Chapter 33
Chapter Thirty-Three
Serenity
Iwake lazy and relaxed, an instant smile lighting my face when I remember where I am.
My hand roams over the bed, and to my great disappointment it doesn’t find what it’s looking for. The letdown doesn’t last long however, because the sweet sound of a little girl’s laughter wafts into the room.
I sit up and see my bags sitting on the floor. As quickly as I can, I throw on some clothes and run my fingers through my hair. I’m excited to see Mila.
When I get to the end of the hall, I pause, curious about the relationship Rage and his sister have been building while I was away.
“It’s a surprise,” Rage says quietly.
“I like surprises,” Mila tells him, giggling.
“Hopefully Mommy does too.”
I shouldn’t be eavesdropping. Especially since they seem to be planning something special for me.
Peanut is the first to notice me when I round the corner. He comes running, tail wagging happily.
“Mommy!” Mila yells, quickly climbing down from the stool she’s been sitting on.
I meet her in the middle of the kitchen, scooping her up in my arms.
She takes my cheeks in her little hands, and her expression turns serious. “It’s party day.”
“It is?”
Her head bobs up and down.
“Mila,” Rage warns, coming over to wrap the two of us in his arms. “Remember it’s a surprise?”
She places her tiny finger over her lips. “Shh.”
“That’s right,” he says.
The two of them give me the cheesiest smiles I’ve ever seen, and I love it so much.
“First thing though, we’ve got to feed the momma.”
Mila squirms in my arms for me to put her down. She hurries to the refrigerator and begins to tug a big bottle of orange juice over to the table.
He laughs, guiding me to a chair. I watch as the two of them work together, bringing me everything I could possibly need.
“We already ate,” Rage tells me as he flips an omelet onto my plate. “Wolfie … I mean, Wolfe.” He looks at me and shakes his head. Mila is slowly rubbing off on him. “Anyway, he said Mila woke up early and was feeling a little homesick.”
“Aw.” I pick her up and set her on my lap. “I’m so happy we are all together again,” I tell her.
She looks at Rage and giggles, covering her mouth.
“You two look like you have a secret.” My gaze bounces between them.
“Not a secret,” Rage corrects me. “A surprise.”
He’s absolutely right. There should be no secrets between any of us.
“Oh, I love surprises,” I say, clapping my hands excitedly.
Rage leans over and kisses the top of my head. “Good.”
Mila watches the interaction between us with curiosity. I smile at her as he walks away, giving her a few bounces on my knee. “I have missed you, my little Mila.”
She runs her finger under her nose. “Me miss Mommy.”
Mila remains on my lap for the rest of breakfast. I glance at Rage. “Um, about this party. I don’t know …”
He stops me. “It’s just a little celebration for the three of us. We’re going to spend all day together. So, no worries.”
My shoulders fall in relief. I know I’ll have to face his club at some point, but I need a few days to get my bearings.
“Are you girls ready for a day of pampering?”
Mila and I look at each other. “How can we say no to that?”
Her giggle makes everything right in the world.
Our first stop is a salon. Mila and I get everything they have to offer. I’ve never had a best friend, but Mila is quickly becoming mine. She holds up her hand to show me the pretty pink polish on her nails as we get our toes done.
My gaze roams to the sitting area where Rage has sat patiently, his eyes never straying very far from us.
“We need to remember to tell Daddy thank you for treating us so nicely today.”
Mila nods and gives me a shy smile, covering her mouth as if she knows there’s more to come.
Rage whistles low when we’re finished. “?Qué bellezas!” he says, spinning us both in a circle.
I don’t know about Mila, but I wasn’t expecting to feel like a princess today.
The next stop is downtown for a little shopping. Rage absolutely loves watching Mila’s face light up when she finds something she likes.
“Mommy hasn’t picked out anything yet,” he says, dragging me into a women’s dress shop.
“Oh, I don’t need anything.”
“You need a dress.” Mila pushes me from behind into the store. Once we get inside, she spins in a circle, her new attire billowing around her legs.
Rage follows me around the store, telling me about the hearing yesterday.
“So, you can’t adopt her until notice has been given to her biological father?”
“Yeah, it’s standard procedure.”
“How long do you have to wait?”
“Since Cheyenne is his last known location, we have to post it in the newspaper once a week for three weeks. The final notification has to be at least twenty days before the final adoption hearing.”
“Are you worried he’ll come forward?”
His jaw clenches tight. “No.”
But I can tell there is a small part of him that is concerned. I stop what I’m doing and turn to face him. I curl my finger, beckoning him to come closer. “If he becomes a problem, we do whatever it takes,” I whisper. I back away a few inches so I can look him in the eye.
He nods, and I see the relief in his expression. The younger version of himself is worried we’ll have to run, and he’s comforted knowing I’ll go with him. The adult version is prepared for a fight. Mine too.
“I have a backup plan, but I don’t want to use it unless I have to.” He watches Mila duck under one of the clothing racks, hiding from us. “We’ll talk about it later,” he says, sneaking around the rows of dresses to play with his sister.
My heart squeals in delight at the fact he’s letting me in on his plans. It shows me he trusts me. I watch him chase a delighted Mila from her hiding spot. She’s trusting him more and more too. The three of us are slowly healing bit by bit.
“Can I help you find something?” the clerk asks me.
Reluctantly, I pull my eyes away from them to look at her. “No. Thank you, though. I’m just looking.”
She looks at Rage and then me, blushing. “Tell me word for word what you said to manifest your life,” she jokes, bumping her shoulder into mine.
I look back at Rage and Mila.
My life?
For the first time, I realize just how much it’s changed.