“Lily.”I stand and amble closer to her, stopping when I’m an arms-length away, reaching a hand out to stop her.She stops in place, her eyes swinging to mine, the look in them a little wild.“It’s going to be okay.”
“Is it?”She questions out loud.“I’m not so sure.”She huffs out a breath, crossing her arms.“This is all starting to hit really hard.”
“I know.”I say, keeping my voice soft.‘It’s a lot.”
“I mean, Jesus Christ on a cracker.”She exclaims with a shake of her head.“You’re a rockstar.An actual, for real, bigger than life, rockstar!What was I thinking?I can’t believe of all the people that could have been Larkin’s father, it’s a famous rockstar.”
A deranged kind of laughter leaves her as a hand clamps over her mouth as she stares at me, like it’s the first time she’s seeing me.
I take a large step forward, closing the gap between us and grip her forearms gently to tug her close.Her icy blue eyes lock on my face, her hand falling away from her mouth, my attention diverted now to her lips, so pink, so full.
“Lily.”My voice is gravelly as I say her name, so I clear my throat, swallowing to try and tamp down the desire that has sparked to life inside me.“I promise it’s going to be okay.”
“How can you possibly promise that?”She breathes out, our bodies so close together that I feel the warm moisture from her breath as she speaks.
“Because there is nothing I wouldn’t do to make sure that’s the case.”I lick my lips, wanting so badly to press them against hers.Her gaze flits to my mouth, back to my eyes, and then back to my mouth again, and I know that she’s thinking about kissing me as well.
She’s back in my life like a storm.Messy, dangerous and impossible to ignore.I should hate her for the turmoil she’s causing, for the time we’ve lost.But I can’t.I never could.And it’s why I’m standing here, with my heart in my hands, waiting for the lightning to hit again.And it will.I have no doubt because it always did with us.
I lean in, so ready to taste her again after two years of yearning for her, my pulse racing beneath my skin as my temperature rises.
“Luc…” She whispers, not pulling back, instead tilting her head up.
“Hello!”The door opens as the greeting rings out, both of us stepping away from the other in a rush.“We’re here!”
We break apart, I think both of us realizing just in the nick of time that we were about to do something reckless.I rake a hand through my hair, my nerves zinging to life under my skin, knowing I’m about to meet my daughter.
Her mother, an older clone of her daughter, appears before us, her hands gripped firmly around the handle of an infant car seat.It feels like a thousand butterfly wings are fluttering against my insides as my heart rate increases.
“So, you’re the one.”Her mother states, as she assesses me, scanning me from head to toe.
“It would seem.”I nod, taking a few tentative steps in her direction, eager to see my daughter.
“Well, it’s obvious who she looks like now.”Her lips lift just a fraction as she glances from the seat to me.“And we have always said she’s a beautiful baby.”
A backwards compliment?I think that’s a good sign?
“Mom, you said you would behave.”Lily strolls up to her mother and relieves her of the car seat, twisting it around so I can finally see inside of it.
She’s asleep.Her tiny mouth is scrunched up in a pucker, her brow furrowed, like she’s aware of the tension in the room, but choosing to try and hide from it.
Her hair is the exact same color as mine, little curls sprouting in all directions on her head.Her skin is the palest pink, and so smooth.She’s so little.And, she’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
I don’t take my eyes off of her as Lily sets the seat on the couch and begins to unbuckle the straps around her.She starts to squirm, a little sound of protest at being disturbed squeaking from her.
“You’re okay baby girl.”Lily coos to her as she lifts her out of the seat, her body starting to sway back and forth as she cradles Larkin against her chest.She flashes a smile my way.“Come meet your daughter.”
I tread over, my steps slow, not wanting to startle the baby.When I’m inches from them, I freeze in place and just stare at this little miracle that’s suddenly in my life.She’s chewing on her thumb, her eyes, the exact same color as mine, blink as they assess me.
I rouse my courage to feather my fingers over her head, the locks downy soft, then trail them down further to stroke over the skin of her face.She smiles at me then, her cheek lifting underneath my touch, a dimple appearing, and I’m transported to another realm I didn’t know existed.One where only pure, unconditional love exists.
My heart expands so much that I have to suck in a breath, which I realize a second later, is a gasp escaping.How did the world I know exist without this perfect little human?
I blink up at Lily, feeling the tears track down the planes of my face and into my beard before I understand they are falling.“She’s so perfect.”
“She is.”Lily’s face beams as she looks between me and Larkin.“Do you want to hold her?”
“Can I?”My voice raising an octave as I take a step back.
