Page 36 of Hawk

Click.

The tension in my shoulders began to uncoil. Capturing joy was something I could do. Documenting the pieces of life worth fighting for came naturally to me.

The sound of footsteps from the back of the clubhouse was followed by a familiar female voice. “Tell me I didn’t miss photo time.”

I turned to see Dahlia striding toward us like she owned the place. With good reason, considering who she was married to. Fox followed her, towering and tattooed, holding a squirming child in each arm. Their twins were the same age as Luna, and he made quite the picture carrying them, so I snapped a quick photo before they got too close.

“You’re right on time,” Molly called, grinning as Chase attempted to crawl into her lap while still clinging to his spoon.

“I told you she’d be shooting already,” Dahlia said to Fox.

“How’d you even know?” I asked. “This was totally spur of the moment.”

“That was me.” Molly waved. “You’re a photographer. It was easy to guess you went to grab your camera when you raced outta here like your feet were on fire but told me to stay put.”

“Good point,” I agreed with a soft laugh.

Dahlia grinned at me. “I hope you have a fast shutter. These two don’t stop moving unless snacks are involved or they’ve passed out from sheer exhaustion. Which will hopefully happen in the next half hour, so they’re not extra grouchy tomorrow morning.”

“That ship has probably already sailed since it’s already everyone’s bedtime, but nobody is headed there anytime soon,” Molly pointed out.

“Well, you’re in luck,” I replied, lifting the camera again. “I’ve trained on wilder creatures. Like bachelorette parties.”

Fox chuckled before settling both kids on the rug. “They’ll behave for a minute or two. Maybe.”

“Two full minutes?” Molly teased. “Are you trying to spoil her?”

“I mean, she’s family now,” Dahlia quipped with a wink, then dropped onto the floor next to her sister.

Family.

It had been so long since anyone had considered me a part of theirs. I was honored that these amazing people thought of me that way, even if it was just because I was with Callum.

To stop myself from crying over how touched I was, I crouched again and framed the scene in my viewfinder. Fox’s broad shoulders in the background, Molly making Chase belly laugh, Dahlia brushing hair from Violet’s forehead while Jett tackled a nearby pillow.

Click. Click. Click.

The sound of the shutter was steady and reassuring. An integral part of me.

Hope swelled inside me. I wasn’t alone. Even with Callum gone, I had people around me who cared. Fierce, loyal people.

And no matter what came next, I’d have this moment captured forever. Proof that good things were still worth fighting for.

I snapped more than a hundred photos over the next twenty minutes, then Fox and Dahlia wrangled all four kids toward the kitchen for a bedtime snack.

Before the door swung closed behind them, Jett loudly declared his love for applesauce as Violet suggested they should hold out for cookies. Luna agreed with that plan.

Molly stayed behind. She didn’t say anything at first, just sat down on the edge of the couch and tilted her head toward me with a knowing look. “You okay?”

I lowered the camera to my lap, brushing a lock of hair behind my ear. “Yeah. I’m just trying not to climb the walls while I wait. You were right about finding a good distraction. Maybe I’ll go put on a movie when the kids are ready for bedtime.”

“Running after Luna and Chase definitely makes the time fly by.” She leaned back, arms stretched along the cushions. “But being with an Iron Rogue means you’ll never face your fears alone. There are old ladies I can call who’d be happy to stay up with you for a movie marathon if you want.”

My throat tightened. “That sounds really nice, but I’d hate to be a bother.”

“None of them would think of it that way,” she assured me.

“As an only child whose parents passed away a couple of years ago, it’s hard to wrap my head around having a big family like this.”

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