Page 85 of Embers in Our Souls
“What about his mom?” I’ve been curious about her whereabouts.
“She gave up her rights. She couldn’t handle being a mother. I won’t lie, I held my breath for a while, wondering if she was going to resurface after Bryce’s death. But she never did. She truly walked away.” Indy takes a long breath out her nose, probably trying to steady her nerves.
I push away some of her hair that has fallen onto her face. “I know it hurts. The memories that come forward are constant reminders for you. But when they creep in, try to think of them as gifts. Little treasures from your brother. That’s his way of saying hello because he’s left you with a piece of him.”
Her eyes start to well with tears. “Don’t cry, baby.” I kiss the corner of her eyes.
“I love you,” she whispers. “I don’t care if it’s too soon after we’ve reconnected, but I want you to know how I’m feeling. I loved you then and I love you now.”
I look at her, those mesmerizing green eyes staring back at me.
“I love you too, Indiana. My one and only love,” I tell her. “The person that captured me, not just my heart, but my soul, and never let me live my life the same afterwards. I’ve livedtrying to find myself again, but all roads led back to you, and I’ll be forever grateful.”
Noah’s engrossed in the movie, so I lean down and capture her lips with mine, a soft kiss, to simply reassure her that what we have is unequivocal and endless.
When we pull away, I sense a pair of little eyes looking at us. When we look over, he looks away and giggles.
She smiles at me. “Sorry.”
“My love isn’t limited to only you, Indy.”
Her smile grows and she pulls my face down to capture my lips again, and I realize how complete my life is in that very moment.
CHAPTER 43
Indiana
“Is Hunter coming soon?!”Noah yells from the swings.
“Yes, Noah. He’ll be here soon,” I tell him. It’s been five minutes since the last time he asked me.
We’re meeting at the park near our place, something Tyler and I agreed on. It’s been two weeks since we told Noah about us dating and so far, things have been going smoothly.
Noah has adjusted pretty well. He doesn’t seem to mind the fact that Tyler has come over most nights he’s off from work. I’ve noticed the way Noah waits for his arrival on those days, anticipating Ty’s presence. I never realized how impactful having a male presence would be for Noah until Tyler showed up.
I see Noah’s face split into a grin and I know my husband’s arrived without looking behind me.
“Hunter!” Noah jumps off the swings and begins sprinting over. “Hi, Hunter!” The way he takes off as if it’s been years and not a day since we’ve seen each other last.
“Hey, buddy.” Tyler laughs. It’s heartwarming, watching them interact. I look behind him and notice someone walkingclose by with a baby in his arms. It’s then I recognize him to be one of his crew members from the station. There’s a woman walking next to them.
Once Tyler gets closer, he bends down to plant a kiss on my lips. Pulling away, he whispers, “Hey, baby.” He winks, moving his hands through my hair. “I hope you don’t mind, I brought my friends along. They wanted to join us. Their daughter can’t play on all the stuff at the park, but they needed to get out of the house a bit.”
I smile and nod. “Of course. I remember those days.”
The days are long when you’re cooped up at home with a little one. With the weather warming up, getting fresh air is the best thing to do.
“Hi. I don’t know if you remember me, I’m Clay. This is my fiancée Abby”—he points to the woman standing next to him—“and our daughter Gabriella. We call her Ella for short.”
The little girl squeals in his arms, her bright-blue eyes are vibrant with her dark hair and dimples popping out as she looks at me. She’s stunning.
“Hi, precious Ella, I’m Indy.” I wave at her and she returns the gesture, although she proceeds to stuff her pointer finger in her mouth, something I remember Noah doing at that age. “Is she about a year old?”
“She will be very soon,” Abby confirms. “Time is a thief.” She sighs, looking over at her daughter.
Ella starts wiggling out of her father’s hold and Clay starts laughing, bending over to put her down. “Alright, I’ll put you down. I’ll hold your hand and you can try to walk.”
Clay begins to move around the park and it’s comical to see this tall figure crouching down while his little girl attempts to move around, grasping on his fingers.
