None of them hide it.
None of them temper it.
And when I turn around to see if Billie was watching, I see the way her eyes shine at the sight of her boys loving me.
Chris’s too.
There’s no discomfort. No confusion. No judgement.
Just quiet approval as they watch their boys find something every parent dreams of for their children.
“She’s good for you,” Billie says, not bothering to lower her voice all too much.
I can hear the smile in Lincoln’s voice. “We know.”
My cheeks burn as Chris looks at me. His dark eyes are kind and thoughtful. “Yeah,” he says simply. “You’ve got yourselves a keeper.”
I feel that all the way down to my toes.
Eventually, Billie sighs and pats her knees. “We should get goin’ before I start tellin’ the really embarrassing stories.”
“There are worse?” I ask with excitement.
“Oh, sweetheart,” she says as she stands. “We’ve barely scratched the surface.”
The boys groan in unison while Chris, Billie, and I let out a laugh.
The five of us walk them to the door. Hugs are exchanged. Cheeks are kissed. Backs are slapped. And promises of dinner in a couple of days are made.
“Love you, Mama,” Lincoln says, pulling his mom into a tight hug.
“Love you too,” she replies softly as she smiles up at him.
Lawson hugs Chris next, their grips firm and wordless. Beau and Jasper follow without hesitation, and it strikes me again how seamless it all is.
When Billie turns to me, her expression softens. She wraps her arms around me like she’s done it a hundred times before, holding me just as tightly as she did when she first walked through the door only a few hours ago. The notion has tears stinging my eyes as I try to remember the last time I felt so much love from myownmother.
Leaning in, Billie’s lips brush my ear. “I’m so happy you’re here,” she whispers. “I’m so happy you're safe.”
Dammit. I was really trying not to cry.
“And I’m even happier you found our boys.”
Well now it’s practically useless.
A small tear escapes, and when she pulls back, she cups my face for just a second, smiling at me like she already knows everything she needs to know. She brushes the lone tear away with her thumb before giving me one last parting smile.
The door closes behind them a moment later.
The house feels different now.
Fuller. Lighter.
Lincoln’s arm wraps around my waist from behind. Lawson’s hand reaches out to brush mine before Jasper presses a kiss to my temple.
Beau bumps my shoulder with his, smiling down at me. “You did good, Darlin’.”
I exhale slowly.
