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It was cold, but he only wore a pair of pants, his arms folded.
After opening the door, she climbed out and walked toward the house.
“Is he here?” Tabitha asked.
“He is.” Devil embraced her in a hug. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Really.”
“If you want me to keep him out of the house, I will,” Devil said. “He already took you without your permission. You get to decide when he meets Nathan.”
She glanced back, seeing a scowl on Simon’s face.
He would fight his father if he had to.
Not today.
She wasn’t going to get between family, nor was she going to allow this to happen.
“No, it’s fine. I want Simon to meet him. It’ll be good for the both of them.” She hoped.
Brushing past Devil, she stepped into the house and smiled as her name was called.
“Mommy!”
So it wasn’t her actual name, but she bent down as Nathan came barreling toward her, throwing himself into her arms.
“I missed you so much, but Grandpa Devil and Grandma Lexie showed me how to ride a bike.”
“They did?” She looked up to see Lexie smiling.
“Not a bike with an engine. A normal bicycle.”
“I’m good, Mommy. At first, I kept falling down and then I didn’t stop. No, I didn’t. I kept on going. I knew my mommy would want to see. Do you want to see? Do you?”
She laughed. “Of course I do. It’s so awesome you can ride a bike. I guess that’s what you’re asking Santa for this year?”
His eyes went wide. “I could. Couldn’t I?”
Pulling him in close, she pressed her nose against his neck. Damn, she’d missed him so much.
Simon cleared his throat and she glanced behind him.
Fuck!
How could she introduce him?
Did he want to see the answer to the test that was still back in Fort Wills?
She hadn’t exactly thought this one through.
Not even a little bit.
Fuck. Shit. Fuck.
“Er, actually, before you show me just how amazing you are on your bike, there is someone I would like you to meet.”
“Is it Santa?”
“No, bud, it’s not Santa,” Simon said, moving close.
Lexie gasped and Tabitha turned toward her to see tears in her eyes.
Simon crouched down so he was on a level with Nathan. “I’m a friend of your mom’s,” Simon said. “And Nathan, buddy, I’m your daddy.”
Nathan cried out. “You’re my daddy! Mommy, it’s Daddy.”
Tabitha smiled but the tears and the pain were still there. Was she doing the right thing? Would Simon resent her for this? Neither of them knew the truth.
She kept on smiling, keeping up her façade.
Nathan held Simon close and she watched the two of them. They were always going to have kids, but Simon had wanted to complete his prospect status first to become a fully patched-in member.
This hadn’t gone to plan. None of their life had gone the way they wanted.
She held her shit together.
Nathan grabbed Simon’s hand and tugged him outside. She laughed, following behind them as he was determined to show his skills.
They stood at the edge of the driveway. Nathan walked up to the top of the street. She kept him in sight as Lexie threw herself at Simon, hugging him close.
“I want to kill you and kiss you,” Lexie said.
Tabitha understood completely. She was in the same mind most of the time.
Arms folded, she kept an eye on her son.
“It’s fine, Mom, really.”
“No, it’s not fine. You didn’t call. You didn’t allow us to know you were okay.”
“Dad kept an eye on me. You should know that.”
“Yeah, but it’s not the same thing and you damn well know it,” Lexie said. “You’re not going anywhere?”
“No, I’m here to stay.”
Tabitha jumped as Simon put his hand on her waist. His body pressing against her back.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m standing with my wife, and we’re watching our son.”
“You don’t have to do this. I know this must be difficult for you.”
He chuckled. “None of this is difficult for me. I knew this day was going to come eventually. I’d hoped that it wouldn’t be so soon. I’m a selfish prick, Tabby. You know this. I want to keep you to myself, always. That is never, ever going to change.”
She kept her hands folded but sank a little closer to him, desperate for him. She did love him.
When he’d left, a part of her had died and only now, with him close, did she feel herself being awakened again. They were soul mates. She’d always known the truth. They were indeed meant to be together. There wasn’t a time in her life when it wasn’t Simon and Tabitha, and she had a twin.
Sure, there were times it was Miles and Tabitha, but everyone always thought of Simon. Not her brother.
“Can you see me, Mommy?” Nathan asked.
“I can. Come on, sweetheart!” She cupped her hands over her mouth, watched, and waited.
He started off a little slow at first. Wobbly.
