“Another?” I plop down into the rocking chair in the corner.
Ciara grimaces. “Honestly, I’m so terrified that Elena is going to leave that I practically give her a daily bonus. She is just an absolute godsend. How Ronan thinks we can handle more kids is beyond me.”
“Easy for him to say, he doesn’t have to push them out.”
“That’s what I said!”
I tuck my feet up underneath me and take the cushion from behind my back, holding it to my chest, as I watch Ciara sit down at the vanity and starts loosening her braids.
She catches my eye in the mirror. “So, I take it you told the others about Lorcan?”
“Did Kieran’s yelling give it away?” I pull at a loose thread on the cushion.
“He yelled?”
“I’d be surprised if he didn’t.”
“Well, lucky for him that his office is soundproof, otherwise I would have stormed in there and kicked his ass.”
“He has every right to be upset. Me being here… It put Riley and Aubrey in danger. The same goes for you?—”
Ciara holds up a hand to silence me. “What’s done is done. Now, what’s the plan moving forward? Has Cormac forgiven you?”
“I wish,” I blurt before I can stop myself.
Ciara watches me in the mirror as she brushes her almost waist-length blonde hair.
“No. We have a long way to go to get there, let alone to get back what we had, if that’s even possible…”
“He can’t punish you forever.”
“I think he’s going to give it a pretty good go.”
“I can kick his ass too, if you like?”
I huff a laugh. “I would pay good money to see that.”
Ciara grins. “I’m stronger than I look. Who needs a gym when you carry around two enormous Sullivan babies all day?”
“Still…don’t be too hard on Cormac. Or any of them. They have every right to be mad.”
“Cormac, and his brothers for that matter, can be mad all they wants. But that doesn’t give anyone a free pass to treat you like dirt. Do you want me to talk to Ronan?—”
“No!”
Ciara startles.
I grimace. “Sorry… But I think this is something that will take time. And as for me and Cormac, we have to navigate this on our own.”
“If you’re sure?”
“I’m sure, but I appreciate you wanting to help.”
“Ever since having the twins, my maternal instinct has gone into overdrive, and I just can’t stand that all of my little ducklings aren’t happy.” She sets down her hairbrush.
“Ducklings?”
“You’re one of my ducklings.”
