Page 117 of Inked in Devotion

Her chest shook, and she exhaled a slight sound.

“You can make sounds.”

She nodded. “Not attractive ones, so I try not to.”

Oh, Aralina.

“How’s the wedding coming along?”

Her cute mouth tucked into a tiny pout before she hitched her shoulders. “Everything is fine. No snags so far.”

I really needed to learn sign language. “Have you picked out a dress?”

Her face lit up, and she pressed on the photo app to show me a voluminous gown.

“Oh my. That’s exquisite.”

She grinned and pursed her lips, this time matching the giddy expression that made her look her age. Wait, that was an unfair assessment. Aralina had a youthful face fitting her age, but there was something about her that reminded me of an old soul. And yet, another version of her that was innocent. She had the je ne se quoi like my mother always said. Despite their age difference, I could see possibilities of how Theo would be smitten with her if only my brother would take the time to look away from balance sheets and stock prices to pay attention to his bride.

I had no doubt Aralina’s trauma in the house fire that caused her mutism also altered her personality.

“Theo accompanied me to the cake tasting.”

“Oh, what cake flavors did you pick?”

“Chocolate, lemon, and vanilla. Everything is low-key; we only have fifty guests. Mama and Papa are disappointed, but Theo doesn’t like people asking about Jeremiah.”

“Probably doesn’t like people asking about me too.”

“Don’t say that.”

“This was less awkward than I expected. And I think we just have to address the elephant in the room.” I let out a deep breath. “I wasted most of my life harboring resentment toward someone I’d never met. The funny thing is, now that I've met you, it’s like what I feared the most in my life is gone.”

She stared at her phone for a beat before she typed, “I found your picture with Ivan in the attic. I gave it to Lucy to help me find you.”

“How long did you have the picture in your possession before you gave it to Lucy?”

“A year.”

“How did you feel about that picture?”

“It was like putting together a puzzle. I knew Mama and Papa had a rough couple of years before I was born. Mama explained it to me when I was old enough because she thought I might hear rumors.”

“You never told her about the picture you found?”

She shook her head. “It was a painful time for her, and I didn’t want her to hurt again.” Her face looked tragic. She had the ability to look lost, like the time when we rescued her from Jeremiah. Even then, I wanted to hug her.

“I’m sorry you felt Papa abandoned you,” she typed.

“Why are you apologizing to me?” I asked.

Aralina lowered her gaze to Sebastian. “He’s so cute.”

Okay, she didn’t want to talk further about the topic. Fair enough. At least we addressed it. It wasn’t our place to dissect our parents’ choices.

My nose twitched, catching a whiff of soiled diapers. “Ooh, Sebastian. What is that smell?”

Aralina gave a silent laugh and pinched her nose.