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“This isn’t my first rodeo. And no, the help wasn’t vetted. It was Tan, Ethan, the twins, and the girls. I would never put myself at risk. You know that.”
I pulled Frankie to sit on my lap, and she leaned her head against my chest.
“When it gets dark, I’ll show you the lights. They look magical.”
“The whole thing is perfect. I can’t wait to sit under here with you and watch the sunset.”
“There’s more, but I’m worried you’ll be upset.”
“With you, never. Just tell me.”
I watched as she took a deep breath as if she was steadying herself for what she needed to say, which worried me because she knew she could tell me anything.
“I know you weren’t in a good place when Emma and Alfie died, and I know you regret sprinkling their ashes at the memorial garden at the cemetery and not somewhere more personal, so I’ve been chatting with a gardener who creates unique types of roses. He made these two just for us.”
My heart pounded as I listened.
“The White one is called Alfie and the lilac one is Emma. I know we have photos up of them both, but I wanted you to feel like they were always around and this way you can see them, you can smell them, you can surround yourself with them, and you always have a place to remember them. I’m sorry if I overstepped. I just know how important they are to you, so I wanted them to be a part of our lives.”
A sob tore from my chest as I hugged Frankie so tight I worried I’d broken her. “You did all this for me?”
“I did and I did it for them. They deserve to be remembered every day. And I want to give them a place to come and visit you, so they can see how loved you are.”
“Do you think they do that? Keep an eye on me?”
“Yes, I do. And I think they helped us find each other and saved us from dying more than once.”
I couldn’t speak and Frankie took that to mean I wasn’t happy. Tears filled her eyes as she cupped my face. “If it’s too much, we can take it down. I don’t want you to be—”
“Have I ever told you what an incredible woman you are, Rogue? You have the biggest heart and I love you so much. This is perfect. Absolutely perfect. I can’t believe you did this for me. For their memory.”
“I told you that you don’t ever have to feel bad about how much you loved them. This way, we both get to remember them every day. I really want that. If you do.”
“I do,” not bothering to hide the tears streaming down my face as I kissed her, thanking my lucky stars that I had her in my life.
Frankie and I spent the afternoon in bed fucking until we both passed out. I woke with a jolt to an empty bed and the sound of Frankie coughing downstairs. Getting up, I pulled on my jeans and rushed to find her.
“Were you just being sick?” I asked, concerned, as I found her coming out of the downstairs bathroom, looking pale.
“No, I drank some water, and it went down the wrong way. Nothing to worry about.”
I stared at her for a heartbeat, wondering why she was obviously lying to me, but I decided to let it go, for now. “Come on, let me make you some dinner. You must be starving. How about steak and chips?”
“Sounds good, but can I have salad with mine? I’ve eaten so much crap while you’ve been away. I probably need some vitamins.”
“Rogue, you’re freaking me out now. You always said if you asked for salad, I should assume you’d been kidnapped and replaced with a clone.”
She laughed. “I’m good, I promise. I think I might be a bit run down. I just need a healthy boost.”
I go to say something more, but her phone rang. She leaped on it, hiding the screen from me before pointing out of the room, telling me she needed to take the call. I nodded with a smile, moving the fridge to find the things for dinner, trying not to overthink how strange she was being.
A few minutes later, she came back. “Sorry about that. I’m all yours. Let me help you cook.”
“No. You’ll burn it. Take a seat.”
“Okay, daddy.”
I turned, raising my eyebrows at her. “While I love you calling me sir, daddy is a step too far. It’s weird.” I shuddered, and she giggled.
