“Yeah,” I breathed. “My ma’s one of the best women I know. If there was ever a lady who needed to be immortalized in ink, it’s Maureen O’Shea, though she wouldn’t say the same. The first time Mam saw it, she was horrified. She called Father Michael and asked him to do an exorcism on me.”
“They’re beautiful,” she whispered. “Works of art. When I got back into town, I remember seeing you again for the first time and saw the new additions to your neck and hands. I thought you were the most beautiful man in the world. Then you smiled at me, and it was like night turned to day. Light bursts out of you, Donovan.”
Her words hit me deep, and I didn’t know what to say, so I just whispered, “Rosie.”
“I’m sorry I’ve been so moody,” she murmured. “I just can’t seem to snap out of it.”
“Hey.” I cupped her cheek and angled her head toward me, forcing her to look me in the eye so she knew I was speaking honestly. “You haven’t been moody at all. You’ve been quiet, but that’s to be expected with everything you’ve had to cope with over the last few years. There’s no shame in your game. You’re one of the strongest women I know, Posy. You’re there for everybody in every situation. Let us be there for you now.”
She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I overheard you talking to Atlas. Not all of it, just the last part.”
“He’s worried about you,” I muttered.
Rosie’s face fell. “I know. I’m sorry. This is so new between us, I’m scared you’ll get spooked and leave. It’s a lot of pressure for anyone. We’ve not been together for long, and we’ve had to deal with some heavy stuff.”
“Not goin’ anywhere, baby.” I ran my thumb across her bottom lip. “Even when you’re not firing on all cylinders, you’re more than I could ever have imagined. We’ll get tomorrow done, and then you heal. We’ll do everything we need to get you back on an even keel, yeah?”
Tears filled her eyes, but she smiled through them and nodded.
“It’s gonna be okay, Rosie Posy,” I assured her. “He won’t win.”
“Thanks for saying it,” she replied. “But I still don’t think I’ll get much sleep tonight.”
“No,” I agreed. “Me neither. But tomorrow night we’ll be celebrating. You’ll see.”
She leaned up and kissed the underside of my jaw before turning her head and resting her cheek back on my chest. “I love you.”
My heart skipped a beat at her words because I knew she could say them a hundred times a day and they’d still sound as incredible as they did the first time they passed her lips.
In that moment, I sent up a silent prayer that the next few days would bring my woman some peace.
God knew she needed it.
—————
Rosie was right;we didn’t get much sleep. Even Imogen had been up and down, no doubt feeding off the tense vibes that we were giving out.
Even DJ and Gabby were quiet, though they were probably nervous. They would both have to talk to the judge and tell them how they felt. Deep down, they loved their dad, regardless of what he’d done, so the notion of hurting him wasn’t one they took pleasure in.
The kids were in the adjoining room of the hotel, and I could hear them getting ready in silence. Rosie was in a fog, brought on by worry and exhaustion.
This shit was really taking its toll on her, and if I could have thrown her in my car, grabbed a flight, and whisked her to abeach somewhere to forget, I would have. But this was life, and we had no choice but to face what was coming.
Rosie’s tan pantsuit gave her such a capable edge that she looked like she could drag a confession of wrongdoing from Mother Theresa herself. She seemed so composed that it was hard to believe she was anything less than bulletproof, but I could see her hands tremble at breakfast when she picked up her coffee cup.
I took the fingers of her other hand in mine. “You okay?”
“Hmm,” she said absentmindedly, checking a text message she’d just got from Kennedy. “DJ, make sure you get some toast,” she ordered gently, her eyes still cast down onto the screen.
DJ froze as he held the piece of toast he was already eating to his mouth. “Any more and I’ll burst.”
Gabby giggled before declaring, “Mom. You’re such a dork.”
Rosie glanced up, spotted DJ, and smiled wryly. “Sorry, baby. My mind’s elsewhere.”
Imogen banged on the tray of her highchair and exclaimed, “Rara!”
“I know, Immie,” Rosie replied, smiling down at my baby girl. “Rara’s silly.”
