And it was so much more than the things that had been purchased for her. Cole and Alex talked with Emilia the whole time she was awake—granted, it wasn’t much—but my daughter enjoyed being the center of their attention. It made me realize how sheltered her life back in Texas truly was, and while she was the apple of her grandparents’ eyes, I hadn’t done her any favors by keeping her with them or me most days.
Maybe this was the chance to correct the course for both of us.
The door cracked open, and a smile immediately gracedmy face. When Cole offered up the manager’s loft above the main lodge, I had no idea what to expect. But clearly, someone had spent a lot of time prepping the apartment. I couldn’t help but gawk at the incredible space, in disbelief that we got to call it home, even for a limited time. The main area was an open concept, with a small but organized kitchen that flowed into a living room and play area. The vaulted ceiling led up to a large sunlight, and wooden beams stretched across the room.
“Mommy!”
Emilia’s sudden gasp snapped me out of my stupor, crossing over to join her in one of the bedrooms on the left-hand side of the apartment. Her eyes almost bulged out of her head as she looked around the room. There was no question it was meant for her. It was like the room had been plucked from her imagination. Everything was covered in purple and sparkles. Buckets of toys and art supplies filled the cube storage at the base of the closet, with a purple, pink, and teal shag carpet in the center of the room. And on the far wall, there was a full-sized, white, wrought-iron sleigh bed, bigger and more beautiful than anything I could ever afford.
As Emilia started digging through all the new toys, a knock came on the door. Alex and Cole let themselves inside, carrying pizza boxes and drinks.
Tears pricked in my eyes as I turned toward Cole, who was half-hiding behind Alex with a sheepish smile on his face. With one last glance at the room, I turned, reaching out to pull him into a tight hug. “I can’t believe you did all of this for us.”
“Of course we did,” he muttered against my hair. “Although you should probably thank Adam too. I wasabout to pick out pink paint, and he said purple would be a better choice.”
I bit my lip, trying to hide my smile. He’d listened to me when I told him about Emilia’s aversion to pink and how it was purple or nothing lately. I had no doubt that it was a phase, but right now, it made her happier than I’d ever seen. The fact that he remembered an off-hand comment and used it to bring my daughter’s dream bedroom to life meant more than I could ever voice.
“It’s perfect,” I said, trying to keep my voice from breaking. But looking into Cole’s expression, it was hard to hold back the tears. After years of not having my brother in my life, knowing he put this much effort into making me—making us—comfortable made my heart start to swell. “Thank you. So much. I…” My voice trailed off, not sure how to put my gratitude into words. “Thank you, Cole.”
“You got it.” Cole cleared his throat. “Glad you guys like it.”
I turned toward Alex, embracing her as well. “Thank you too. I can feel your handiwork all over this place.”
“Anytime,” she voiced, squeezing me a little tighter. “But Emilia isn’t the only one with a new bedroom. Did you have a chance to check out yours?”
“Not yet. I’m still taking it all in.”
“Well…” She smiled. “I think you should. Save the best for last, you know?”
I let Alex guide me over to the bedroom, and my jaw fell open when she pushed forward the door. All my life, I’d had rooms that were fine, that suited my needs. But this space? It was as if someone had nestled deep into the burrows of my brain and described everything I could have ever wanted.
Light blue paint covered the walls, where pictures of the landscape and my daughter also hung. I had no idea how they got these precious photos, from the time I first held Emilia in my arms to our most recent trip to the Caldwell Zoo. They lined the antique white dresser pressed up against the far wall, and I paused, studying each one. But as much as I loved seeing the pictures of my life with my daughter, it was the furthest two that made me choke up. The first was a picture of Cole and me when we were younger, me in one of the trees that lined our backyard and him directly below me.Just in case you fall, he’d told me at the time.I want to be there to catch you.
Next to it was a more recent picture: all of us together at Cole and Alex’s wedding. The couple was in the middle, surrounded by our family. My parents were on one side while Adam and I were on the other. We all beamed at the camera. It was the first picture we’d taken together in a decade, and it was pretty perfect.
As I stared at all of us together, I couldn’t help but look at Adam. We looked good together, like we belonged at each other’s side. But that wasn’t what caught my eye.
While the rest of us smiled brightly at the photographer, Adam’s attention was on me. Was that how he looked at me? Like I was something worth memorizing?
It was one thing to hear he was interested in me. That had already taken me by surprise. But Adam was clear about his intentions and gave me no reason to doubt his words. It was my brain that made me question what was happening, unsure if I was worthy of his attention.
But to see him staring at me with that much devotion in his eyes? It made the pieces snap into place. All my doubts faded, and all my questions about timing and consequences were forced out. As much as my mind wanted me to question how I’d started to fall for him so quickly, I couldn’t.
Instead, like so much about him, it gave me a sense of rightness, like it was a foregone conclusion that our paths would merge.
I placed the photo back on the dresser, clearing my throat to hide my emotions from my brother and sister-in-law. Instead, I moved over to the bed, running my hand along the linens. For the past few years, I felt like I was living someone else’s life, that none of my plans would ever come to fruition. But standing in this room, it no longer felt like a shadow clung to the corners of my memories. Maybe everything was supposed to come crashing down to lead me to this moment, to a place where I could build something new with my ever-expanding family. At least, I hoped that’s what it was for.
Cole ran his hand behind his hair as he stood in the doorway. “I remembered you talking about that one movie when we were kids and how much you wanted your room to look like the main character’s bedroom. Hope you still have the same taste.”
I nodded. “It’s perfect. I…” My voice trailed off as my hand touched the metal bed frame. “Thank you, both of you. This means the world to me.”
“Anything for you, trouble.” Cole smiled.
And for the first time in a long time, I believed him.
TWENTY-TWO
As I returned to Fox Creek for the night, my eyes instantly flew to the apartment above the main lodge. The yellow lights flooding from the windows were a strange yet comforting sight. I stared at them for too long, just in case I caught sight of the woman who’d stolen my thoughts all day. I’d tried to keep busy helping Gray make sense of his dad’s filing system, though even with the two of us, it was useless. At least it’d kept me away from the apartment.