Page 81 of Where Broken Wings Fly

Taking my hand in hers, I gently squeeze. “I understand.”

Her golden eyes shine with tears. “I hope I did the right thing.”

“You did. Don’t ever doubt yourself for keeping your babies safe.”

Wiping her tears away, Aalia looks from Amie asleep in my arms to my wedding band still in place. She arches a perfectly plucked eyebrow.

“And your husband? He is here?”

“Um, no. We aren’t together either.”

“I’m sorry, Willow. But you’re still wearing the ring?”

“I’m not ready to take it off yet.”

“It won’t make you bad or, you know, not strong.” She struggles over her words. “I was scared to run, to be alone. But we deserve to be happy.”

I let out a weak laugh. “You think?”

“I do,” she affirms. “Here, I am happy.”

“I’d like to be. One day.”

“You will. When you’re ready to take the ring off, come for some tea and we’ll take it off together.”

Chest warm with appreciation, I blow out a long-held breath. “Thank you, Aalia. That means a lot to me.”

“Us single mothers need to stick together. We can help each other, we don’t need these…” She lowers her voice. “Shitheads.”

I choke on a mouthful of tea and Aalia has to hammer me on the back. The baby begins to stir in my arms, shaken by the sudden movement. I hush her, trying hard not to laugh and wake her up.

“Where on earth did you learn that word?”

Aalia winks. “Killian called my husband this name.”

“Huh. Why am I not surprised?”

Both giggling, we finish our tea. Aalia takes the baby from my arms to breastfeed her and while she’s preoccupied, I wash up the cups and saucers. She still needs a few essentials, and I begin a mental list, intent on helping her out.

The sound of crashing from outside alerts me to Killian’s presence. He begins to clear the fallen branches from Aalia’s garden and when I peer out between her curtains, he’s giving the destroyed swing set the stink-eye.

Beginning to dismantle the wooden poles, he smashes them into smaller logs to be burned with the help of a shining axe. Fury fuels his every move. It’s clear that something is eating away at him, even I can see that.

“You like him?”

Startled, I find Aalia by my side. “Killian?”

“He is… handsome?”

“No, no. I mean, he is. But no, we’re just… friends, I guess? Lola is my grandmother. I came here to find her.”

“You have her eyes.” Aalia winks at me. “I like her a lot.”

“You think?”

“Oh, yes. And all this hair, it’s so long. Beautiful.”

I run a self-conscious hand over my curly, rain-mussed hair. “I hate the length. My husband never let me cut it, he said it wasn’t allowed.”

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