Page 47 of Haunted By the Storm
In the kitchen, Emily chatters excitedly about the Halloween party, reliving her favorite moments while helping Storm mix pancake batter. I watch them together, struck by how natural they look; Storm showing her how to test the griddle with a dropof water, Emily standing on a chair beside him, absorbing his instructions with serious concentration.
It's a domestic scene I never imagined for us, yet it fits somehow, like a puzzle piece I didn't know was missing until now.
"Mom, watch!" Emily calls, drawing my attention as Storm helps her flip a pancake in the air. It lands back on the griddle with a satisfying sizzle, and she jumps in delight. "Did you see that?"
"Very impressive," I say, smiling at her enthusiasm. "You're a natural chef."
"Storm says I am," she agrees excitedly. "He says I have good tech... techn..."
"Technique," Storm supplies, ruffling her hair affectionately.
"Yeah, that!"
The three of us eat breakfast together, passing syrup and butter across the table, Emily dominating the conversation with questions about motorcycles and the clubhouse and when she can see Sera and Ruby again. Storm answers each inquiry patiently, occasionally catching my eye with a warm glance that makes my heart skip.
It's all so terribly domestic, so achingly normal, that I could almost forget the circumstances that brought us here: Eric's threats, Cantlay's men, the violence hovering at the edges of our temporary sanctuary.
Almost, but not quite.
"I need to head to the garage for a bit," Storm says once breakfast is finished, dishes stacked in the sink. "Club business to take care of."
The reminder of his other life, his responsibilities outside our little bubble, brings reality crashing back. "Cantlay?" I ask quietly, mindful of Emily playing nearby.
He nods, expression turning serious. "Among other things. We're working on a more permanent solution to the problem."
"Do I want to know the details?"
"Probably not," he admits. "But I promise I'll keep you in the loop as much as I can. No keeping you in the dark about things that affect you and Emily."
I appreciate his honesty and his respect for my agency in this situation. "Thank you."
"I shouldn't be gone long," he continues. "A couple of hours at most. Will you be okay here?"
"We'll be fine," I assure him. "Emily has some schoolwork to catch up on and I need to make some calls about my job. They've been incredibly understanding about my 'family emergency' but I can't stay away forever."
A shadow crosses his face at the mention of my eventual return to normal life. "Right," he says. "Of course. Work, school, all that."
"It's still there, Storm," I remind him gently. "The world outside this clubhouse. My life, Emily's life... It doesn't just stop because of what's happening."
"I know," he sighs. "And I want you to have that life back, safe and secure. I just..." He trails off, looking uncharacteristically uncertain.
"You just what?"
He shakes his head. "We'll talk about it later, okay? When I get back."
I want to press, but Emily calls for me from the living room, asking for help with her spelling words. "Okay. Later."
Storm kisses me briefly, a casual gesture that feels both new and familiar, then crouches to say goodbye to Emily. "Be good for your mom, butterfly. I'll see you in a bit."
"Bye, Storm!" she says cheerfully, giving him a quick hug that seems to catch him off guard. He returns it awkwardly, glancingat me with a look of pleased surprise, which makes my heart melt a little.
Once he's gone, Emily and I settle into our temporary routine: schoolwork at the kitchen table, breaks for drawing and reading. I'm helping Emily with her math problems when a knock sounds at the door. Expecting Storm or perhaps Effie or Eda, I open it without hesitation.
Blaze stands in the hallway, looking unusually formal in clean jeans and a button-up shirt instead of his usual t-shirt and prospect cut. "Hey, sis," he says, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot. "Got a minute?"
"Of course," I say, stepping back to let him in. "Emily, look who's here. Uncle Blaze!"
Emily runs to greet her uncle, who scoops her up in a bear hug. "Hey, squirt! You’re getting bigger every time I see you."
