Chapter Thirty-One Sloane #2
Tears slipped down my cheeks, and without a word, everyone seemed to step back, giving the moment to us. Cameron circled to the other side of the bed and quietly took my hand, his fingers curling around mine in a gentle, grounding squeeze.
This moment, suspended in the tender calm of the recovery room, etched itself into my soul.
Our family felt perfectly complete, and everything was steeped in a joy so pure it seemed untouchable.
I knew, with a certainty that sank deep into my bones, that this would be my anchor—a memory I would return to again and again, a compass inscribed on my heart, its needle forever pointing me back to this peace.
Whatever the future held, I would always have this truth: that I was immeasurably blessed, and that here lay the foundation of a lifetime of happiness.
“Don’t go too far!” I called to three-year-old Nicholas as he tore across the playground. “Stay close to your sister!”
But the two of them only laughed, running hand in hand toward the mini slide as if the wind carried away my words.
“Relax,” Caroline said, stretching her legs out and leaning back against the bench’s backrest. We sat nearby, my eyes never leaving the kids as I watched closely. “Their cousins are with them. They’ll take care of the babies.” She paused, chuckling. “See? Jace is already running toward them.”
I laughed too, spotting Jace, Caroline’s eldest, sprinting across the playground and shouting for my kids to wait before climbing the slide. He was so protective of his family. Caroline had raised a good son.
Then I saw Anita and my mother making their way toward them, accompanied by Caroline’s other children, Aurel and Corvin. They moved together through the playground, laughter and chatter spilling into the air around them.
“Where’s Lina?” she asked. Our regular once-a-month family lunch was coming up in an hour, and we usually invited Lina, who never missed it.
She didn’t have much family of her own, so our gatherings were the closest thing she had.
This time, we had booked an Italian restaurant near the mall that Anita loved.
We had arrived early, so the kids could play in the outdoor playground first.
“Lunch date,” I said. “Out of town, apparently.”
“With Caleb or Gabriel?”
I laughed again. “She wouldn’t say.”
“I’m betting on Caleb,” Caroline mused. “He told me he had somewhere to be when I called about lunch this morning.”
“Who do you think is going to win? Caleb or Gabriel?”
“I hope it’s my brother,” Caroline said softly. “I really like Lina, and I’d love to see him bringing a partner to our family gatherings.”
“Caleb’s serious about her. He even gets his hair cut regularly now just because she said he looks better with it short.”
Caroline snorted. “That’s hilarious. Mom and I practically had to wrestle him into a chair just to get a trim.”
“But I know Gabriel is serious too,” I said. “He’s been working hard to win her over.”
Caroline chuckled. “Gabriel’s subtle and careful. My brother, on the other hand, is a shameless bulldozer. He doesn’t even try to hide it.”
I laughed. “So classic Caleb.”
From a distance, I saw Cameron running toward us, followed closely by Kent, Caroline’s husband. He was out of breath as he nudged me to the side to make room. “God, it’s so hard to find parking around here.”
Kent gave Caroline a gentle nudge, too, and soon the four of us were squeezed onto the single bench.
“Someone needs to lose weight here.” She looked at her husband pointedly, who just huffed in return. “We cannot all squeeze in here.”
“Just give me a minute,” Cameron said, glancing at our kids.
Nicholas was fixated on the small climbing structure, his little hands gripping the sides as he tried to hoist himself up.
His legs wobbled with each attempt, determination written all over his face.
Harper, already nine and taller, climbed the other structure easily, casting a smirk at her little brother. Nicholas frowned, frustrated.
“I’m going to help Nick climb that,” he said, then jumped up and jogged toward them.
“I’m going to join them,” I told Caroline before following Cameron.
“And I’m going to stay right here,” Caroline said, not moving an inch.
“Me too,” Kent added, settling in beside her.
We played at the park for another hour until it was time for our restaurant reservation.
We walked across the park toward the Italian spot, Cameron holding Harper’s hand while I carried Nicholas.
Our mothers and the older kids had already gone ahead, and Kent had arrived a few minutes earlier to ensure they hadn’t given away our table, as we were running a bit late.
Getting the kids to leave the playground had been a real struggle.
Cameron and Harper laughed the entire walk, teasing each other, with Harper giggling at the dry jokes her father made. I walked behind them, smiling and laughing along, when a sudden feeling prickled the back of my neck. Someone was watching.
I stopped, and Caroline, walking beside me, halted too.
I glanced to the right.
And then I saw her.
Evie.
She stood alone across the narrow street, only a few feet away. Her eyes flicked to me, to Nicholas, then to Cameron, and back to me. Our gazes locked, an unspoken tension stretching between us.
“Holy fuck, is that…” Caroline hissed, trailing off.
“Yes,” I whispered.
“What is she doing here?”
“Probably just a coincidence,” I said, forcing a calm I didn’t feel.
“What do you want me to do?” Caroline asked rapidly. “Should I say something to her? Make her go away?”
I shook my head slowly, still watching Evie, noticing her expression shift from surprise to hurt, then to sadness. “No need. Let’s just go.”
Cameron finally noticed we weren’t keeping up. He spun to the left and glanced at us. “What’s wrong, sweetheart? Come on.”
I quickly turned to him, forcing a bright smile. “Okay, coming!” I tightened my hold on Nicholas and started walking again. Caroline lingered a few steps behind, probably still glaring at Evie, before finally falling in beside me.
Cameron didn’t notice her.
I could still feel Evie’s gaze on my back as we stepped into the restaurant.
When the door closed behind me, a certainty I had felt since Cameron and I got back together settled even deeper into my bones: that chapter was closed, sealed forever, stronger than ever.
I let out a slow breath, feeling the weight of the past fall away. I was fully present, surrounded by the life I had chosen, the family I loved, and the happiness I had fought so hard to protect.
Nothing from before could reach me here.
And I whispered to myself, “I am happy. I am free.”