Chapter 30
Delilah screams and clings to Darcy’s arm as the next house on our trick-or-treat stroll through the Garden District comes into view.
Poor thing. This is her first time celebrating the spooky holiday, which has been entertaining to observe.
But it’s obvious my little sunshine is here for the candy and fairy princess costumes she and Ru wear, not the giant fake spiders and webs covering the two-story home to our right.
She also didn’t appreciate the skeleton display that encompassed the previous house’s entire yard.
What can I say? It’s New Orleans. Some say it’s the most haunted city in all of America and the residents really lean into it when decorating.
I’ll have to find a more family-friendly neighborhood for next year.
But at least the horrors here are fake. The French Quarter this time of year would be a real nightmare.
“It’s okay, sweetie,” Darcy says. “It’s just decorations, you know, like the skeletons and the ghosts and the giant octopus.
” Darcy rubs her back and gives me a little smile.
Delilah versus the octopus was a real hoot.
She’s seen The Little Mermaid. So, needless to say, she wasn’t fond of it.
She kicked one of the tentacles and called it Ursula after she and Ru collected their king-sized candy bars from the residence. I couldn’t help but laugh.
Delilah shakes her head and buries her face in the ruffled skirt of Darcy’s long, blush pink dress. Sensing her worry, Ru sits down beside Delilah and licks her hand. Their little fairy wings nearly collide. “Spiders aren’t decorations. They’re real and they’re gross and they’re scary.”
I smile to myself as Delilah’s muffled voice reaches me. “Hey, sunshine,” I say, kneeling beside her. Delilah looks at me and I see her eyes are wet with tears. The little sniffly sound she makes has my heart aching. As frustration flattens my lips, I pull her in for a hug.
They really are stupid to decorate with spiders.
For one, they’re basic. And two, some people have a genuine fear of them.
I feel the need to rip every single one of them down or shoot them down more specifically.
Though my gun is hidden beneath the hem of my shirt, I wouldn’t be caught dead out here without one.
Knowing that option is extreme, I resort to something more practical.
Scooping Delilah up, I stand with her in my arms. “You know what’s scarier than a spider, sunshine?
” She shakes her head. “Me. Now, how about we go up together? You have nothing to worry about in my arms. No one and nothing will touch you. We’ll get our candy and then we’ll go home and watch a movie as a family. How does that sound?”
“Good,” she says as her lips draw up into a smile. She wraps her arms around my neck, hugging me. Oh, sunshine. I pinch my eyes closed and return her embrace.
It’s been just over two months since she and Darcy walked into my life, and it’s been the most amazing two months.
When I first saw Darcy, it was like something in me cracked open.
She was this light that seeped through the cracks in my cold, dark being, warming me from the inside out.
I felt this change in me instantly and others noted it too.
But, since then, her and Delilah’s impact on me has only grown.
Perhaps it’s because seeing the two of them together reminds me of my mom, of what life was like before everything changed—before the Mafia.
Perhaps it’s because, now knowing the story of Darcy’s past, I see her strength even more clearly than before.
Through all the heartache, loss, and grief, Darcy has remained kind, gentle, and loving.
I admire her. I wish to be more like her, worthy of her.
And so, instead of a single crack, I feel like the walls around my heart and mind have completely shattered.
My whole body is full of their warmth, their light, and all the love I want to give them.
While things haven’t progressed between Darcy and me romantically, nights like this one make me feel closer to her than ever.
We truly are becoming a team, a family. I guess I never realized, until her, how badly I truly wanted one.
“Ru, stay with Mama,” I say, giving Darcy a smile and a wink before leading Delilah toward her last conquest of the night.
Tonight is one of those memories we talked about making, one we’ll cherish forever.
Though, as I admire her in that dress and the way the feminine fabric cups her breasts, I know the moment I get to cherish her body will be just as special and just as memorable.
“And she is out for the count,” Darcy says, rejoining me downstairs after putting Delilah to bed.
Her hair piled in a bun on top of her head, she wears the same cozy looking joggers and burgundy t-shirt she wore during the movie.
We tried to find the funniest, cheesiest movie we could to end Delilah’s day with giggles instead of screams. Hopefully, we accomplished our goal or else she’ll be up all night with nightmares.
“I left Ru in with her like you suggested. She’s so attached to her.
I think she believes she’ll watch over her while she sleeps. ”
“She will,” I assure her, leaning back against the kitchen countertop. “I just hope she had a good day aside from the few houses that weren’t to her liking. She made a killing in the candy market and looked cute as hell doing it.”
Darcy smiles and laughs. “Yes, she did. We’ll be snacking on Reese’s Peanut Butter cups for the next two months.
” She moves to the bucket of candy on the prep table and grabs a piece.
“It was a wonderful memory for her to have. Hopefully, it sticks.” Unlike the others.
She doesn’t say it, but I know she’s thinking it.
I nod and move to the bucket to grab a Hershey’s.
“Her first trick-or-treat? Of course, she’ll remember.
And you’ll remember too. You looked just as cute in your dress, although that is me putting it mildly.
” I wink at her as I unwrap my candy and pop it into my mouth. Darcy smiles shyly and blushes.
“Well, thank you. You looked…happy.”
“I was, am. The one thing I’m not is tired. I was thinking you and I could make a memory of our own before turning-in.”
Darcy looks at me with raised brows. Though, I find more curiosity in her gaze rather than fear or hesitation. I think we’re past that. At least, I hope. “What kind of memory?” she asks.
I smile and extend my hand. “Come with me and find out.” Darcy shakes her head, though her lips draw into a teeth-baring smile. “Trust me?” I ask, drawing her gaze back to me. She bites her lip and nods.
“I trust you.” She takes my hand.