Page 142 of Aching for His Discretion

“Any luck?” I asked, and she smiled.

“We talked... it’s a start. We all still have a bit of healing to do,” she said softly.

I rubbed her back as she placed Silas in the stroller. She turned in my hold and placed her hands on the side of my face.

Memories of last night flashed in my eyes again. I was reminded of how scared and fearful she was and how bravely she walked over to me in the midst of my darkened state of mind.

“I could’ve hurt you,” I whispered, and she shook her head.

“But you didn’t. Do you want to know why?” she asked, and I sighed.

“Tell me why, Dr. Amante,” I muttered, and she rolled her eyes at my words.

“Because you were in control.As much as I was afraid of you tapping back into the old Levi, I was relieved that you did. You saved us,” she whispered.

I wrapped my arms around her torso, and her giggles filled the empty hall as I buried my face in the crook of her neck.

I saved my wife, I saved my son, I saved my idiot of a brother-in-law… andyou, Tesoro... you saved me.

Epilogue

Three Years Later

Teegan

Coming home from a long shift at the clinic, I opened the front door and set my belongings down on the counter. As I shut the door, I was immediately tackled by my little Silas, who had been waiting for me by the entrance past his bedtime, as he usually did. Turning around, I smiled brightly at my baby boy, who held his arms up for me to pick him up.

“Mommy, you’re home!” he said happily in his babyish voice, and I smothered his face in kisses as he wrapped his arms around my neck.

“Hi, honey. How was your day?” I asked, and he giggled.

“Good!” He smiled, and immediately he flinched as we heard Levi’s deep voice at the end of the hall.

“Silas,”was all he said, and I smiled as my little boy snuggled more into the crook of my neck. Looking over to my handsome husband, I watched as he walked over with our beautiful daughter Eden as she laid her head on his shoulder, sucking her pacifier. Her eyes looked in a daze, and I could tell he was trying to get her to fall asleep.

Looking down at my baby boy, I brushed the hair from his face. “Did Daddy put you to bed earlier?” I questioned, and he nodded reluctantly. “And did he tell you to stay in bed and get some rest?” I asked, and he shook his head. Levi narrowed his eyes slightly at his little lie, and I tried to hide my smile as Silas immediately spoke in defense.

“B-but I wanted a goodnight kiss before bed,” he reasoned, and I gave him a look.

“But doesn’t Mommy always kiss you goodnight even when she comes home late?” I asked, and he pouted before he nodded softly.

As I walked closer to Levi, I spoke to our son, who was now avoiding all eye contact with his father.

“I think you owe Daddy an apology,” I advised.

Silas looked over to Levi, who was waiting expectantly.

“Sorry, Dad,” he murmured.

I hummed. “Sorry for what reason?”

“For getting out of bed and lying…” he said softly, and Levi leaned in and placed a small kiss on his head before placing a kiss on my lips.

Silas moved into Levi’s hold, and as we made our way to the steps, I had to hide my smile as I watched my husband carry both of our children effortlessly in his arms: the husband who spoiled his daddy’s girl and was only a bit jealous of my mama’s boy.

Especially when said mama’s boy would wait for me by the door every night and be the first to wake me up in the early mornings. Dr. Abbie, being Dr. Abbie, suggested to me that he may be going through his Oedipus complex phase.

As much as I commend the father of psychoanalysis as a doctor myself, imposing the thought that my son may want to kill his father out of competition for his love for me was a bit far-fetched. However it was not entirely too far off when I compared how similar their temperaments were and recalled our ratherunfortunatehistory of killing fathers who were controlling.

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