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I don’t care that it was through Dad’s evil that brought Hunter and me together.
Hunter is the only good thing to come out of this nightmare. He is the cloud with the silver lining.
He’s my something good and my symbol of hope in a dark time when I would have lost everything.
Layla and I are sitting together in the living room eating ice cream.
We’ve already had way too much, but Paige just served us another bowl mixed with hot brownies.
Hunter insisted that Layla stay with us until she was comfortable enough to go home. He didn’t think she should be by herself in the aftermath of our father’s expose and everything else she’s been through.
We’ve been taking care of her, and things have been easier to cope with by having her here.
When Emily visits, it almost feels like old times.
Ryan has also come to see us, which was nice of him. Thankfully, his internship wasn’t impacted by Dad’s departure from the senate office.
I’m even more grateful that Hunter has kept us out of the media.
The press have put Dad and Kimberly on blast, but we’ve been excluded.
Apart from the details of what happened that night at the rally, our names aren’t anywhere to be found in relation to what followed after the expose.
As today is Saturday, Layla and I spent the day together. We went to Mom’s grave to leave her some flowers, then hung out at the same park she used to take us until we came back here.
Layla sits up and pushes her ponytail over her shoulder.
“So, I’ve been thinking,” she says, starting the sentence in her habitual way.
I giggle because I missed that so damn much. “What have you been thinking?”
“I’m still due a yoga retreat.” She flicks her palms over.
“Oh God. Layla, I don’t even want to hear that word—yoga.”
“Hey, that’s not fair. Yoga didn’t do anything to us.”
“Are you going to tell me you’re heading off again?”
“Yes, but I want to take you with me.”
I smile, loving that idea. “Are you serious? You’d take me with you?”
“Yes. But this would just be for two weeks at the same place in the Maldives. I don’t think that husband of yours would like me taking you away for any longer.”
I chuckle. “Probably not.”
“So, are you in?”
I nod before she can finish the question. “I’m in.”
“Yayyy! It’s going to be so much fun.” She claps excitedly.
“I think we need something like that.”
“I agree. And it’s my job to try and relieve some of the grief we’ve experienced over the last few weeks. And years.” She stares back at me with reflection. “I know I haven’t been there for you as much as I should have, and there’s no excuse.”
“It’s okay.”
