He came round most afternoons with Gertie and helped Rosa entertain Pedro and Connie whilst the bigger kids were at school.
The babies loved gurgling and laughing at each other and Connie was always astonished at how talkative Piglet was when Roarke was around (his ventriloquism skills are pretty impressive!).
The only one finding the whole situation a little difficult still was Tabby... She had always been shy around new people and although she found Roarke's silly voices funny and thought the games he played with the other kids looked fun, she was too shy to say so and as a result, she rarely joined in and instead sat watching from a distance.
Both Rosa and Roarke had noticed but decided not to push the matter. They knew it would take time and that Tabby would warm to the situation eventually. When Rosa could see Tabby was finding it a little overwhelming, she would sit with Tabby and let her snuggle in to her. Neither of them would speak but it would reassure Tabby somehow.
One day when Tabby was home poorly from school, Roarke visited as usual and had spent a long time playing with Connie and the babies whilst Tabby watched from the comfort of the sofa and the company of Mr. Noodles. Once the little ones had gone down for their naps however, Roarke turned his attentions to Miss Tabby. He had a new book that he thought she might like, he told her. A pop-up one, her favourite kind; and he wanted to share it with her first, before any of the other kids got to see it. Tabby was intrigued but still reluctant and so Roarke said perhaps she might like to look at it on her own first.
As she was looking at the pictures, Roarke watched over her shoulder, from a reasonable distance, and read the words to her; putting on his silly voices as normal. Tabby (and Mr. Noodles) couldn't help but laugh and laugh. Roarke slowly eased himself onto the floor next to Tabby and as he continued to read, Tabby crept closer and closer and listened to the rest of the story snuggled up to Roarke. Rosa watched them as they read together and couldn't help but smile.
Eventually it had been time for Tabby to go for a nap too. This was normally something she resisted but she went easily this time, after first insisting that Roarke read the story again to settle her to sleep. Once she was sleeping soundly, Roarke returned to the living room and he and Rosa cozied up together on the couch.
They had shared moments of gentle intimacy like this before, but it hadn't progressed any further so far. The breakthrough with Tabby had been such a relief for them both today though and they found themselves more drawn to each other than ever before. Roarke pulled Rosa closer.
Until now, although he had made it fairly clear to Rosa how much he adored her; it had been in a typically British polite and reserved sort of way; but today he was overwhelmed by his feelings for her and pulled her towards him with more strength and passion than he had shown before. Rosa clearly felt the same and allowed herself to be pulled into his arms where they both drank in each other's passion for the other.
They both knew that this was the moment where their relationship was going to be sealed forever as something unbreakable; they were soul mates, meant for each other, and nothing would ever be able to break it. They had both been dealt a raw deal in life but looking at each other now, they both knew that time had passed. It was like they had been searching for each other all along. From here on, things could only get better. They were together now, and they couldn't get enough of each other.
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