Page 114 of Shattering

Cadi nodded, warmth settling deep in her chest. She hadn't said it out loud yet, hadn't let herself fully feel it, but there it was. The quiet truth of it. And in Ana's usual brash way, she had yanked it into the open before Cadi had a chance to do it on her own terms.

Her relationship with Regan was still rocky, though the younger woman had grown quieter over time. The tension between Regan and her father was evident, and that was obviously difficult for Regan to cope with. Derrik sat near the table, his wife Eila was watching him like a hawk. Eila, ever the caretaker, had handed him a plate with a carefully arranged salad while Derrik's longing gaze was locked onto the pile of burgers sizzling on the grill.

Tomos came running up, Sarah, Arya, and James trailing behind him, their faces flushed with play. His grin was wide, and the gap where his front teeth used to be made him look even more mischievous. "Mam! Can we have a drink please?"

Cadi pointed toward the buffet table. "You know where the juice is."

Ana, being his self-appointed godmother, held out her arms dramatically. "Not before you pay the toll, young man! Hugs!"

Tomos' face turned red as he muttered, "Tolls are for trolls, Auntie Ana..." before shifting behind Sarah as if she could shield him.

Ana gasped in mock outrage, clutching her chest. "You wound me, child! After all I've done for you!"

Gray, overhearing, laughed from the grill. "Careful, mate, you might not survive this one."

Tomos gave a long-suffering groan but begrudgingly stepped forward, letting Ana squeeze him tight before darting away toward the drinks.

Through all the noise and the warmth of the evening, Gray's eyes met Cadi's across the yard. Just a single glance, but it was enough. Silent understanding passed between them, a moment suspended in time, unspoken but powerful. He didn't know about the baby yet. he would.

But later that night, with the crickets singing outside and the cool breeze drifting in through the open window, as he divested Cadi of the surprise lingerie Cadi had bought to celebrate the surprise, he would.

Epilogue

3 years later

Gray stood in front of the headstone, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and cut grass. The cemetery was quiet, save for the distant rustling of leaves as a breeze wove through the trees. He had come alone, as he always did. The plot was well-tended, the grass trimmed neatly around the base of the stone.

Until We Meet Again

Aisling O'Brien

Beloved Mother and Grandmother

He knelt, one hand restin' gently on the grave, the other settin' down a bouquet of wildflowers—her favourites. He exhaled slowly, watchin' as the sun broke through the thick grey clouds, castin' light over the stone.

"Hey, Mam," he murmured, his voice hoarse. "It's been a while."

For a moment, he simply sat there, starin' at her name. It still felt unreal sometimes. He wished she could've met Niamh, held her just once. He ran a hand through his hair, disturbing the new strands of grey that had crept in. The fine lines at the corners of his eyes deepened when he smiled, though there was no one here to see it.

"Things are changin'," he continued. "Cadi an' I—well, you'd like to hear that we're doin' good. There's Tomos, of course. He's nine now. Still rugby mad, might even be a star like his uncle Byron. An' maybe a bit sweet on his friend Sarah—don't know if I should be worried about that or not." He chuckled dryly, shakin' his head.

He sighed. "An' then there's our little wonder, Niamh. She's three now. A hellion, that one. Got all of us wrapped 'round her tiny little finger. She's got bright eyes—just like yours. Just like mine. An' she's got Cadi's sunset hair, a little wild, always fallin' in her face. Every mornin', she insists I braid it for her, won't let anyone else do it. I've gotten damn good at it too—YouTube tutorials an' all."

He let out a short laugh. "Tomos, on the other hand, has decided he wants to grow his hair out now—wants a 'manbun.' Huh. Cadi thinks it's hilarious."

He leaned forward slightly, tracin' his mother's name on the stone with his fingertips. "I wish you could've met them. Wish you could've met her."

The wind shifted, rufflin' his hair as he fell silent. After a moment, he closed his eyes an' inhaled deeply, then exhaled, groundin' himself.

"Still in therapy," he admitted softly. "It helps. I just—I wish it had helped you. Maybe things could've been different. Maybe you wouldn't have carried all that weight alone."

He stayed there for a long while, lost in thought, before finally shiftin'. His expression hardened slightly as he thought about Callum. "I met her. Callum's mother. She's frail now, barely able to speak. Parkinsonism. She held my hand, begged for forgiveness." He swallowed, starin' down at the grave. "An' I gave it. 'Cause I know—it's what you would've wanted, Mam."

His throat tightened, an' he let out a slow breath. "I still can't forgive Callum. Not yet. But we all don't have infinite time, so I'll try. An' I understand why you kept things from me, too. You were protectin' me, just like mothers do. If it were me—if it were Tomos—I'd do the same. I'd shield him from the ugliness, no matter what it cost me. I just hope he never finds out that, for a time, I doubted he was mine. An' Cadi—she'd never tell him. She'd protect him from that."

His fingers curled into the damp grass, then relaxed. A faint breeze tickled his hair like a ghostly hand, bringin' the smell of rain with it. There was a storm comin'.

Gray sat there for a long time, feelin' the memories of the years settle over him, not as a burden, but as somethin' that happened—not the nightmare that ruled his life. He wasn't fightin' against it anymore, wasn't drownin' in it. He'd built somethin' from it. A family. A life.

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