Page 108 of All Too Well
She laughs and then steps back. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to see my baby sister and ...” Caspian looks down at Rose, who is bouncing. “I came to see this girl!”
He lifts her up into his arms, hugging her, and she giggles. “I missed you, Uncle Caspian!”
“I missed you more!”
I may not have had any siblings, but I got a brother anyway. He puts her down and we clasp hands and then hug like men do, banging our hands on each other’s backs. “Good to see you, man.”
“You too. I’m glad this worked out.”
“Same.”
Rose and Ainsley are standing there with huge smiles. Ainsley comes back, looping her hands around his arm. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
“Lachlan thought it would be fun to get you sick again.”
She shakes her head. “I bet he did.”
Caspian chuckles. “It’s been a really long time since we’ve all been together. I didn’t realize just how much I’ve missed it.”
It’s been four years. Four years of me trying to pretend I didn’t have feelings for Ainsley MacKinley. Four years of lying to myself and to everyone else. I lost more than just the girl I cared about. I lost my friend.
“Come on, Uncle Caspian! Let’s go pick strawberries before they’re all gone!” Rose, who appears to be done with this little reunion, exclaims.
There is no one, other than me, who compares to her uncle Caspian. He has been there, a constant in her life since she was born. When her mother decided that motherhood wasn’t in her future, and I was given the choice to take Rose, it was Caspian and Ainsley who were by my side.
My mother and father were supportive. Disappointed at thesame time, but proud of the fact that I wanted to step up and raise my daughter.
When I needed to go to the fire academy, Caspian babysat Rose all the time. It definitely didn’t go unnoticed, and the two of them have a special bond.
All of us enter the strawberry patch, and we find a row that doesn’t look too picked over.
“Is this one good, Daddy?” Rose lifts one up.
“It is. You can put that in—” She eats it before I can finish. “Your mouth.”
Ainsley laughs. “Don’t eat a lot, silly. You remember the story about a bellyache?”
Rose drops the new one she picked.
I sigh. “Put them in your basket, Rose.”
Caspian runs over, scooping her up, and she giggles. “Come on, Rosie Posey, let Uncle Cas show you how to do it. I bet we can pick more than Ainsley and your dad.”
“Is that a challenge?” Ainsley asks, always taking the bait. “Because I will kick your butt!”
“We are going to beat you!” Rose taunts.
Ainsley crosses her arms over her chest. “You too? Well, I bet that we can fill our baskets before you can.” Her eyes meet mine, and I’m just a pawn in this MacKinley war, just like it’s always been.
Although usually I’m on Caspian’s side. So this is a slight change.
Ainsley grins. “Three.”
“Two.” It’s Caspian this time.
Rose claps her hands. “One!”
