Chapter 146
Chapter One Hundred-Forty-Six
Robin
Four Months Later
It’s the last day of the year, and somehow, Falcon has managed to pull off the impossible.
He got the keys to our new house. We weren’t supposed to move in until tomorrow, but I told him that would be a day too late for tonight’s celebration, and he moved heaven and earth to make sure I could host a party for my mom’s birthday tonight inside our new home.
Ever since she told me about her birthday, I’ve been thinking about making it special for her.
Cressidan Grove is the closest suburb to Cressidan City, and the house has an amazing garden, with a two-bedroom guest house out back that will be perfect for my mom and sister.
The academy has been great for the last few months.
We’ve spent a lot of time together.
But I can tell my mom would like a little more space.
She’s not used to being around people all the time.
The separate house feels like the ideal solution.
She’ll get to have her own space, but she’ll be a few steps away from our home whenever we want to see each other. It’s perfect. And tonight is the perfect time to introduce her to our new home.
I get out to the house with my mates at four p.m. and we spend an hour decorating, and a couple of hours having some private time, before we send Falcon to pick up Mom and Luna.
My little sister is still tiny, but she can walk now.
At ten months old, she’s a wild child.
Always getting into everything.
And always getting her way.
Like it should be.
I’m not due to have my first tiny terror until the beginning of June, but I can hardly wait.
I don’t know which of my mates are more excited.
Harper talks about it the most, because he’s Harper.
Shayne is always worrying about how much rest I’m getting and how many vitamins I need.
Falcon has bought everything we’ll ever need for the kid and he’s still more than five months away from arriving. It’s been gradually filling up an empty suite at the academy since we first went shopping for Luna.
But I think maybe Jay is the most looking forward to being a dad, just by the proud looks he’s always giving my sister for hitting her milestones or for smiling when he pulls silly faces at her.
“It’s weird, I’m kind of nervous,” I admit, as I put on the underwear that looks best under the silver party dress Harper bought for me. He’s one hell of a personal stylist, and he’s also become an online sensation for posting videos of the classic rock songs he plays on his violin.
“About what?” Harper asks from in front of the closet.
We brought our party clothes along and hung them up so they wouldn’t get crushed.
We also brought bedsheets for the bed Falcon managed to get delivered within an hour of getting the keys, as well as party decorations and food.
Everything else is going to have to wait a couple of weeks for our next fortnight off work.
“My mom. Tonight. I feel like she wants her own space, but what if I’m wrong?”
He laughs. “Robin, for one thing you’re never wrong. For another, your mom is going to love it. That guest house is bigger than the apartment we had in Silver Valley. It’s gorgeous. And it’s only three feet away from where we are.”
He moves over to me, only wearing his pants so far, and puts his arms around me from behind.
“You worry too much. She’s going to love it.”
“Really?” I ask.
“Really. The party’s going to be great, and I guarantee she’ll love the house. If she doesn’t love it, I’ll move out there and she can live in here with the rest of you, okay?”
I laugh. “Don’t say that.”
He shrugs, kisses my shoulder and goes back to the closet.
I pull on the dress and move back over to him.
“Zip me up, please.”
I turn around and scoop my hair up to keep it out of the way.
He zips me up.
I let my hair fall back down, and I go slip into the pair of flat silver sandals that match.
Harper did get me to try heels, but I had a hard time getting used to them and gave up.
He’s staring at me now, instead of getting dressed.
I look back at him. “They’ll be here soon, Harper.”
“I’ll be down in a few minutes,” he promises.
I leave the room, going down the stairs to the living room.
It’s all kind of sparse without real furniture, but the wooden floors are gorgeous.
The patio furniture we brought in from the garden is nice enough that it doesn’t look too crazy inside the house. There are enough chairs for everyone, and tables for the plates of food.
Shayne has his phone hooked up to a speaker for party music, and I had Chef Pierre make the cake after Rob confirmed he’d been checked for brainwashing. It’s kind of hard not to be paranoid about that now.
“Oh, no,” I mutter, realizing I forgot the single most important thing.
Jay steps out of the kitchen with a stack of red cups and a big glass bottle of fizzy water.
“What’s wrong?” he asks, as he puts the cups and water down on one of the tables.
“I meant to bring a clock. We can’t have a countdown without one.”
“We could use my phone?” he suggests.
I press my lips together. “I guess.”
“Or, if Shayne can get a radio station on his phone, we could switch to that near midnight. They’ll do a countdown for us.” He heads back to the kitchen. “I’ll ask.”
“Great.” I nod, looking around at the decorations and hoping everything is nice enough.
Shayne steps out of the kitchen. “I hear a car. I think they might be here.”
He looks so good in the basic white shirt and black pants combo. I know all men look good in suits and formal wear, but it’s also just Shayne’s kind of style.
“That dress is amazing,” he murmurs, taking my hand in his and kissing it before moving past me.
“You can thank Harper for picking it.”
“Did I hear my name?” Harper calls out on his way down the stairs.
“They’re here,” Shayne calls from the window by the door.
He opens the door, and Harper steps into the living room wearing a silver shirt that matches my dress, with his black pants and jacket.
Jay comes back from the kitchen, and I notice he’s looking good in a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up.
He’s not really the type for formal wear, probably because it doesn’t fit well over those thick arm muscles, but he found one that suits his body type somewhere.
My mom steps into the house, wearing flats and a burgundy dress, her blonde hair pinned back in a style I know Katie can do so well. Everyone I love had a hand in getting this surprise prepared for tonight.
She smiles at me. “Robin, what is all this?”
“We have a surprise for you.”
She comes toward me and looks at my hand. “Hm. No ring?”
Harper laughs. “I told you that’s what she would think.”
“And I told you guys, we’re already family. We don’t have to get married to be Pack Falcone.”
The marks on my throat are symbol enough that I’m never leaving these guys.
“Yeah, but you’d look good in a wedding dress,” Harper goes on.
“Enough,” I tell him, giving him a look. “Tonight isn’t about me.”
“Then, what is it about?” my mom asks.
“It’s about this.” I gesture around me.
She looks at the furniture and the food.
Falcon comes in from outside with Luna in his arms.
He probably let her play with the windchimes.
She’s always making everyone stop so she can touch things.
I smile at him. He looks so good in dad-mode. They all do.
“Stop letting the cold air in,” Jay tells him, heading over to shut the door.
“It’s not that cold,” Falcon protests. “Anyway, Luna wanted to look at the moon. It’s a full moon tonight. She was fascinated. Weren’t you, sweetheart?”
“Moon,” she babbles, waving her hand at me.
“It’s kind of like she knows it’s her name,” I tell him.
“It’s exactly that,” Jay says, coming back to put an arm around me.
“So, are we breaking the good news, or are we keeping your poor mother in suspense?” Falcon asks.
“Oh, please do break the news,” my mom says. “I’m starting to wonder if you’ve found out you’re having twins.”
“Not for lack of trying,” Harper blurts.
Everyone laughs, including Luna.
“The news is this place. We bought a house. This one.”
My mom blinks and looks around. “Oh … Well, that makes sense. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it. Congratulations! I’m so happy for you.”
She comes over and hugs me.
“I just know you’ll be so happy here,” she says, as she moves back. “It’s such a nice place to raise a family.”
“I know,” I start. “That’s why we bought it.”
I nod to Jay, and he hits the back yard lights.
“There’s a second part to this surprise.” I take her hand, and Jay and Shayne open the patio doors.
She gives me a curious look as she follows me outside.
“The house came with an extra house,” I say, gesturing across the yard. “See? Bonus house. I thought it would be nice if you and Luna lived close to us, and then we found this place.”
I look at her, and she has her hands over her mouth.
She’s tearing up.
“Oh, no. Mom, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
I put my arm around her. She shakes her head and wipes at her eyes.
“No, you don’t understand,” she explains.
“I thought … I thought you were telling me you were moving out here and leaving Luna and I at the academy. That’s what I’ve been afraid of.
I know it’s stupid, but I just … I’m just so happy that you’ve done this.
You have no idea what this means to me. I love you, Robin. So, so much.”
Now, I’m the one tearing up as she hugs me and cries a little on my shoulder, happy tears.
“I love you too, Mom. Now let’s go celebrate your birthday.”
“That’s tomorrow,” she reminds me as she steps back.
“I know, but this is New Year’s Eve, which means there’s a midnight countdown to the most special day of the year. Which just so happens to be tomorrow.”
She smiles so brightly that I can’t help but be thankful for everything that happened to eventually bring us back together.
Fate can be cruel, sometimes, but after this last year, I believe some things are destined to be.
Me and my mates, of course. My mom, and my little sister finding their way back to me. My friends at the academy. And all the children I’m going to have with my mates.
Those things are all worth fighting for.
They’re what makes it all worth it.