AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You too, Kuunik. I can’t wait.” It hurt to breathe, but it also felt good. “I don’t want to keep you any longer. You should enjoy your time with Zara, but . . .”
“What do you need?”
Funny how he knew me so well that he’d ask such a thing.
“This feels awkward. I don’t remember everything from before, so I don’t know if I have even a penny to my name.” It was okay if I didn’t, but it was tough not knowing.
“You know I’ll help you any way I can.”
“I don’t want charity.”
“Jeez, Gravor. I thought you were dead. Do you know what a gift it is to know you’re alive? And it wouldn’t be charity. Don’t ever say that. We’re family.”
“I do appreciate it. I remember I was just about to start my career, open a restaurant.” Surely that meant I had some start-up funds.
“Do you remember that our parents left us everything they had?”
“Vaguely. Bits and pieces of my past are coming back, but it’s slow going, and sometimes, I can’t patch everything together.”
“Someone hurt you bad,” he growled.
I hadn’t wanted to share even that, not while he was away. “It’s over, and I’m okay. I’ve got some scars, but I survived and that’s all that matters.”
“It was that commune, right? You went down there, and I looked forever. I should’ve tried harder. I should’ve—”
“You did what I would’ve and that’s enough.”
“Gravor,” he sighed. “I love you, kid.”
My laugh snorted out. “Not a kid any longer.” I was a hardened, scarred shifter who wasn’t sure he had everything put together yet, though he was getting there.
“I’ll kill them,” he snarled.
“No need to. Took care of that myself.”
“Good.” Grim satisfaction came through in his voice. “As for remembering, give yourself time. Be patient with yourself. When you’re ready, you’ll remember it all.”
“I’ll be patient.” I’d had to be over the past five years, or I would’ve gone out of my mind.
“And don’t worry a bit about money. Mom and Dad made sure we were set for life.” He rattled off a series of numbers, and I noted them in my mind. “That’ll get you through the lock on my front door. In the library on the right, off the entry, you’ll find a big desk. You might remember it from when we lived with Mom and Dad. It was our great-grandfather’s, and it’s returned to its original home. Anyway. In the top desk drawer, and it’s not locked, you’ll find a debit card with your name on it.” He gave me the code. “The money’s yours, so you can take all you want. I never gave up hope that I’d find you, kid. I invested your share, and it’s more than tripled over the past five years. Your name’s on the accounts already, and we’ll take mine off when I get home. Rest assured; you’ve got enough that you’ll never be able to spend it all.”
“Thank you.” I was humbled. “I can’t believe you did that for me.” That he’d never given up hope.
I hadn’t myself, though there were times when it felt just too hard to keep trying. Now I was grateful I had.
“In my heart, I didn’t want to believe you were dead,” Kuunik said. “The world thought you were, but deep inside me, hope still remained. You’d do the same for me.”
“I would. Love you, Kuunik. Enjoy the rest of your honeymoon, and when you get back, we’re going to celebrate.”
“I can’t wait.”
After we ended the call, I sat on the deck for a long time, staring at the lawn that would soon need mowing—I’d take care of it tomorrow—and the woods and mountains beyond the edge of the town. So pretty. Perfect, actually.
I shed a few tears.
And I continued to heal.
Chapter 19
