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The weather was still cold, and I worried the inside might be, but it was pleasantly warm. It was the quintessential log cabin. The kitchen sat on one side and a living room on the other, with an enormous stone fireplace dominating it. A small dining table and comfortable sofas sat neatly. A mezzanine level held a king-size bed. Down a hallway, three bedrooms and a decent-sized family bathroom lay beyond.

“Do we need groceries?” Cassian asked.

“We brought them with us, kid. Want to go start unloading the car?” I suggested, hearing screams outside. They were laughing ones, and I peered out a small window.

Chill pretended to be a bear, chasing Poet around the trees while Zion was the hunter. Cassian froze as we watched.

“Dad never did anything like that,” he muttered, and I heard his resentment. I reached out and gripped his shoulder.

“It’s not too late to make memories,” I replied.

“Told you, I’m done with Dad.”

“There’s always Chill,” I suggested.

“Chill planning to stick around, or are we a novelty?” Cassian asked.

“What if I don’t want him?” I teased, and Cassian shrugged.

“Nah. You wouldn’t be letting him do shit like this, Mom. You wouldn’t let Poet and Zion get attached if you had doubts.”

“I do have reservations, but they’re more what your dad drummed into me. It’s incredibly difficult to undo his nagging,” I replied, and Cassian laughed.

“He did drone on!”

“Gerard certainly did love his own voice.”

“You’re so different lately,” Cassian stated, sounding awed.

“Am I?”

“More confident, happier, settled. I know Dad beat you, Mom, but since you left him and the stress is gone, you’re amazing—not that you always weren’t,” Cassian said quickly, as if he’d insulted me.

I laughed. “Cassian, it’s okay! I understood. Gerard pulled me down, and I let him. Honey, I promise to be a better Mom. I’ll make you proud of me.”

“Already there. Ain’t nothing that would make me ashamed of you. Dad walked away and left us in shit, and you kept everything together, got a job, and put food in our bellies. Learned a lot from that about the type of person I want to be, and it isn’t Dad.”

Tears formed in my eyes as I hugged Cassian. He rarely embraced me anymore, too cool to hug his mom, but he let me hold him now.

With a soft huff, Cassian broke off and headed outside. Thank God he’d not taken after his father. Cassian went out to the SUV and began bringing in the bags. I was trying hard not to laugh as Poet bounced around in a circle and Chill looked genuinely perplexed. Yup, she’d keep going for another hour or so. Zion was starting to slow down.

Cassian carried the groceries in first; I guessed he wanted dinner preparing. I’d suggested to Chill that we pick the kids up from school and leave from there. Instead, he’d brought them back to the clubhouse and sugared them up while we loaded up the SUV. We hadn’t stopped to eat, as it was only supposed to be an hour’s drive.

I quickly threw mince on to fry and began the fixings for tacos. Simple and easy to cook. Cassian laid the fire, and we were both laughing as he tried to get it lit. Forty minutes later, Chill walked in looking half frozen. Poet and Zion were wilting behind him, having finally run out of steam.

“Dinner in ten; go clean up,” I ordered.

“I’m fuckin’ old,” Chill complained as he sank into a chair. “Those kids are like the Duracell Bunny. They just keep going.”

I shot him a grin over my shoulder. “Yup. Next time you’ll listen to me, won’t you?” I taunted.

“I wanted them to accept me,” Chill murmured.

“Spoiling them isn’t the way. Give them your time; that’s all they want. Gerard never had much for them. Cassian pointed out Gerard has never played with them like you did today.”

“Then he’s a prick for missing out. Ain’t ever gonna be like him. Fuckin’ loser.” Chill frowned and yanked his beanie off and shoved a hand through his hair.

“What did you plan for this weekend? You said we were going away, but never explained what your plans were to amuse the kids,” I asked, stirring the frying pan.