I know what it’s like to mourn parents, both living and dead.
Alric is exactly where I figured he would be, but I’m not prepared for the sight of him on his knees before the marble that holds his mother. His shoulders are slumped, head bowed, and all I want to do is comfort him, but everyone grieves differently, so I wait by the gate. I don’t wish to assume that he wants me here, and I’d understand if he didn’t.
He turns his head. “Come here.”
I walk swiftly to his side, kneeling down with him. “I made her something.”
“Thank you,” he rasps, gently taking it from me, looking at all the flowers woven together with glossy eyes before gingerly placing it on the marble. “She loved the wildflowers here. It was one of her favorite things about the island.”
“What was she like?” I ask, placing my head on his bicep, hoping he’s willing to tell me about her.
“Full of life, stubborn, did things her own way. She would’ve liked you.”
That’s a nice thought.
“I’m sure I would have liked her, too. Sorry we can’t go sailing today.”
“That’s alright. She would’ve just been happy that I’m not alone today. I came home every summer during college and brought Zack and Hunter with me. She loved them like they were her own. We had a great time running around. When mydad made his first million, he told my mom to design her dream house and he would pay for it, so she did. It took years, but she loved living here.”
“I’m so sorry you weren’t there when she passed.”
I can’t imagine the guilt he must have been carrying all these years.
“She was surrounded by family, though, and that mattered, even if I wasn’t there. Though they weren’t together, my father spared no expense to try and get her well, but some illnesses are insidious. Her family was wealthy and she worked in finance when I was growing up, but he insisted he be the one to take care of her.”
Sounds like a good alpha.
It starts to rain harder, but we stay there a little longer in silence.
We kneel there in the shared pain of losing a mother, words no longer needed. Just my warm hand in his, the silent understanding at that particular ache between us.
It is only when the light sprinkles turn into a rainstorm that we head back.
Chapter 21
Madi
When Alric and I enter the villa again, the air is rich with warm vanilla. We both glance at each other and go in search of the scent. In the kitchen we find the guys baking, Zachary opening a box of powdered sugar near two pans of white cake with lovely golden brown tops.
Hunter fiddles with the knob of a mixer. “Hey, we didn’t expect you back so soon.”
“What are you making?” Alric asks.
“A birthday cake for Eleni. I figured since we couldn’t do our sailing tradition that we could start a new one,” Zachary says softly.
“She always had such a sweet tooth,” Hunter adds with a sad smile.
Alric’s hand drops from mine, my invincible alpha’s eyes turning glossy.
It’s so kind of Hunter and Zach to make his mom a cake. By the look of the stack of dishes in the sink, this isn’t a treat made from a box, but a true act of culinary love.
Alric slowly walks over to his friends and they all envelopeach other in a brotherly three-way hug. It involves a lot of back slapping and whispered words I can’t make out, but the tone is tender.
It’s such a touching scene. So many alphas I’ve known over the years would never let themselves be this vulnerable in front of others. Alphas are raised to be strong, and most emotions are seen as a weakness, but not with them. They hold each other like family would, and I guess that’s what they are—a real family.
Isn’t that all I wanted as a kid? A family with a foundation of love and support.
It's not something I was granted when I was little, but maybe it’s possible for me to find it now. With these men who hold each other through grief and bake cakes to honor those they have lost.
