Any sacrifice to have him would be worth it.
He was enough for me. And so was our family.
Ryan giggled and ran into the library, my arms open as he crashed into me. My arms were full, and so was my heart, even if I still had no clue what filled the metal one against my chest.
CeeCee ran in right behind Ryan, pretending like she was the dragon on her wall, going to eat him up. Her speech was getting better and better with each day. She picked books from the children’s section of the library each night, and it was Cash who read them to her.
“Grand,” she would say as he tucked her in. “Just gra-nd.”
It wasn’t easy for her to lose Maureen—it wasn’t easy on any of us—but she flourished with us, and I was thankful every day that Maureen had the foresight to see that ahead of time. She’d made the transition easy for CeeCee, and in a lot of ways, she had prepared me for the family we had.
Father Flanagan had told us that Maureen wasn’t sick, like everyone assumed, but she wanted to be certain that no matter what, her grandchildren would be loved beyond measure and taken care of.
When I’d told CeeCee to run, she did, straight to find Father Flanagan. He caught her in the street as he was heading to the fire, and she’d told him what had happened.
Even in death, Maureen was directing CeeCee, and I was positive she always would.
Ryan settled into my lap, the sun highlighting his dark hair. CeeCee grabbed a book before she took a seat next to me.
“No one invited me,” Cash said, striding into the room. “I’m offended.”
My tiger was riddled with stripes, but it only made him more beautiful. I took great pleasure in licking each one every night, tasting the sacrifice he made for these children, for me, on my tongue. Letting it settle in my bloodstream and go straight to my heart. Reminding me of how bittersweet a time it was.
“Grr!” CeeCee growled at him. “You are mad. You will get happ-y.”
Ryan lifted his arms for Cash to take him. Cash held him close to his chest for a moment, stroking his head, and then sat next to me. We stared at each other for a minute, getting lost in all we had, before we both grinned.
The marauder was still stealing my fucking breath. Maybe because I had nothing else for himtosteal. He had me, all of me, for the rest of my life.
“Here,” CeeCee said, shoving a piece of paper at me. I looked away from Cash to take it. She’d drawn four dragons, all different, but each one represented each one of us.
Under Cash’s dragon, the scariest one, the name said Daddy Cash. Under Ryan’s was Baby Brother Ryan. Under hers, it said, Big Sister CeeCee. Under mine, it said simply, Mom.
My eyes rose slowly to meet hers.
She shrugged. “We are a famil-y. I pick you as my mom. And—” she touched Cash’s shoulder “—Daddy Cash.”
Cash’s face lit up when he smiled. “Has a niceringto it.”
I pulled Connolly to my chest, crying into her hair but laughing at the same time. “I pick you as my baby girl,” I said, kissing her on the head even harder. “And you as my baby boy!” I tickled Ryan on his belly and his shoulders came up, his nose wrinkling, as he laughed.
“Me,” Cash said, pointing to his chest. “Do you pick me?”
“As long as we both shall live,” I said, placing my hand against his heart. He set his over mine, pressing it even harder against him. “You bled for this—for me. You conquered my heart. You can write that on your stone.”
Ryan tugged on the chain around my neck, gazing at the pendant. His eyes narrowed for a second, before he took his finger and tried to stick it where the little lock would go. His nail came between the crevices that would open the locket to reveal what was inside of the heart.
And it did. It opened.
A simple gold ring fell into my lap, one that was too big for my finger. I held it up, looking through it, letting the sun move through the everlasting circle.
“‘You proved me wrong,’” I said, reading the inscription.
“You did, my darlin’.” He grinned at me, but there was nothing cocky about it. For the first time, it touched his eyes. “You proved me wrong. Youproveme wrong. Every day.”
“You love me,” I breathed out.
“More than life itself.” He looked me in the eye and then turned his eyes to Connolly Kelly. “More than life itself.” He looked at Ryan Kelly. “More than life itself.”
