Page 102 of No More Words

“Okay, Mom. Okay. Okay.”

It’s okay, Mom. I’m okay. We’ll be okay, Olivia interprets. She feels so much love for them both. Their reunion takes her breath away. Josh buries his face in Lily’s hair and cries. They rock side to side.

Blaze touches Olivia’s hand and she jerks, startled. “Are you okay?”

She shakes her head. Tears cloud her vision. “She’s here,” she whispers.

Blaze smiles. “Because you and Josh found her. You did this. Remember that.”

“We did, huh?” She smiles. Whether or not Lily welcomes her, at least Olivia has that. She protected Josh when she hadn’t protected her sister. She brought Josh home when she failed to do the same for Lily.

Lily’s gaze meets Olivia’s over Josh’s head and her eyes round in shock. “Livy?”

Olivia wipes her face and lifts her hand in a short wave. “It’s me,” she whispers. She feels like an interloper. She also wants to hug Lily as fiercely as she hugs her son.

“How did he find you?” Lily asks when Josh’s crying eases.

“I’m not entirely certain. He told me some. I guessed the rest. What about you? Where’ve you been? We’ve been so worried about you. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine now. Wonderful, actually.” She cups Josh’s face and smiles at him. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you everything. But first—” She looks over her shoulder. “Come here, Tyler.”

Tyler approaches them and Olivia gasps lightly. He’s a wider, taller version of Blaze, and an unmistakable older version of Josh.

Lily whispers in Josh’s ear and he lifts his head. He gawks at Tyler.

Her arm around Josh, Lily gestures at Tyler. “Meet your father.”

Olivia’s mouth falls open. Beside her, Blaze sharply inhales. “Holy shit.”

“They’ve never met?” she asks. Josh mentioned it once, but it didn’t occur to her it would happen in her presence. Right here and now. She’s blessed to witness such a reunion.

“In person? No,” Lily says.

She’s going to start crying again. Olivia has so many questions about where Lily went after she ran away. How did she survive? Why hasn’t Tyler ever met his son? And why didn’t he tell Blaze anything when Blaze called him? Her questions are a dryer full of clothes tumbling in her mind but all she can do right now is watch and feel immense happiness for her nephew.

“Close your mouth, Liv.” Blaze gives her hand a squeeze.

Tyler offers Josh his hand, looking just as nervous as his son. He keeps his emotions in check, his face tight when he says, “I’ve been wanting to meet you for a very long time.”

“Me too.” Josh grasps Tyler’s hand and Tyler’s smile is shaky.

Olivia and Blaze share a look. His blue eyes reflect what’s on her mind. What happened when Lily ran away? Did Tyler even know she was pregnant with his child?

Lily looks away, her expression unreadable, and Olivia wonders exactly what is their story, when Lily notices Blaze standing beside her.

“Hey, Lily.” Blaze lifts a hand.

“Hi.” She looks at Olivia after a quick glance at Josh and Tyler to see how they’re faring. “Can we take a walk?”

“You go,” Blaze says when Olivia turns to him. “We’ll stay with Josh.”

Lily kisses her son. “I need a moment with your aunt. I’ll be right there if you need me.” She points at the dock and gestures for Olivia to join her.

Olivia is bursting with questions and Lily is looking around the place as if she’s walking back in time.

“We made a lot of good memories here.” Lily skims her fingers on a tree trunk as they pass. “It’s really good to see you again, Livy.”

“I can’t tell you how good it is to see you. I have so many questions.” About Dwight, Josh, the life Lily built for her and her son.

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