"HA." The implication that it was even possible for Tom to cross into the realm of marshmallowy-soft optimism prompted another bark of laughter. The edges of his eyes crinkled, betraying the first of his thirty-something wrinkles, and he hid his row of sharp teeth behind his hand as an aftershock of chuckles shook his shoulders. "Reminds me of a song. You a Monty Python fan?" He whistled a few bars of 'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life' as a test and glanced speculatively up at Izabela. His fingers muffled the sound, so he dropped them from his face.
He did not sing. This was actually a small mercy. Tom's singing voice was frankly atrocious.
"I don't plan on losing my head anytime soon, don't you fear. 'Course, I keep serenading the neighborhood, someone might take it upon themselves to make a liar of me. What do you think? Is a singing bogeyman scarier than the regular garden variety?"