Page 111 of This Reckless Home

We make our way up the drive, and the front door opens before we’ve even fully stopped. The kids pour out like a flood, my chest lightening when I see their smiles and waves and the way they each seem to be incapable of keeping still.

“They are so excited to see you,” Blossom tells us, her smile in her voice as she lifts her head from Steele. “Made you a banner and everything.”

I look back and huff a laugh. Mitchel and Anna are holding up a huge bit of paper that looks like a rainbow troll vomited all over it.

“I helped them spell it all,” Jus says, a hint of pride in his voice as we pull to a stop.

Carnage hits us as soon as we open the doors, barely able to get out before small bodies surround us talking over the top of each other until my ears ring. But I find my grin wide, my cheeks hurting as they all touch and hug us.

Sally has her arms wrapped around Blossom, she’s always so attuned to my Petal’s state. Anna is right behind her, and Blossom’s smile matches my own.

Mitchel and Noah got straight to Steele, pressing into his side and I see the way my brother swallows hard as his large hands come over them, pulling them closer, holding them there. There’s relief and tenderness and something protective on his face, things I feel like a mantle settling on my shoulders. This is our family. These are our children.

Someone tugs my hand, and I look down to find Peggy, who lets go and brings her arms up in that universal sign of pick me up. So I do, my body acting before my mind catches up. Her small arms come around my neck, her cheek pressed against my cheek.

“Missed you, Nox,” she says in her still baby sounding voice, and a lump forms in my throat.

“You too, Squirt. But I’m here to stay now,” I reply, pressing a kiss on her soft hair and breathing in that smell that only small children seem to have.

She pulls back, trusting me to hold her as she looks into my eyes. “Pinkie promise?”

I shift her weight to one arm, then hold out my pinkie finger. “Pinkie promise, Squirt.”

She links her tiny finger with mine, then shakes it like this is the most solemn of vows.

I look over to see none other than Debbie the chicken strutting her way up to Steele, and I don’t even bother to keep in my laugh when she pecks his big feet. He looks down, and just like I did with Peggy, he bends and scoops her up without thought, like this is natural.

Debbie settle in his huge arm immediately, looking smug as fuck about it.

Warmth radiates throughout my entire body as I take in the scene around us. This is it. This is what we were fighting to get back to. And it somehow makes all the shit we’ve been through throughout our lives worth it. Because if we hadn’t gone through it, maybe we wouldn’t be here with a family that feels so big and full.

Tina comes bustling down the steps in the way that only she can, and when she catches my eye, she gives me a smile and a nod. She makes her way to Blossom, wrapping an arm around her waist.

“You did good, girl,” she says, and I’m not sure if she’s referring to helping us get out, or to the fact that without Blossom this family wouldn’t exist. We wouldn’t be complete.

“I almost lost them,” Blossom whispers, and my arms tighten around Peggy.

“But you didn’t, girlie.” Tina’s voice is matter of fact, no sentimentality. “You fought for them. You fought for your family.”

She places a brief kiss on Blossom’s cheek, then walks away.

I move closer to my Petal. “Okay, Princess?”

She turns to look at me, her eyes bright and a smile on her face that I want to wake up to every day. “More than okay. Absolutely perfect.”

The kids start to drift back inside, and Ant takes Blossom’s hand and leads her in, alongside Jus who won’t leave his side. Not that I can blame the poor kid. What happened was fucked, even for us, so much must have been hell for him.

Tina’s voice carries from inside as I reach the door, Peggy still in my arms. “Brunch is in ten minutes and I will not be repeating myself so wash up.”

Home.

It lands deep in my chest, becoming part of my bones as I step into my house, surrounded by my family.

“INSIDE” BY GODDESS NO HOLY

BLOSSOM

We spend the rest of the day just absorbing each other, everyone staying together as the kids play in the garden and we breathe each other in. One of the guys is always touching me, either holding my hand or has their arms wrapped around me, and it feels like heaven.