Page 121 of When the Day is Done
He blinks, momentarily at a loss, before straightening as if this is his moment to shine. “Exactly. Tactical genius if you ask me.”
“Doesn’t get much better than this, eh?” Knox’s voice booms from the grill, where he’s flipping burgers.
“No, it doesn’t,” Aidan says, his voice filledwith quiet conviction. “You did this, you know,” he whispers in my ear. “Made it all feel like home.”
I glance up at him, my voice cracking just a bit. “We both did.”
“Maybe. But you’re the heart of it.”
I don’t get the chance to respond because kids come running toward us, both of them giggling and breathless. “Mummy! Daddy! Did you see? I almost caught Isla this time!” Noah exclaims, his little chest puffed out with pride, his eyes sparkling like he’s just won the biggest race of his life.
“Almost, buddy,” Aidan says, ruffling Noah’s hair. “Keep at it, and you’ll catch her soon enough.”
He beams at the encouragement as Isla grabs his hand, tugging him back toward the chaos. “Come on, Noah! We have to hide before Keira and Maisie find us!” she calls over her shoulder, her determination as fierce as ever.
I watch them disappear around the corner of the house, my heart swelling with that familiar mixture of pride and disbelief that these little humans are mine. For a moment, I let myself think about the kids we’d hoped for along the way. We’ve tried for more, but it hasn’t been in the cards for us. I believe Noah came along exactly when he was supposed to, and maybe he was all that was meant to be. I’ve made peace with that.
“Remember when you were convinced you’d be terrible at this?” I nod toward where the kids have vanished.
He chuckles, the sound vibrating through his chest where I’m leaning against him. “I still am some days. Then Noah does something that reminds me so much of you, or Isla looks at me like I hung the moon, and I think maybe I’m not completely cocking it up.”
“Not completely,” I agree with a grin.
Emily appears around the side of the house, carrying a pitcher of lemonade. The sight of her no longer makes mystomach twist the way it used to. Time has a way of smoothing the sharpest edges, and while we’ll never be best friends, we’ve found our footing. She comes to family gatherings now, arrives with thoughtful gifts for Noah, and meets my gaze with something close to respect.
She catches my eye and gives a small nod. “Where should I put this?”
“On the table by Knox would be perfect,” I tell her. “Thank you.”
As she walks away, Aidan’s arm tightens almost imperceptibly around my waist. Some habits die hard, I guess.
I tilt my head to look up at him. “You okay?”
He nods, pressing another kiss to my temple. “Better than okay.” His eyes follow Emily for just a moment before returning to me. “Just thinking about how far we’ve come.”
I know what he means. There were days I wasn’t sure we’d ever reach this place where Isla could have all of us in her life without feeling torn. It took work. Painful, exhausting effort that sometimes felt impossible.
And yet…here we are. Isla’s laughter rings across the yard as Noah and the twins tumble after her, little feet kicking up dirt. My brothers and their wives—the people who’ve become my anchors—are caught up in their own laughter, voices carrying through the summer air. Even Emily is smiling.
At the end of the day, with Aidan beside me and our children filling our world with so much joy, this, right here, is everything I ever dreamed of.
