Page 58 of Legacy

“About last night—” I run my fingers through my hair.

“Got them.” Bea storms into the room, cuttingme off.

Maybe it’s for the best because I have no idea what I was going to say. Last night was a fucking mess.

Reagan is too young for me. Too good for me.

She deserves better.

She’s not sticking around.

Everything I have to say is selfish, and none of it is comforting because the truth is I don’t regret what we did.

Bea tosses her backpack on the counter and hands me a bag of gems. They have small clamps on the back that will dig into the fabric.

“What colors were you thinking?”

“Pink!” Bea starts fishing out the pink ones, and I’m not surprised that’s the first color she chose. “Green, and… Reagan, what’s your favorite?”

Reagan looks over her shoulder, pulling the bacon off the stove. “Blue.”

Her eyes flick to mine, and I swear I see her cheeks flush before she spins back around.

“Blue,” Bea repeats, fishing a few out.

We pick through the beads and start arranging them on the front pocket. I make the shape of a bee with the pink ones, while Bea makes a flower. Reagan covers the food and leans in to help when Bea gets frustrated.

It’s so fucking domestic, and I hate how much I don’t mind it.

“If you want to shower before you have to leave for school, you can.” Reagan’s lashes flutter up at me. “I can help Bea finish this.”

“It’s all right. I’ll shower when I get back if I have to.”

My daughter still wants me around at this point in her life, so I’ll take what I can get.

By the time we finish decorating the backpack, there’s just enough time for me to take a quick shower before Steel and Tempe are at the front door to take pictures of the kids before their first day of school.

“Closer.” Tempe poses them on the porch, while Jameson, Reagan, and I stand watching them, trying to get two realistic smiles at the same time.

“Feels like just yesterday that was us.” Steel scratches his jaw.

“We were way more trouble.”

“I hope so.” He chuckles. “I don’t know how our parents survived the shit we got into.”

“Our parents included Helix and King. They survived just fine.”

Steel laughs in agreement.

“Smile.” Tempe snaps the photo, and my chest tightens. “A little closer. Austin, put your hand down. Bea, look up here. Perfect.”

Bea and Austin link arms, laughing as Tempe takes a final shot. When they’re done, and Bea starts walking toward me, I’m barely able to handle the overwhelming weight in my chest.

“Why do I get the feeling we’re barely going to survive this?”

Steel chuckles, wrapping an arm around Tempe when she gets close, but all I feel is this knot in my throat.

Am I doing enough?

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