Chapter 22 #2
Without giving her an opportunity to respond, I bent and lifted Chloe into my arms. Then I carried her to my bedroom and delivered on my promise.
CHLOE
“I never thought this day would come.”
“Your son’s first birthday?” I asked, tearing my eyes away from the beautiful sight in front of me to look at Hawk’s sister.
I was here at her place, having arrived earlier with Hawk, and we were celebrating Gus’s birthday.
I hadn’t known what to expect coming here. There was no question I was excited about meeting Danica and being able to finally give Gus a squeeze. But I didn’t know how Hawk’s sister would take to me.
The initial introductions couldn’t have gone any better than they did.
After gushing over the cake I’d made for Gus, Danica opened her arms and wrapped me up in them, telling me how happy she was to finally meet me.
I was introduced to her husband, Isaac, as well as his sister, brother-in-law, and their children.
Plus, there were Isaac’s parents and grandparents, Joyce and Dale.
We’d all mingled for a bit, eventually having lunch together before singing to Gus and watching him delight in his smash cake.
And now, it was playtime. For Hawk and Gus, anyway. They were in the pool together, and my heart exploded at the sight of Hawk with his nephew. Gus was having the time of his life, but the look on Hawk’s face—unfettered happiness—stole my breath.
God, he was such a good guy. I was content sitting here on the lounger and watching him like this all day.
But it seemed Danica wanted to chat about what this day meant to her.
At my question about her son’s birthday, Danica laughed. “Oh, no. No, I knew that was coming, even if I wanted to do everything in my power to stop time. It amazes me how fast this last year has gone. I feel like I was just in the hospital giving birth to him.”
“I can imagine the time has flown by. But if you don’t mind me asking, what is it you didn’t think would happen?”
“You.”
“Me?”
A smile spread across her face as she nodded. “My brother gave up his life for me, and I was terrified he was never going to be happy again.”
My chest ached at the thought. “Well, he was certainly a little hesitant when I first came around.”
“I believe that,” she grumbled. “Even with all the things I did to repay him and give him back something he deserved, he was still stuck on believing he didn’t deserve a lifetime of happiness.”
Something she said struck me as strange. “What did you do to repay him?”
Danica tore her attention away from me and looked out at her brother and her son, playing in the pool. “Ten years, Chloe. He lost ten whole years of his life, and it weighed heavily on me every day that went by without him here.”
“Danica, I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine how difficult it must’ve been for you.”
“Thank you. But what I went through after he was arrested paled in comparison to all that he endured, all that he lost.” She let out a heavy sigh.
“I tried to heal myself, and I got the help I needed to get through what I went through. But there was this part of me that couldn’t heal. Even waiting for him wasn’t enough.”
I tipped my head to the side. “Waiting?”
“A couple of years after everything happened, I met Isaac. It took time for me to trust him, but Isaac was so good with me. So patient. And when he offered to go with me to visit Hawk, I knew he was the one. But I couldn’t get married without my brother.
So, Isaac and I were engaged for a long time.
I waited until Hawk was released so he could walk me down the aisle.
I thought he deserved to be there for that, especially after he’d missed so much of his life for me. ”
I offered a sympathetic smile and reached my hand out to cover hers. “I’m sure it meant the world to him to be able to do that for you. To be there on the most special day of your life. And now you have Gus, and Hawk has a nephew. I’ve never seen him so happy.”
She covered my hand with her opposite one.
“That’s just it, Chloe. I haven’t either.
Whenever he’s with Gus, Hawk is always in a good mood.
But what I’m seeing today is new. And I can’t tell you how happy, how relieved, I am to know that my brother finally found someone who might give him even just a fraction of the happiness he made it possible for me to have in my life.
I owe him the world, and I’d do anything to make him happy.
But this wasn’t something I could fix for him.
So, I have to say thank you for this. Thank you for not turning your back on him when you learned what happened.
Thank you for being exactly what he needed. ”
A lump formed in my throat. “Danica, you’re going to make me cry.”
“Hey, what’s going on over here?” Hawk interjected.
Danica and I both looked at him in the pool, Gus tucked tight to his side.
“It’s nothing. We’re fine,” Danica insisted.
He arched a brow. “If that’s the case, why do both of you have tears in your eyes?”
I pressed my lips together to stifle my laughter. Danica kept her mouth shut, too.
Hawk said, “Fine. Keep it to yourselves. But then you have to join us in the pool.”
Looking to my left, I said, “You heard the man.”
Danica laughed. “Yep. And fortunately, I don’t have to listen to him. But you should go in. Enjoy yourself.”
With that, I stood, stripped out of my shorts and tank top, and joined Hawk and Gus in the pool.
Hawk’s arm came around me. “You and my sister looked like you were getting along, sweetness.”
“We were. I like her a lot.”
“I’m glad.” He smiled, his voice dipping low. “Is everything okay? It looked intense.”
“It’s perfect.”
He touched his lips to mine. “Good.”
“Now, are you going to hog this baby all day, or do I get a chance to hold him?”
Hawk laughed. “Sorry. This guy’s my little buddy. I’m not used to having to share him whenever I’m here.”
“But you’re not here alone today, are you?”
He shook his head slowly. “No. But I think I better get used to sharing my nephew, because I don’t have plans of ever coming here alone again.”
I beamed at him.
Hawk smiled back.
Then he kissed my forehead before handing over Gus. And we spent the rest of the day having a wonderful time with Hawk’s family.