Page 158 of Kadra: The Unfeeling

“She cries a lot,” Azariel interrupts as he leaves his father’s lap and walks toward me. “I don’t like it when she cries.”

When he reaches my side, I smile at him, look at Vitali holding Raiza, and shake my head. “That’s just how babies are. She’s alright, little king,” I say softly.

He frowns and looks over his shoulder at his baby sister then he returns that lovely stare to me. “I’ll protect her.” He sounds as serious as he looks.

Thump.

Thump.

My heart…

I feel my sisters melting at my boy’s words just like I am. Taking his small hand in mine, I interlaced our fingers and smiled. “She’s lucky to have you, Azariel and so am I.”

“I’m lucky to have you too,” Azariel hesitates before he whispers, “Mom.”

Mom.

My throat feels tight and so does my chest.

When I signed his adoption papers, I never intended for him to call me mom even though I hoped one day he would see me like I see him. He might not be blood of my blood but he is half of my soul and that triumphs blood any day. He’s my heart alongside his father and now his sister. My legacy.

A moment of silence falls around us, everyone settles down as I look at my boy, not ashamed, not even a little bit when a tear falls from my eyes. I cry happy tears now.

I love you, Azariel…” I pull him closer to me and embrace him with all the love I have in my heart for this boy who has brought so much happiness to my life. A boy who even on his dark days manages to smile at me when he knows I need it.

“Until the sun dies…” he mumbles the words his father vowed to me and hugs me tight.

“Until the sun dies, baby,” I vow.

As I hold my son close to my heart, with my sisters beside me and the people who mean the most to me surrounding me, I feel at peace.

This is all I ever wanted but never dared to dream.

Them.

Now all the dark days that kept drowning me are behind me. All I have are good days. Sunny days and rainy days. The best days.

It’s hard to remember my life before them. Now I can’t imagine anything better than what I have, because I truly have it all.

My happily ever after.

My one day in the sun.

Vitali

“How is she?” Riagan O’Sullivan asks me. I offer him my only open hand, which is my left, and say, “She’s amazing.” Riagan grins and clasps my hand without shaking so as not to wake the sleeping child cradled in my arm. “That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.” I look to his side where Sebastian Kenton, the president, is standing with his sleeping son, Royal in his arms and his daughter Ellaiza on his shoulders looking down at my girl.

“And how are you?” I’d gotten to know Kadra’s nieces and nephew quite a bit over the last eight months, and I was fairly sure all of them liked me.

All of them, that is, but Ellaiza. The other two are infants so it was pretty easy winning them over with a bottle of milk and a noisy toy but not Ella. That one, although friendly, was too much like her parents. I never knew where I stood with her.

“I’m fine.” She replies. “She looks like Aunty Kadra.”

“She sure does.” I smile proudly down at my baby girl.

Raiza Renata Solonik.

Kadra’s mini-me.

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