I’ve yet to see the house she picked, but it doesn’t matter what it looks like as long as I have my family with me.
It’s been eighteen months since my official retirement, which means I’ve had time to watch Temperance shine as her career took off like a rocket headed for the moon. She’s been working through her brother’s betrayal one piece at a time, and the emotion fuels her. There’s a piece of that grief in every single sculpture she makes, but a little less each time.
The waiting list for a Temperance Ransom original is over a year long. Together, we’ve created a totally new life for ourselves and the girls—and it feels good. Damn good.
Temperance points out the mailbox, and I turn down the long paved driveway until I see a big yellow house at the end that looks like someone dipped it in sunshine.
I glance at my wife, and she smiles.
Fitting.
She’s brought me into the light. No more shadows.
I lean over and steal a kiss. “I love it.”
Her grin widens. “I knew you would. Ready to see the inside?”
“Let’s split up the troops and check it out.”
Temperance
Six months later
“Thank you so much,Nan. I appreciate it more than you know.”
Our next-door neighbor, Nan Prather, gives me a hug. “Like I would ever turn down the chance to babysit those little girls. I swear, they’ve given me a second lease on life. I always wanted grandbabies of my own.”
It guts me that I can’t tell Kane’s mom that I picked this house so she could have her family back.
Her son.
Her grandbabies.
The daughter-in-law she probably never thought she’d get to hug.
But how do you explain to someone why her son had to fake his death over a decade and a half ago and could never tell her he was alive?
When Kane realized who our next-door neighbors were—his mom and the man his dad asked to watch over them both—I thought he might shake me. But he didn’t.
He got really quiet, swept a hand over Adrianna’s downy-soft hair and stared at Lauren. Finally, after about five minutes, he told me, “You did right, princess. She loves these girls. I would’ve given this to her if I could’ve found a way how. You knew that, and you found the way.”
He stepped away from our daughters and wrapped his hand around my neck, bringing his lips to my forehead.
“You always give me exactly what I need.”
When I look into Nan’s blue eyes, I see so much of Kane there. She and Jeremiah are thrilled to be the twins’ honorary grandparents, but I would give anything for Nan to know there’s nothing honorary about it.
Maybe someday.
Kane
“Thank you so much, ma’am.”I take the diaper bag Temperance left inside from Ma’s hands.Nan’s hands. I always have to correct myself, but it never seems to stick. “We really appreciate you watching the girls. Means the world to us.”
“Means the world to me too.”
She smiles, and seeing the joy on her face that has been there every time she’s watched my babies has healed my soul in a way nothing else could.
I feel so fucking blessed to have this life that I shouldn’t have been allowed.