One by one he introduced everybody, and Cecily was brought into a parade of hugs. He didn’t know why he’d worried. His family had an enormous capacity to love, and they’d accepted Cecily as one of their own. He stopped himself, realizing he had to change his mindset. There was no them and her. Cecily was his family, carried his DNA.
Cecily’s smile never faltered. She was at home with his siblings and mom and asked as many questions as she received. He looked over and locked eyes with Serena as she chatted with Cecily and Lacey. She smiled at him with peacefulness and contentment etched on her face. He knew the feeling, was experiencing it himself.
Since all the attention was on Cecily, he escaped to the kitchen. “Need any help, Mom?”
She turned from the stove after laying a roasting pan on two trivets. “Could you carve the roast please?”
“Sure.” He opened a top cabinet and reached for the electric knife. “What do you think of her?”
“She’s wonderful. Absolutely beautiful.” Mom kissed his cheek. “I always knew you’d make beautiful babies.”
His cheeks warmed, an unusual occurrence for him. “She fits right in with us.”
“Of course, she does. She’s one of us.”
“I don’t want to leave her.” He forgot about carving the pork roast and leaned against the counter. “How am I supposed to return to post without Cecily?”
Mom stood next to him. “Maybe it’s time to come home.”
He snickered. “If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard or said, ‘Maybe it’s time’ in the last two weeks, I’d be rich.”
“That usually means you need to listen carefully to what God’s telling you.”
“I’m not reenlisting.” The admission poured out unplanned. “I decided this is where I need to be.”
His mom’s smile stretched across her face and she threw her arms around him with tears in her eyes. “I never thought I’d see this day.”
“Like you said, it’s time.” He pulled away before anyone came in and wondered why Mom was crying and hugging him for dear life. Before he told his siblings, he wanted to tell Serena and Cecily.
“You have until March, no?”
He nodded. “A little under three months. Less if I can use terminal leave, but this trip took up most my days.”
“When will you tell the girls?”
It didn’t surprise him that his mom knew he hadn’t. She’d always had a way of knowing unsaid happenings. “Christmas. I got them Christmas presents, but giving myself seems more important.”
“Them?” Mom arched a brow.
“Mainly Cecily, but I didn’t want to leave Serena out.” He turned around and plugged in the carving knife.
“Be careful, my son. Emotions are complicated.”
He caught his mom’s drift, but her warning was pointless. “Serena and I are getting along for the sake of Cecily. That’s it.”
“So, you say, but I saw the looks you stole at each other. Old flames are easily ignited when not allowed to burn out.”
“I know what I’m doing but thank you.” He dusted her hair with a kiss then turned around and carved the roast before she could say more.
Jenna arrived, setting off a second round of introductions. She was as enchanted by Cecily as the others and asked Cecily to sit next to her at dinner. The entire family shifted into the dining room, and by default, Lucas sat next to Serena. He met his mom’s gaze, uncomfortable with her insinuations earlier.
Until a week ago, he’d hated Serena. Sure, he’d forgiven her, but that didn’t mean he had any romantic intentions. Yes, she was gorgeous, but he could admire her beauty from afar and not want a relationship with her. Obviously, they had a child together, but that wasn’t a proper basis for marriage.
Whoa. His thoughts had taken a major leap. Subconsciously, he leaned away from Serena. He didn’t need or want the rest of his family to get any ideas. This was strange enough without them adding extra tension.
The meal seemed to never end. An hour into it, he needed fresh breath. After excusing himself, he left the house through the back door and strolled along the Satsuma trees. He shoved his hands into his pockets, praying as he walked.
“I’m not sure what the future holds. I’ve been responsible with my money and can survive for a while on my savings, but I want to provide for my daughter. Leaving the army is right, I know that without a shadow of a doubt, but I’m worried about what comes next.”
