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“Or purple,” she mutters, but there’s no enthusiasm in her tone.
“You feeling okay?”
She shrugs, her shoulders only lifting an inch or so as if she can’t manage more.
“Ready to see my kids.”
I pull out my phone, unwilling to leave her side, but needing someone to light a fire under the doctor’s ass. Before I can hit send on my text, the doctor walks in with the supplies needed for her cast.
She ends up with a plain white cast, showing no more enthusiasm when the doctor asked if she wanted a different color.
It takes another thirty minutes to get her paperwork signed and taken care of, and despite Deacon’s offer to drive us, I decline.
I need some time alone with her, but I still can’t find the words she needs to hear on the drive back to the condo.
I don’t bother hitting the elevator button to my floor, choosing Wren’s instead. Trying to convince her to get some rest would fall on deaf ears, so I don’t waste the energy.
“You’ll like Whitney,” I tell her as I lift my hand to knock softly, remembering Kendall once complaining about people ringing the bell when the kids are sleeping.
Both Wren and Whitney are in front of us when the door is pulled open, and although Whitney has never met Kendall before, she doesn’t hesitate to pull her in for a hug. My girl sinks against the stranger, wrapping her arms around her as tears stream down her face.
“You have the most amazing kids,” Whitney offers, her face tucked into Kendall’s hair. “Kayleigh is going to destroy hearts when she grows up.”
Kendall chuckles at this, her head nodding as if she agrees.
“Knox may never grow out of his love for the color blue, and Kason is going to be a mad genius who tries to take over the world.”
Kendall’s laughter strengthens as she steps back, using the back of her hand to swipe at the tears on her face.
“Did they give you any trouble?”
“No,” Whitney answers, stepping aside so we can fully enter the condo. “But they did try to convince us that you let them sleep with the TV on. Full disclosure, we allowed it, but turned it off about an hour ago because they were all conked out.”
“We figured the distraction was good,” Wren adds.
“Thank you both so much,” Kendall says, her voice tinged with another wave of emotion. “I need to see them.”
Whitney nods in understanding and guides Kendall to the guest bedroom.
I stick close to Wren who watches the two of them leave the room. The lights are turned down low in the condo, and I’m grateful not to hear the birds squawking and making noise. They must still be at the office.
Unable to handle the physical distance between us, I walk toward the bedroom. Wren sticks close, and I appreciate the moral support, but I just want to be alone with her and the kids. I’d never tell him to get lost, this is his condo after all, but he must sense it because he presses his hand to Whitney’s back, and they walk away.
Kendall is standing at the edge of the king-sized bed, looking down at her kids. After brushing her palm over each head, she kicks off her shoes and curls up beside them.
Her shoulders shake with her silent sobs, and keeping my distance is no longer possible. I walk to her, bending down and pressing my lips to her temple, as I cover the hand she has on Knox’s back with my own.
Knox doesn’t move, but his eyes flutter open.
“Kendall,” I whisper because her own eyes are squeezed tight.
She looks at Knox, giving him a light smile as she lifts her hand to caress his cheek.
“Momma,” he says, her name a little sigh on his lips.
Then he sits up, jostling the entire bed in a way only a small child can. As if they’re both attuned to Knox, Kason and Kayleigh open their eyes as well.
“Momma!” Kayleigh says enthusiastically as she slings herself at Kendall.
I have to press my hand to my woman’s back to keep her from rolling over the bed from the force of it.
Kason looks up at me, giving me a nod that is well beyond his seven years, and I see exactly what Whitney was talking about. He’s an old soul and understands more than he should have to at such a young age.
“White?” Kayleigh huffs as she gently holds Kendall’s casted arm. “Should’ve gotten pink.”
Kendall chuckles, pulling all three kids to her chest, and a pang fires through my chest at not being right in there with them. I don’t know if that’s selfishness or just longing to be a part of what they have.
“Finn said he’d make sure you were okay,” Kason says as he pulls back from his mom, also wiping tears from his cheeks. “I believed him because he’s a good man, and also because he helped Mystery Man Medano with that safe.”
