Kenna smirked. “Forever is a long time.”
I grinned, more than happy at the thought of coming home every day for the rest of my life to this woman. “It goes by fast when the company’s exceptional.”
Epilogue
Kenna
Four years later
“Mummy, can we get a cat?” Willow asked from the child’s play desk that sat in the corner of the living room. I noted the cat she was drawing as she watched an animation with singing felines.
“Perhaps when you’re older,” I hedged. Haydyn had bad pet allergies, so it was doubtful, but I was in the middle of cooking dinner and I didn’t want to deal with my precocious three-year-old having a meltdown.
“Ask Santa,” she pushed.
“I did. He said maybe when you’re older.”
Willow narrowed her eyes in suspicion and I almost cursed us for giving birth to such an intelligent child.
Thankfully, the perfect distraction was riding his bike up the driveway. This year, Haydyn had finally allowed Michael to ride his bike back and forth to school. I’d been nervous about it, but we’d agreed to give him that independence. The winter months bothered me the most, so we’d agreed he couldn’t ride his bike during the short winter days and I drove him to and from school.
The schools just finished for Christmas break yesterday, though, and I’d given Michael permission to ride into the village to see his friends, as long as he came home before it started to get dark.
He’d only left an hour ago, so I was surprised to see him so soon. “Look, there’s your brother.”
Joy flooded Willow’s little face, and she threw herself away from her desk with all the exuberance of a puppy, her brown curls dancing around her chubby cheeks as she rushed across the room. My heart ached at the cute sight of her bouncing on the balls of her feet, her hands clasped as she waited for her big brother.
There was no one Willow adored more than Michael.
Worry flickered through me, however, at the sight of Michael jumping off his bike and throwing it into the grass by the side of the house. He marched up the drive, disappearing from sight, but not before I caught a glimpse of the thundercloud that marred his expression.
He burst through the front door.
“Mikey!” Willow rushed him.
“Not now, Wills,” he snapped impatiently and practically ran through the house without looking at me.
His bedroom door slammed.
And his baby sister burst into wailing tears.
Switching off the hob to see to her, I’d barely rounded the island when I heard my stepson’s footsteps. He hurried back into the living room and swooped Willow into his arms, expression filled with regret. “I’m sorry, Wills.” She hugged her big brother tightly, needing his reassurance. “Just in a bad mood. Ignore me, eh. Shh, Wills. I’m sorry. Let me make it up to you. Do you want to watchRise of the Guardians?”
Willow sniffled and lifted her head from his shoulder. She wiped a chubby hand over her runny nose. “Yes, please.”
Michael had sprouted in the past three months and was only a few inches shy of six feet now. Willow looked tiny in his arms as he hugged her close and carried her over to the sofa.
Pride filled me. I didn’t know what had happened to put him in a bad mood, but I knew what it was like to be a teenager. To have my hormones all over the place and feel like I had little control over my emotions. The fact that Michael prioritized his baby sister over his mood spoke volumes about the kind of man he was growing into.
Just like his father.
I let Michael reassure his sister, let them watch the movie together, and didn’t push to know the details of his bad day. I’d wait until Willow was asleep.
* * *
Haydyn returned homein time for dinner, and Michael, though quiet, still conversed with us. My husband, ever the observant father, noticed, however, and I managed to murmur the story of Michael’s stormy return home to him while we cleaned up the kitchen.
“I’ll talk to him,” Haydyn had assured.
