Page 86 of Broken

Sinclair and my mother.

"Michael found it a few years back, right before he died. I thought he was crazy for keeping the thing." My heart ached to listen to the longing and sadness in my mom's voice. "He would've loved her, Sinclair."

"I'm so sorry I took so long to bring her home, Mrs. Carter."

"Sinclair, honey, please call me Aine or Nana. That's what I called my grandmother, Nana. That's what I'd like little Aine to call me."

I looked to the backyard at what my daughter played with. Was that Sin's old skateboard? Where had that come from? I opened the screen door, interrupting the conversation between the two women.

"Kai!" Sin jumped out of her seat next to my mother. She ran over and hugged me tightly. I wrapped my arms around her waist, burying my face in her fair. I missed her so much more than I realized.

It had only been a couple of days since I left her and Aine in Palm

Springs, but I felt empty until just now.

"Baby, what are you guys doing here?" I asked, kissing her head, and her cheek.

Before she answered, Aine caught me standing on the porch with her mother. "Dad!" Aine ran towards us. I opened my arms to catch my daughter in my embrace.

"Hi, kiddo. What have you got there?" I pointed at the discarded plank on wheels she left in the grass.

"It's a skateboard, silly." Aine laughed. "It used to be moms. Grandpa saved it. I think he kept it for me."

I had no idea my father saved the skateboard all these years, but that sounded like something he would have done. He loved Sinclair like a daughter and had done so much to keep her safe over the years, more than I thought at first.

"I see that kiddo." I chuckled at her.

"Come, Aine. Let's go explore your grandfather's study. I'll bet we'll find old pictures of your parents and uncles at your age hidden inside." My mom stood up and took Aines hand.

"You two talk, then Sinclair and I will make dinner together." My mother patted me on the shoulder and lead Aine into the house.

"Can I help with dinner?" Aine asked as they walked through the kitchen.

Once we were alone, I turned Sin to face me and claimed her lips with my own.

"Fuck, I missed you. But what are you doing here?" I asked against her lips.

Sin pulled away from me and the glisten of tears in her lashes caught my eyes. "I was going to run. I'm scared and I wanted to run."

My heart dropped into my stomach. Why was she going to run?

What was she afraid of? "Baby, why? What happened?"

I didn't know what I would do if something happened after I left. Id hurt someone, something. I kept my cool while I held Sinclair in my arms. She grounded me, she made me see things more clearly.

"Kai. I'm so sorry." She whispered as she pulled a white and pink stick out of her back pocket. How did I not notice that when I hugged her?

Right away, I recognized what she held. A pregnancy test. A positive test from the looks of it. "I'm a little over a week late, and I've been sick to my stomach every morning. Certain scents make me vomit, too."

"Sin" I breathed, looking into her eyes. She was pregnant. Was this why she wanted to run? "My Sin. My sweet, Sin." I said as I kissed her face, her neck, and her hair.

"Kai, the baby is yours. I'm always careful, but when you and I when we, in your bathroom..."

"I know baby. Did you tell anyone else?" Not like it mattered, we were going to have another baby. She came to me instead of running. I picked her up in my arms and kissed her.

Pulling away, she looked into my eyes, I saw sadness and confusion. I hoped she found undying love in mine.

"Just your mom. She knew just by looking at me. I don't know how she does it." Sin confessed.

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