Page 10 of Forever We Embrace: The Later Years
“I was doing work.”
“You can work after dinner.”
Samuel considers that, then climbs into Luther’s lap instead.
Grayson appears in the den with a kitchen towel over one shoulder and waits until Luca looks up from where Samuel has pulled him onto the rug. “Nicholas called the house looking for you. Two of the survivor-run groups agreed to review the expansion plan, and he found three smaller donors willing to discuss recurring support.”
Luca shifts Samuel more securely into his lap. “Did he send Blossom the names?”
“He sent both of you the full list. Nothing is settled, but the groups want to speak with you this week.” Grayson rests his hand briefly on Luca’s shoulder. “Nicholas thinks spreading the funding across several sources will keep any one donor from gaining too much influence.”
Luca nods, his attention already turning inward as he considers it. “That gives us somewhere to start.”
I watch the relief pass through him, small enough that the children don’t notice it. The funding conversation still isn’t finished, but Nicholas’s plan gives Luca something concrete to carry into it when we speak again.
Grayson turns toward the dining room. “Dinner’s ready.”
Rosalie moves before any of us can stand. She steps in front of the doorway with a wedding magazine held against her chest and waits until Luther stops trying to guide the boys around her.
“We didn’t finish the cake.”
She opens the magazine to a white tiered cake, then takes one of James’s toy dragons from the rug and places it on the page. “It needs pink dragons. They need pink fire too.”
Luther bends enough to inspect the picture over her shoulder. “All of them?”
Rosalie nods and moves the dragon to the top tier. “One up here and more on the sides. If a grown-up says no, they can’t help plan anymore.”
Her gaze moves around the room until Grayson agrees first, followed by Luca and Blake. Luther raises both hands in surrender while James begins choosing which of his dragons can be painted. Samuel asks whether one can breathe blue fire, but Rosalie refuses before he finishes.
I reopen the cookie log and add pink dragons and pink fire beneath the chart. Rosalie watches until I finish typing, then takes my hand and leads me toward dinner, leaving the sticker beside the title and the day’s numbers completely useless.
6
Grayson
I track the house by its sounds. I know when Blake’s cane catches on the rug in the hallway, and I know when Luca stops breathing for a few seconds because he’s looking at a bill he didn’t expect.
I pull a tray of vegetables from the oven and glance toward the legal pad tucked behind the flour jar. I started the list after Victor called Luther and sounded less controlled than usual. Since then, I’ve written down only what I know happened, without trying to explain any of it.
March 12: Victor called Luther about “transitional opportunities” and asked whether Blake had resumed his full schedule. Luther said Victor sounded pressured.
March 14: Luca mentioned that Josie had asked about the legal danger faced by Omegas who had their bites removed and the packs that supported them.
March 15: Luca closed the expansion estimate when Maceo entered the room and changed the subject before Maceo could ask about it.
None of the entries belongs beside the others for any reason I can prove. I write them down because too many details have disappeared beneath ordinary days when I trusted myself to remember them later.
The kitchen door opens, and Blake comes in wearing his charcoal suit. He doesn’t reach for the coffee. He walks to the island and leans against it with both palms flat on the counter.
“Victor again?”
Blake keeps his eyes on the marble. “He wants the board to begin discussing executive wellness standards. Nothing formal yet. He spent ten minutes asking whether I’ve resumed my full schedule and whether Maceo’s role is temporary.”
“He’s testing how far he can push the health issue.”
“He’s testing whether anyone else will repeat it for him.” Blake finally looks at me. “He didn’t sound confident. He sounded prepared.”
I move beside him without touching him, close enough that he can reach for me if he wants to. His fingers flex once against the counter before he turns his hand toward mine.
