Inception
Skyla
When my father was still alive, he and my mother took Mia and me to see a musical at the Pantages Theater, not far from our home in Los Angeles. We were frequent fliers at the theater. My father believed in a holistic upbringing, and that included many cultural excursions. But one musical stuck out. It wasJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. There was one scene that etched itself into my mind, one song, one verse—something about pulling back the curtain and heading back to where it all began. I sang that chorus for months, for years. The concept was fatally romantic. I couldn’t get past the idea of going on an emotional journey only to arrive back at the place you took your very first step. I asked my father what it meant and he carefully explained to me that sometimes in life you need to travel down harrowing paths to sand you down, polish you—you will be renewed, better, far more prepared to handle the destiny that was yours all along. I cherished those words, carving them over my heart to review again at a later time. I clung to those words with unstoppable hope.
And here tonight, I return to the beginning as I proverbially step back in time to that moment I first set foot on Paragon. Wholly renewed and ready for whatever my destiny holds. It has been a harrowing journey, walking through a briar patch with my flesh catching on the thorns and tearing right off my body. Gage set that briar patch on fire last fall while making love to Chloe in my presence. I was still locked in the thorny cage while it burned. But I am back and am ready to begin again.
I fan out the nude colored dress I’m wearing, tea-length, tulle skirt, satin sweetheart neckline, off the shoulder, formfitting until it hits the waistline then it fans out like a billowy breeze. Bree thinks the color is more of a peach, but it’s not quite that. The dress is illuminated like an ethereal dream and I’m the one glowing in it.
Tonight, I’m taking back something far more tangible than my destiny. I’m taking back Logan Oliver. While Gage has been parading Chloe all about town, shoving her down the boys’ throats, making a spectacle of shopping for their new addition, surrendering his balls to her at every turn—Logan has been campaigning just as hard for my attention in a much kinder, less heartbreaking way. Logan has mastered the fine art of wooing me—taking me out to any and every premier restaurant on Paragon, taking the boys and me to the park, the bookstore, the petting zoo, letting them swim through that ball pit he’s installed in the bowling alley. The boys love the bowling alley most of all. And we have logged many, many hours there.
I will admit, I was apprehensive with Logan. I held my hand out at arm’s length, kept my walls up, buried my heart in concrete to protect it from yet another brutal fall, but I’ve finally conceded. I don’t need to surrender any part of me I don’t wish to give away.
Logan has simply asked me to be his date for the West Paragon High alumni senior prom. We’re going to dance under the supervision of a Valentine moon, and I’m going to put him right back on the pedestal of my heart and surrender. I’m going to see where it goes, see if I want it to go anywhere, if I’m ready for it to.
Tonight, Logan Oliver has a fighting chance. And in truth, that’s even more than I could have doled out a month ago. That was primarily the reason I was so willing to give my body to Marshall. With him, there would be no strings attached—at least I wanted to believe it. The truth is, Marshall already has me leashed to unbreakable spiritual cables. With Logan, I’ve always felt as if we have everything at stake.
But, there are measures you have to take when recovering from a broken heart. Baby steps with Logan. A date. A dance. Nothing complicated. Just keeping it simple.
Tonight, I am pulling back the curtain and heading right back to the beginning—with the one who stole my heart first, Logan Oliver.
A horrific howl emits from downstairs and my adrenaline spikes, sending me charging down to the foyer in my heels, my purse already in hand. I’m seconds from heading out for the night, but I’m curious to see if Tad accidentally lopped a hand off. I’m pretty sure that was his voice I heard moaning like a dying cow with its tail on fire.
“What’s happening?” I rocket into the family room, propelled purely on anxiety, and then my heart stops cold once I see the world’s biggest malfeasance. Gage is holding Barron while Chloe holds Nathan.
Gage looks wide-eyed at me, that same look of slapped shock he used to get when I would dress up on the odd occasion, and usually that stunned look in his eyes would be followed by a suggestive compliment.
Chloe is gloating. Her A-line dress swings wide in navy glitter, showing off the world’s tiniest and perhaps most unfortunate baby bump.
Tad whoops and hollers and does an odd little one-legged jig before I ever have the chance to slay Gage and Chloe with choice words, and I do have them.
“Come here.” I take Barron from Gage. It’s funny that I chose to do that. Like a reflex, I deemed him the far more wicked of the two. “And you,” I say as I pull Nathan to me and let both boys slide to the floor.
“Mommy pretty!” Nathan squeezes my legs before running off and Barron follows.
My mouth opens to tell off the terrible twosome before me just as Tad howls like a werewolf that I’m hoping will meet up with a hunter with a cache of silver bullets. Honest to God, I could fire off some bullets right about now myself.
Mom runs into the room, her hair set in rollers. “Tad! What is happening? Does this have something to do with tonight’s mystery date?” She looks to me and touches her lips with a look of surprise on her glammed-up face. “Tad suggested I get dolled up. I guess it’s date night for me, too.”
“You bet your bottom dollar, Lizbeth,” Tad grunts as he waves us all over to the dining room. “Gather ’round, children. Have I got a tale to tell! Last night I dreamed that big giant numbers were chasing me down.”
My heart sinks. Last month the same thing happened and he won the Big Ball drawing—and the Wild Fifty before that.
Emily strides over and stands next to me while holding sweet baby Ella, a precious dark-haired beauty with Drake’s widow’s peak and cleft in her chin. Ethan seems fine with the fact his brother sired his plus one’s baby—twice now, and seems to be smitten with the newest member of the family. Ember, Emily’s first daughter, thinks that Ella is her doll. Beau Geste and the boys have decided that Ella is a baby dinosaur and that’s exactly what they call her. I think it’s adorable.
“How’s it going?” I wrinkle my nose to Em. She’s had a hell of a time getting a wink of sleep. It turns out, baby Ella doesn’t believe in getting any decent shut-eye. Neither do the boys, so I feel for her in that respect.
“Same.” She takes a moment to glower at Gage and Chloe before reverting her attention back to me. “Tonight’s a big night for you, Messenger. You sure you’re ready for this?”
I growl as I look to the dual menace daring to stand within striking distance. “I can handle it. Logan will be with me and that will help. Bree and Laken will be there, too.”
“I’m not talking about that.”
Tad hops up on a chair and bangs a couple of pots together, causing the entire room to fall to an abrupt silence. Even the kids have ceased all chattering.
“It’s happened again, family! Thrice in one lifetime. They don’t call me Lucky Landon for nothing!”
Drake groans hard. “Just tell me you don’t have shingles again.”
