Brynleigh served River a cup of orange juice, placing it in front of her. She took a mug to the fridge and poured something into it before heating it up. River didn’t see the contents, but based on the iron scent tickling her nose, she could make an educated guess.
“Thank you,” River murmured, picking up a fork. “For all of this.”
“No need to thank me, Riv.” Brynleigh pulled her mug out of the microwave and took a sip, her shoulders relaxing. “We’re family, and this is what family does. We look after each other.”
Maybe most families, but not the Waterborns. Growing up, River had quickly learned that the only thing Tertia Waterborn cared about—other than her husband—was her job. Family was more of a cumbersome weight shehadto deal with than anything else.
Ryker had done the best he could. River recognized that. He was an amazing older brother, and he had gone above and beyond what most brothers would’ve done. But even so, nothing could truly fill the void of not having two loving parents in River’s life. Not really.
As if she knew that River was still lost in her mind, Brynleigh didn’t push her for conversation. Several minutes passed in silence as River poked at her food before the vampire opened a drawer in the island and slid something small across the counter.
“Ryker found this. I’m sure it needs to be charged, but I thought you might want it back.”
River’s gaze dropped to the marble surface, where her phone was lying in front of her. “Oh.” That was weird. Her voice sounded distant, as if someone else was speaking, not her. “I was wondering where that had gone.”
Strange, how such a small piece of technology could seem so daunting.
Brynleigh stood, tucking her laptop under her arm and scooping up her mug. “Do you need anything else?”
Besides turning back time and finding a cure for the Stillness?
River’s gaze slid from her phone to her nearly full plate, then back. “No, thank you. I’m good.”
“Great. I’m going to answer emails in the study, but call me if you need anything.”
“I will.” River drew in a deep breath, and in an effort to be normal, she asked, “How are things with the foundation?”
When Jelisette, Brynleigh’s Maker, died, her assets passed on to her progeny. For a while, Brynleigh hadn’t been sure about what to do with the money, but eventually, she decided to open a foundation with her friend, Zanri, and his partner, Owen.
Their goal was simple: help those in need throughout the Republic. They wanted to help bridge the divide between the Representatives and the lower classes. In doing so, they hoped to ease the living conditions of the Republic’s most needy. It was a worthy cause, and River was proud to have the Waterborn name associated with it.
Brynleigh leaned against the doorway and grinned. “They’re good.”
“Yeah?”
“Mm-hmm. The orphanages we’ve chosen as recipients are flourishing. We’re looking at expanding our reach in the coming months.”
“That’s amazing,” River replied, and she meant it.
It was incredible, the way the vampire was accomplishing her goals.
Brynleigh first shared about the foundation the summer before last, at a late-night barbecue she and Ryker were hosting.
“Tell me about this foundation,” River said, sipping from the red plastic cup Ryker had handed her not long ago.
Nikhail and Atlas were at the grill, on the other side of the yard. Every so often, River could feel Nikhail’s attention on her, but they hadn’t had the chance to talk yet tonight.
Brynleigh grinned. “Z and I are so excited about it. When the opportunity arose to help people in need, we knew we had to take it.”
The vampire’s passion was evident in her voice, and River’s lips tugged up. “I can’t think of a better person for this.”
What Brynleigh lacked in experience in running a foundation, she made up for in enthusiasm and a genuine desire to usher in change in the Republic.
Brynleigh twisted a ribbon made of shadows through her fingers. “Thank you. I know it won’t be easy, and I’m sure we’ll come upon a plethora of obstacles, but I want to do this. Helping people with the money sounds so much better than just sitting on it and letting it accrue interest. Besides”—she bumped her hip against Ryker’s—“what would we do with more money? We have everything we need.”
Ryker gazed adoringly at his wife. “You’re going to do an amazing job.” He brushed his lips over Brynleigh’s forehead, and the pair exchanged an intimate glance that had River feeling like she should excuse herself. “My wife has excelled at everything she’s ever tried.”
“Ryker,” Brynleigh whispered.