Lainey
“You’re not running away from me, are you?”
Lachlan’s arms slipped around my waist as he pressed a kiss just under my ear. The stubble on his face was prickly and tickled against my skin, making me laugh.
“Why would you think that?”
“Didn’t like waking up and not having you there with me. Is this little guy to blame?”
“Yeah. He woke up and didn’t want to go back to sleep. So we came downstairs and started on breakfast.”
Lachlan leaned over and kissed the top of Reid’s head. He was happy as a clam snuggled against my chest as I moved around the kitchen. I finally got a look at Lachlan as he stepped back, and every thought I had of finishing breakfast went out the window.
“Do I have something on my face?” he had the audacity to ask as he stood in front of me, black joggers slung low across his hips, with nothing on his chest except for the little gold chain around his neck.
“I…” I stepped toward him, my hand coming up to trace along the tattoo on his shoulder. “God, I think I need to rain check the plans with my sister this morning. How am I ever supposed to leave when you’re walking around the house looking like…this.”
“Now you know how I’ve felt all this time,” Lachlan teased. But I knew that wasn’t true. I’d been hugely pregnant, and then all these weeks of postpartum life…
“Not all this time,” I scoffed.
Lachlan put his hand on Reid’s back before sliding it down to my belly. “I meant what I said. All this time, Lain. You were fucking gorgeous when he was in your belly, and you’re fucking gorgeous now.”
My body tingled, a hot wave of emotion rolled through me, from my head to my toes, healing another part of me that I thought would be broken forever.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“You don’t have to thank me for telling the truth.”
I stood on my tiptoes, turning so I wouldn’t crush the baby between us, and kissed him.
“Well, this is turning out to be a fantastic morning.” He laughed. “What are you and Birdie doing today?”
“We’re going over some of the details for the safe house. To get it ready for moving in.”
“What?” Lachlan’s face fell.
“No! No,” I said, understanding immediately what he thought.
“Not for me. Not for us. For whoever applies. Birdie has some big donor lined up today for a tour, and she wanted my opinion on some of the finishing touches. She also wants me to speak to how important of a project I think it is…because of my…history.”
“Do you want me to be there?”
“Of course I do,” I answered as I turned back to the apple I was slicing for some fruit salad. “But…I need some time alone with my sister. I need to—I want to—say some things that I’ve always needed to say to her. And it just needs to be the two of us there when I do.”
Lachlan nodded as the timer went off for the oven.
“I understand. You won’t be gone too long, will you?”
“Just long enough for you to miss me,” I teased.
“Trouble, I’ll start missing you the second you walk out the door.”
“I’m so nervous!” I watched my sister flit around the living room of the safe house. “No, Nate. It needs to be between the sofas, but more toward the TV stand. I know we don’t have everything in place, but I was hoping it would look more put together by the time Ms. Delong got here.”
“Birdie, you gotta chill.” Nate laughed as he moved the coffee table for the third time. I hadn’t realized he would be here, but Birdie needed him to work on the garage door install, and I guess this morning was the only free time he had.
I laughed to myself, knowing the poor guy wasn’t about to finish whatever he’d been fiddling with out in the garage because Birdie was on a war path.
“I know, I know. I just…Do you think she’ll like it?” Birdie asked as she fixed the pillows on the sofa.
“This place is incredible,” I said. “I bet she will love it and want to donate. What time was she supposed to get here?”
Birdie took her phone out of her pocket and smiled. “Look at this picture of Juniper and Beau. Gosh, she’s getting so big.”
“Focus…” Nate smirked as he crossed his arms.
“Right! Oh God, she’ll be here in thirty minutes.”
“Shoot,” Nate groaned. “That means I’m already running late for work.”
“Go, go! Lainey and I have this covered. And I’ll let you know how it goes,” Birdie said.
“I’m wearing my lucky socks, and I’ve got my fingers crossed.” Nate lifted his hands to show us. “Remember the talking points.”
“I could recite them backwards if I needed to!”
“Kick ass, ladies…and little guy! Looking forward to the update text. See you guys later.”
“Bye, Nate,” I said, watching him slip on his boots before heading out the door.
“Oh!” he called back to us. “If you go into the garage, remember to keep the door into the house open. That handle has been sticking, and you won’t be able to open the garage door to get out until I come back and finish installing the opener.”
“We got it!” Birdie smiled as she waved. “Go! Don’t give Colt a reason to give you shit for showing up late!”
The front door clicked, and I turned to my sister.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, stepping closer to me.
“How do you know anything is wrong?”
“Your face fell as soon as the door shut, and you sucked in a big breath like you’re nervous about something. Is it Lachlan? Did things not go well last night?”
“No. Everything last night was…so perfect. I love him, Birdie. I really love him. And for the first time in my life, I’ve found someone who loves me, too. The way someone is supposed to be loved. It’s kind, and warm, and feels so safe.”
Her arms wrapped around me. “I’m so happy for you. For the both of you.” She laughed. “All three of you!”
“I’m so happy, too.” I bit the inside of my cheek, hoping to stop the surge of emotions I could feel getting ready to break through. “But I need to tell you something, and I just want you to hear me before you say anything.”
“Okay. Here, why don’t we sit? Do you want me to take Reid for you?”
I shook my head as we made our way to the sofa. “No. He’s asleep, and he’s been taking longer naps if he stays in the carrier.”
Birdie smiled, her hand landing on my knee. “Whatever you have to tell me, you can just say it when you’re ready.”
My mouth was suddenly so dry I almost started coughing.
“I’m sorry. That’s what I need to tell you.
I’m sorry that it’s taken me twenty-eight years to become strong enough to stand on my own two feet.
That I let our parents leaving us become something that scarred me so deeply I lashed out at you.
For years. I’ve been a terrible sister, and you never deserved any of my anger.
You were…” I cleared my throat, but it didn’t stop the tears from welling in my eyes.
“You are the best big sister. You’ve been the best mom to me.
I look at Juniper and just am in awe of how lucky she is to get to grow up with you as her mother.
You stepped into an impossible situation by raising me, and I always knew you’d have my back.
Even now, I never doubt it. And Juniper will have that, too.
I’m sorry that you had the burden of looking after such an ungrateful little sister for so long.
And I’m going to figure out a way to show you I’ve changed. ”
“I love you, Lainey.” Birdie grabbed onto my hands and squeezed.
“You were never a burden. You were my first baby. You’ll always be everything to me.
And I’m so sorry I didn’t have the tools or the resources when you were growing up to help you process everything that had happened. But I’m never walking away from you.”
“You were growing up, too, though. It should never have been all on your shoulders.”
“There are so many things I would do differently now, but I just didn’t know better back then. And I was scared that someone would separate us. I’m sorry I didn’t do more to get us into a better situation.”
“No. Don’t apologize. Everything good, every happy memory I have from growing up, is because of you. You should feel so proud of how well you did.”
“You know what I’m so proud of? I’m so proud of the woman sitting here with me today.”
“I love you, Birdie.”
“I love you, too, Lainey.”
The tears kept coming as we embraced each other, but I felt lighter than I had in years. I heard the front door open, heavy boots resting against the floor as my sister pulled away.
“Hey, there are my girls!” Daniel walked into the house, smiling. “And one of my very handsome grandsons.”
I stood, wiping the tears away from my eyes.
“Uh oh, what happened? Why are you both crying?” He swiped his finger over Reid’s cheek before pressing a kiss into my temple. “Lach’s not having a bad day, is he?”
“No,” I answered, my face pulling tight at his question. “Why?”
“Well, it’s not like him to let the two of you out of his sight. Especially if you’re upset.”
“Not upset.” I laughed. “Just happy sister stuff.”
“Okay,” Danny’s eyes narrowed like he didn’t believe me.
“The guys not being here is my fault.” Birdie laughed. “I vetoed Beau tagging along.”
“And I vetoed Lach.” I smiled at my sister. “Told him to stay back so we could have sister time.”
“Ah, I see. Makes sense now why those two knuckleheads were together when I called Beau.” Danny walked over to Birdie, giving her the same greeting he’d just given me.
Warmth bloomed in my chest. I’d never had a dad in my life, and I was always jealous of the relationship Birdie had with the Fords.
But life still brought me here. To a family who welcomed me with all my baggage and didn’t ask me to hide it away.
They embraced it. Embraced me. Daniel and Dolly welcomed me like I was always meant to be their child…
and that was something so unexpected and so beautiful.
“Lain? You okay?” Birdie asked.
“Oh yeah,” I choked out. “Sorry. I’m fine. This place is just really coming along.”
“I know. I planned to put all these special little touches in here for you and Reid—”
“You’re moving out of Lach’s place?” Danny asked, his entire body going stiff.