And then he reassured me with his body, which I told him had gotten us into this mess in the first place.
Just as I knew he would be, Rion was the best dad. He changed dirty diapers and even got up in the middle of the night so I could sleep. Every day since I had given birth, Rion regaled our daughter with stories of his youth; a mixture of the stories passed down by his father and those he had created on his own.
“Are you sure you can stay awake for one more?” Rion paused. “It is nearly time for bed.”
“PUHLEASE??” Cordelia, our daughter, begged. “I won’t be cranky in the morning, Ipromise!”
We both knew that was a lie, and Rion confirmed as much when I heard him mumble. “That is what your mother says every night…”
I peeked in, watching her giggle and leaning on his shoulder. “Pleaseeeeee?”
He smiled down at her, pressing a quick kiss to her temple. “Alright, one more.”
Cordelia jumped off his lap and ran around the chair, cheering that she’d gotten her way—which she always did without fail, especially where her father was concerned. He was incapable of telling her no.
Neither noticed me as I pushed the door open and leaned against the frame. She watched him with intrigue, incapable of looking away as he talked in different voices and made animated hand gestures.
I couldn’t help but think of how lucky I was to experience this and how close I was to losing it at one point.
Our relationship was nowhere near perfect. Rion and I often bickered, mainly because we were too stubborn to relent. It didn’t help that our makeup sex was so disgustingly good that sometimes we found little reasons to fight.
But despite it all, I knew I could not have picked a better life if I tried.
I loved Rion D’Arcy in such a sickening way that it often scared me, and sometimes, I was struck stupid that he felt the same way.
He embodied the definition of unending love, showing me patience when I tested his, and offering a hand when I felt like I was drowning. There were moments I shut myself away from the world and allowed the dark thoughts to linger, but he was never far away.
Always ready to fight my demons should they threaten to consume me.
“Mommy!” Cordelia screeched, running over to me with outstretched hands. I reached forward and swooped her off the ground, twirling in circles as I peppered her face with kisses. “Stop,stop!” she said, laughing so hard her little cheeks flushed.
“What’re my two favorite people doing?” I asked as Rion strolled over and pressed his lips to my cheek.
“Daddy was telling me a story!” she said, repeating all she could remember. I met his gaze over her head, noticing the faint creases around his eyes that crinkled as he smiled.
His beard was neat and trimmed, adopting a much more relaxed look than before. The only days he wore a suit were when he went into the office, which came less and less as the years passed.
So much had changed since we first met.
There was so much beauty in him when he allowed himself to be happy, and I was thankful that the days his eyes were cast in shadows were few and far between.
“You’re so hot,” I mouthed, his chuckle giving way to a cough as Cordelia looked up at him, concerned.
“What wrong, Daddy?”
Rion gently swept his hand along her hair. “Nothing, love. I’m just remembering how late it is.” His eyes heated, and I loved how much they still affected me after all this time. “Let’s get you to bed. Your mommy has a very important meeting tonight, and she cannot be late,” he said, smirking as he ushered us out of his study.
It took longerto get Cordelia to sleep than usual, and by the time I strolled downstairs, the manor was silent. I’d almost wondered if Rion had already gone to bed, but then I heard the soft melodic sound of the piano pick up and knew he was lost in his thoughts.
It had been a difficult decision to stay in the house, especially after the years of abuse he had experienced within its confines. Yet, whenever he brought up the idea of moving, he quickly dismissed it.
Instead, we had given the manor a bit of a renovation. Still keeping with the overall Gothic feel that Rion and I loved so much, it felt like a new space with just a few touches of paint. The biggest change came to the dungeon, which had been permanently sealed off behind multiple layers of stone.
Neither of us could fathom repurposing the space, knowing we could do nothing to remove the vile memories lurking in the darkness below.
But Rion’s study had been a project filled with love and devotion. He oversaw every detail, painstakingly restoring it to its former glory. There was only one addition, and I was irrevocably in love with it.
He sat at the grand piano, which dominated the room's far corner, plucking at the keys without actual purpose. I was constantly amazed at his natural ability to pull notes out of his head and transform them into something special.
