Page 79 of Retribution

Me and Willow glance at each other and pull a funny face.

“Perfect, my girls.”

We look back at Reed and he has his phone held above him.

Oh, he’s taking a photo of us in front of our new home.

“Reed get in the picture!” I call out.

“Hey, would you mind taking a photo of us please?” I ask one of the removal men leaving the house.

“Sure.”

Reed hands him the phone and jogs over to join us. He wraps his arm around my waist and leans down in the middle of me and Willow, cupping her shoulders with his other arm.

“Say cheese!” I cheer as we all pose in unison.

“Thanks man,” Reed leaves our side and takes his phone back.

He pulls out a few bills and hands them to the removal men as a tip for their help today, as well as thanking them individually. I am really admiring the man I see before me; I can see how Allie loved him all of those years.

The men pull out of the driveway and I turn to look at the house again. I take in the smell of the fresh air, the sounds of the birds in the trees. This neighborhood is a hell of a lot quieter than the sketchy place my apartment resided in.

Reed told me he’d handle the sale of my apartment and just to focus on making our new house, a home.

It’s been kind of nice to have a man take control for once, it makes up for all the years I’ve carried Scott through life. Speaking of, he’s been awfully quiet, anxiously quiet. He swore that he was taking his share of the business and so far, nada.

“So, who wants to go and see their new bedroom!” I cheer.

Willow jumps up and down in delight, repeating ‘me’ a thousand times over.

We turn towards the huge glass double doors that showcase the center of the property, Reed grasps my hand and squeezes it slightly. I peer down at our interlocked hands and crack a smile at the intimacy. It’s slowly becoming more normal for us to interact this way, we’re growing comfortable with the idea of us being a couple.

Willow walks with us as we ascend the huge staircase.

“Left or right?” She eagerly asks.

“It’s a right.” I smirk.

We come up to a black wooden door with a golden handle, I stop us before she can enter.

“Lo, if there is anything at all you don’t like, anything at all you’d want to change, just say so. This is your bedroom and I want it to be perfect for you.” I place my hand on her cheek and rub it slightly with my thumb.

She nods, and I let go, gesturing to the door handle.

The hallway fills with light, and she gasps at the room before her. The room is huge and bright with the number of windows on the opposing wall. The carpet is a plush cream that your feet sink into when you step on it, the walls are covered in a light pink wallpaper that is covered in white swans and gold crowns. The room matches with golden accents, a dressing table that has a swan carved out of the wood at the top of the mirror, a white dresser with white swan handles and a large white chandelier above the bed. The bed is a king size, and the white wood matches the dressing table, the same swan carved out of the wood at the very top. A princess style drape covers the upper portion of the bed, fairy lights are spread around the headboard of it, the bedspread like the wallpaper but opposing colors. There are several decorative pillows, swans, crowns, clouds and a ballet slipper one. Nice touch.

It’s only then that I notice the other side of the room, lined with floor to ceiling mirrors, a ballet barre covers the expanse of it. The carpet cuts off at a point and the rest is solid wood flooring.

Who…?

“I made a little call to the designer and asked if it was possible, turns out it is.” Reed gestures to the ballet barre portion of the room and shrugs as if it was nothing.

What he doesn’t understand is how incredibly valuable that is, how he has taken onboard his daughter’s wishes and made them come true.

Willow lets out a sob as we rush to her side, the both of us concerned.

“Willow are you okay, honey?” I ask as Reed rubs her back.

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