I’d known it was coming.
Her head shook, and she bit down on her trembling bottom lip. “You know…I imagined what it might be like. When Richard found me, when he gave me a hope I’d long since stopped hoping for, when he’d promised he was going to get me out of there, I’d imagined coming back here, imagined what it would feel like to be her mother. To be reunited with this vacancy that has lived inside of me. But I know, Violet…I know looking at you two…hell, I knew from the second I saw you when David pulled you through that door. I knew that little girl was yours. Through and through. Wholly. And I would never steal that from you, and I would never steal that from her.”
“Lily.” It was a wheeze. A haggard breath of disbelief.
She squeezed my hand. “I mean it. This isn’t me taking the high road. This is me loving my child the best way that I can.”
“She knows she didn’t grow of me, Lily. Ever since she was a baby, I told her about my sister who loved her so much that she wanted to share her with me.”
I knew we’d have much more serious talks as she got older. But I’d needed Daisy to understand the love I was certain my sister had for her even though I didn’t know why she’d abandoned her.
Before I’d understood it’d been forced.
A tear streaked down her cheek. It glinted and glimmered in the last brilliant rays of the day.
“She’s our heart, Violet. And I won’t split her little heart in two. I’m going to be right here. Loving her as her aunt. As long as that’s okay with you?”
“Are you sure that’s what you want?”
Sniffling, she nodded. “I am.”
I looked at her through bleary eyes. “I missed you. Missed you so much.”
“I missed you, too.”
Lily grinned.
The tiniest flash of mischief in her eyes as she reached over and tugged at a lock of my hair.
“Hey,” I cried, laughing through the tears.
“Tell me you’re not still an old fuddy-duddy.”
“Fuddy-duddy? I’m pretty sure it’s you we need to be worried about.”
I grinned.
She smiled.
Soft and full of adoration. She sniffled and stood, looking at Richard who was pushing Daisy high. “She couldn’t ask for better parents.”
I gave her a fumbling nod of understanding.
She reached out. “Come on, no more crying. I’m ready to live.”
I let her help me to standing. I hugged her tight. Held on for dear life. “I can’t wait to see it.”
She nodded, squeezing tighter before she stepped back and wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. Then she turned to the beautiful sight that glowed beneath the rising moon. “Hey, Daisy. Why don’t you come with Auntie Lily and color a picture for Nana with me? I think she needs another one for her wall, don’t you?”
“Yes!” Daisy shouted. “That’s a great idea. I got new colors. You wanna see?”
“I sure do.”
Sensing she was getting ready to hop out of the swing like the daredevil she was, Richard slowed her, saying, “Whoa, there, flower girl. Slow your roll, wild child.”
Curling her nose, she tipped her head back to look at him where she still swayed on the swing. “Are you my boss?”
I thought it was some kind of tease.
He brushed his fingers through her hair. “What do you think?”
“Well, you gave my mommy a ring. I think that means you must be my dad.”
Richard looked over at Lily and me.
Lily smiled and she stepped away like she was departing from the scene.
Richard wavered before he dipped down and kissed Daisy’s head, and my heart nearly tripped out of my chest. “I’ll protect you with my whole life, Daisy. Love you. Warn you if you’re doin’ something that’s not safe and be there to encourage you through all the adventures you have in this amazing life.”
“That’s what daddies do, right?” She tipped back farther, squinting up at him.
He nodded. “Yeah, my sweet flower girl, that’s what daddies do.”
They stared for the longest time, me caught up in their moment.
Lost to it.
Swept away.
Forever falling.
Richard looked up at me like he felt me staring.
Daisy giggled. “Hey, Mommy, you better get over here, I think my daddy wants to give you one of those sloppy kind of kisses. The private kind,” she mock whispered to my sister.
She hopped off the swing and came barreling our way.
“Can we have popcorn, too, Auntie?”
Lily caught my eyes, gave me another soft smile, before she took Daisy’s hand. “I would love that. How about a movie so your mommy and daddy can talk for a little bit?”
“You mean kiss? You know they got all the amor, amor, amor.”
She waved an indulgent hand.
Spinning it.
Stirring it.
The love going round and round.
Shimmering in the air and filling our lungs.
Lily sent me a wink and they started up the porch steps, Daisy prattling on as they went inside.
Richard took a step forward.
“Come with me.”
I eased down the slope until he was taking my hand and leading me down the trail as darkness crept across the heavens.
He weaved us through the rows of flowers.
Roses and lilacs and lilies.
A field of violets.
A thicket of roses.
The crickets came to life and the soft sounds of the night began to sing.
Peace.
Hope.
Love.
Richard turned around, stopping to bring us face-to-face where flowering bushes grew up all around us.
“What are we doing?” I whispered.
Richard smirked and wrapped me in the strength of his strong arms. “I want to dance with the prettiest girl in the place.”
The smallest grin teased at the corner of my mouth. “I’d better not.”
“And why’s that?” he said with the slightest laugh.
He’d already started us into a slow sway.
“Because then you’re gonna think you can take me home, and I’d have to go and disappoint you because that’s not going to happen.”
I gave him the same line I’d given him that first night.
The night he’d made a liar out of me.
The night he’d stolen my breath and my body.
When he’d kissed me and
