robert here." Sophie could still feel Cleo watching her.
"You expect me to believe this?" Sophie asked, not meeting the woman's eyes.
"Yes." Cleo answered bluntly. "Is it really that strange?"
"My grandparent's never told me anything about my parents, but your story is insane."
"Not really, if you think about it." Cleo crossed her arms. "You've seen for yourself how skilled Robert is. You know that he's an art thief, and you know that this lifestyle is possible. In fact, there's been more than a few movies made about thieves in the past." She held out her hand in the air. Gwyn, who had been waiting in the doorway, came forward and placed a photograph in her hands. "If you still don't believe me, try looking at this."
She passed the picture to Sophie, who held it with shaking hands. In the middle of the photograph were four people, standing before this very house. The two in the middle looked exactly like the couple that Cleo had described. The man had bright red hair, and sharp green eyes. The woman's hair was a light brown color, and her features were soft. They looked quite odd standing beside each other. The man was very tall, and the woman was exceptionally short. Almost as short as Sophie. Behind them stood another couple, this one older, and more familiar.
"It's my grandparents." Sophie whispered, wondering why it didn't surprise her. She'd half believed Cleo from the beginning, but now she had no more reason for doubt. She wished she could argue against the proof she held in her hands, but it was useless. As she stared at the photograph, Sophie felt her heart squeeze in her chest. As she stared at the people who were supposed to be her parents for the first time, she felt a connection to them. She had the same shade of hair as her father, and she could see many of her own features on her mother's face.
"Now do you believe me?" Cleo asked smugly.
Sophie took a deep breath, and handed the photograph back to Gwyn.
"I still don't understand why I'm here. Susanne and Gerard Parker passed away a long time ago. What do you want from me?" Sophie put on her best business-like voice. It was the exact same tone she used to argue with her professors.
"Robert already told you. We made a promise with your grandmother that we'd look after you when she passed away." Cleo turned to Robert who wouldn't meet her eyes.
"A promise that you can easily decline." Robert added, glancing up at Sophie.
"My grandmother passed away over a year ago. What took you so long to find me?" Sophie ignored Robert, and stared at Cleo coldly. She didn't like talking about her grandmother with these people. They made her second-guess her grandmother's intentions, and she didn't want to think badly of the person she loved more than anyone in the world. After her grandfather had passed
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