Page 73 of Redemption
And yet I understand why he must go. If what he knows about DuFort is truly correct, then there’s a chance the man will never stop searching for us. And now, after this week, I know that there is absolutely no possibility that Lachlan will allow his past to taint his daughter’s future.
He might have committed many crimes according to the laws of men, but he is more honorable than the man with the badge who hunts him.
He will not sacrifice this fresh start to save himself. There’s no way Lachlan will ever risk his family’s heritage and reputation being entangled with his own dark legacy.
I can’t help but love him even more for that, which makes the goodbye that I know is coming even more heartbreaking to contemplate. This is why I’ve pushed it out of my mind for seven days straight. This is why I’ve soaked up every moment. Because I might never see my husband again.
He hasn’t said it, but I know that I’m not allowed to come after him. I’m not allowed to try to save him if something goes wrong. I can’t. My job is to safeguard our daughter’s life and her future. That’s what matters most to my husband—along with my own safety—and I understand and agree.
When we brought this innocent life into this world, my entire existence and purpose changed. Life was no longer about me. It became about her.
But still, there’s a part of me that wants to scream and cry and rail at the thought of giving up the beauty we’ve just been given. I want this life. I want this happiness.
We’ve just found it, and I want to keep it forever. But that decision is out of my hands.
Tomorrow morning, at daybreak, my husband is leaving, and I might never see him again. He watched me all through dinner, pushing food around my plate, unable to swallow many bites. I know I’m not the only one.
Marco, Alessandro, Francesca, and Lachlan have kept the conversation lively and light, but I have been lost in my thoughts and participated very little.
I think they all understand. We all know what’s coming next—the most difficult goodbyes of our collective lives. I surrender to the inevitability, knowing that there’s nothing I can do to change anything that’s coming. It’s in God’s hands and not mine.
Please protect him. Please bring him back to me safely. Please. Please. Please.
“Does anyone want dessert?” Francesca asks, a sweet smile on her face as she looks around the table.
“Life is short. Let’s appreciate every taste of it while we can,” Alessandro replies with a grin.
How they’ve handled this week—getting their son back and knowing they could lose him just as quickly—has been absolutely valiant. I don’t know how they’ve done it, but I’ve tried to emulate their attitude. It has made it easier, but I know tonight won’t be.
How do you say goodbye to the love of your life?
“Lachlan Mount has to die,” is what he told me when I asked what his plan was. “It’s the only way to protect the family and Rory’s future. And when he dies, I’m taking every corrupt official down with him.”
I know he has a dead man’s switch. I don’t really know what that means though. But tonight, I’m getting all my answers. It might be my very last chance.
Dessert passes quickly, and the light sponge cake, loaded with berries, looks divine, but my taste buds register nothing.
Stop this, Keira. Stop it. He’s right here. He hasn’t left. Don’t let this moment slip away because you’re so afraid of what could happen when he leaves. Don’t do that to yourself or to him. Don’t let this moment be darkened by the fear of grief. It’s not worth it. Don’t give yourself anything else to regret.
As if by some miracle, the berries in my mouth burst with flavor, and their sweetness floods my senses.
There you go. Come back to life. Be here now.
It takes all the strength that I have to shift my focus and be with what’s happening rather than staying lost in my thoughts. I could have an entire lifetime for that. The reminder makes it easier to shake off the pall of gray that has colored my evening.
As if noticing the change in me instantly, Lachlan reaches over and squeezes my hand.
“It’s going to be okay,” he says quietly over Aurora’s head. “Don’t give up on me yet, Hellion.”
Emotion rushes through me, and I can’t stop the tears that form in my eyes.
“I’m so grateful we had this week,” I say loud enough for everyone at the table to hear me. “It’s been absolutely and truly incredible. I love you all. Thank you for being so wonderful to us.”
“The joy and the gift have been shared by all,” Alessandro says. “We could not have imagined a more perfect homecoming.”
“And the second homecoming will be even more beautiful,” Francesca adds with a sage expression. “I know we are all thinking the same thing—that this could be it. But I do not believe it. God has blessed us so magnanimously that I cannot imagine it will not continue. Do not lose hope, Keira. Do not let your faith waver. We are not done.”
“Marco will go with you, my son,” Alessandro says as a decree.
