“Not until you’re one hundred percent.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I got out of the car.
As I walked up to my porch, I noticed a black vehicle idling at the end of the street. I didn’t panic, though; I knew that it was a security detail, courtesy of Kieran. The car had followed Lucian and me from the hospital.
I took in a deep breath as I stepped into the house, noting gratefully that my chest didn’t hurt from it.
I glanced at my phone, and my heart soared when I saw the time-Daniel would be back home soon. I’d missed my baby over the week I’d been in the hospital, and although Kieran assured me that he wasn’t aware of my injury, I couldn’t help but worry about him.
I went upstairs for a shower and a quick nap. Sooner than I’d expected, the doorbell rang through the house, and I rushed down the stairs to open it.
“Baby!” I gasped as Daniel threw himself at me, wrapping his arms around my waist.
I bit back a gasp as the force of his head colliding with my chest sent a jolt of pain through me.
He stiffened and immediately pulled away.
“Oh, my baby,” I whispered, cupping his face. “I missed you so much.”
His dark eyes roamed over my face, glancing pointedly at my chest. “You… you lost weight,” he said flatly.
I chuckled. “The training trip was rigorous, hon.”
He raised a brow, and in that moment, he looked so much like his father. His searching gaze was so intense, I had to force back the urge to squirm.
I waited for him to call bullshit. Although I was wearing a thick sweater that covered the bandages around my chest, Daniel was eerily perceptive, and I wouldn’t put it past him to somehow know the number of stitches the doctors had used to close the surgical wound or the serial number of the gun that had shot me.
But after another second of surveillance, he exhaled. “You need a home-cooked meal then.”
I smiled, nodding. “I know, I’ll get started on dinner right away-“
Daniel shook his head and stepped into the house, grabbing my hand as he pulled me along.
“No,” he declared. “I’m cooking for you.”
I let out a surprised laugh. “You are?”
He nodded and helped me sit on the island in the kitchen.
“Grandma taught me how to make egg-fried rice.”
“Did she now?”
He nodded, opening the fridge.
My smile was so wide, my jaw hurt as I watched Daniel move through the kitchen. I offered helpful tips like “Watch out for your fingers while you chop, hon,” or “Add some oil to the rice so it doesn’t boil over,” “That’s enough salt,” and “You have to keep stirring or it’ll burn.”
Each comment was met with an endearing sigh of exasperation that made me giggle.
Finally, he turned to me, two heaping plates of fried rice in his hands. I slipped my phone out and took a picture.
“Mom!” Daniel whined as I giggled, staring at the picture.
He came over to sit beside me, and I glanced at the huge mess he’d left behind-dishes piled high in the sink, vegetable peels, scraps, and eggshells littered all over the counter- and winced.
“Try it,” he nudged the plate towards me.
I lifted my fork and clinked it against his.
The first bite was… interesting.
The rice was mushy, the veggies were overcooked, the egg was burnt, and he’d added way too much salt and not enough soy sauce. Still, it was the best thing I’d ever tasted.
Daniel scrunched his face, glaring at the plate. “That is not how Grandma’s fried rice tasted.”
I smiled, swallowing another mouthful. “It’s delicious, hon.”
He rolled his eyes. “You don’t have to coddle me. You can tell me the truth.”
His words resonated within me, and aside from the quality of his fried rice, I remembered another truth he needed to hear.
I set my fork down and turned his stool so he was facing me, his legs tucked between mine.
“Speaking of truths…”
His eyes locked on mine expectantly, and a gnawing feeling stabbed at my chest. I had no idea how I would cope with Daniel being miles away from me. He was the only true love I had, and if he was gone…
The loneliness that loomed ahead of me rendered me temporarily mute.
“Mom?” Daniel placed a hand on mine, and I intertwined our fingers and squeezed.
As much as being apart from him for a while would hurt, losing him forever would destroy me more than a silver bullet ever could.
So I took a breath and forced a smile. “Here goes nothing.”
SERAPHINA’S POV
“So, baby, the thing is-“
“Is it about my vacation?”
I paused, blinking at Daniel. “What?”
He shrugged. “I’ve been on break from school for a week now, and Dad said I was going to go on a longer one with Grandma and Grandpa.”
“Oh…”
The tension eased out of my body. I wasn’t sure how I felt about Kieran beating me to break the news to Daniel, but I was relieved that I didn’t have to do it myself when I didn’t even know where to start.
“And… you’re okay with that?”
Daniel’s shoulder lifted in that careless way only children could manage. “I was worried about missing school, but Dad said I’ll have a private tutor so I won’t be behind when I come back.”
Kieran had thought of everything. I supposed my feelings were shifting towards gratitude.
Daniel raised our intertwined hands and pressed them to his chest. “Now that you’re back from your training…” His voice was suddenly small, his eyes wide and hopeful. “…will you come with me?”
My throat closed.
He rushed on before I could respond, words tumbling like waves: “Dad said it’s a really cool private island, and we can swim every day and learn to surf and barbecue on the beach and
“Oh, sweetheart.”
I leaned forward and kissed his forehead, taking in a shaky breath. “You don’t need to list all those things to make me go with you.”
“So…” His voice was shaky with anticipation. “You’ll come with?”
I closed my eyes tightly and willed the tears brimming not to fall. “No,” I choked out. “I can’t.”
I pulled back in time to see his face fall. “Why?”
My heart cracked at that one word, but I forced my voice steady, smoothing his wild curls. “I have to train harder, baby. To protect you.”
He sniffed. “But I’m the one who’s supposed to protect you.”
The dam broke. I gathered him close, squeezing my tears back before they soaked into his hair.
I made a smile as I held his face again. “I know, my love. But how amazing would it be if we could protect each other?”
He managed a small smile, and I took it as a victory. Then, he turned to his plate of fried rice and wrinkled his nose.
“Can we order pizza instead?”
***
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