AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Okay, because I want to make sure they're closed, Aussie. If not, the surprise won’t be a surprise.”
“Okay. Promise.”
I cowered, wanting to crawl into my skin and hide until it was safe to come out again. Malachi’s footsteps got closer and closer, making the lump in my stomach swell more and more. Quick breaths and sweaty fingers made it feel impossible to catch myself from falling off the invisible cliff I was hanging onto by a thread.
Just when I felt the oxygen leave my body and my balance waver, long, curly hair crossed the threshold, filling my empty lungs to capacity. Gasping, I removed a bubble of air from the space around me and pushed it down my throat. Precious brown skin and rosy cheeks kept me grounded and from falling flat on my face.
Oh God, she’s gorgeous. And she’s all mine.
For the time it felt like she and Anna spent away from one another, I began to weep. For the times she needed her mother and Anna wasn’t by her side, I wept. For the life she’d lived without Anna, I wept. For the nights she stayed up thinking of Anna, I wept. For the loneliness she must’ve felt as Malachi drowned in his own sorrows, I wept. For the life she would’ve had if nothing ever happened to Anna, I wept.
“Open them!”
She removed her tiny hands from her face, showcasing those big eyes I’d seen a hundred times.
“Aeir, meet Aussie. Aussie, meet Aeir.”
“Mommmmy!” The deep, heart-shifting scream that mounted and built with the sound of each letter left me eviscerated. She emptied me of everything I had except the inexplicable love I immediately harbored for her. Tears fell from her cheeks as she wiggled her way out of her father’s arms, crying uncontrollably.
Kneeling, I spread my arms and waited for her embrace. She attached her body to me, wrapping those arms around me until her hands joined behind me. For dear life, she held on, as if I’d let her go. She sobbed into my chest, crying her little heart out. I weakened, falling a few inches until my butt landed on the floor.
The wall behind me held us both up as I rocked Aussie from side to side, allowing her to release the pent-up emotions she’d suppressed in Anna’s absence. Twenty minutes elapsed before she finally pulled away and began trying to clean the mess she’d made of her face.
“Mommy,” she said, touching my face, making sure I was real.
“I’m Aeir, Aussie. My name is Aeir. I’m not—”
“Mommy.” She quieted me by saying it again, wrapping her arms around my neck and burying her head between my shoulder and the side of my face.
Somehow, my heart told me she understood I wasn’t Mommy, but she needed me to be Mommy in the moment. I refused to hurt her feelings or tell her anything differently a second time, so for now, we’d go with whatever made her hurt less. She clung to me. I could feel her heart racing against my chest. I squeezed her body tighter, knowing it was all she wanted and all she needed.
I looked up to find Malachi swiping at his eyes. Unable to contain himself, he turned and walked in the other direction. I understood his position. It was as complicated as mine, but we’d do whatever necessary for Aussie’s mental and emotional health, even if that meant agreeing to be Mommy for now.
“Hey, hey. Let’s dry these tears, okay?”
“Okay.” She cried, still unable to control the big emotions and bigger feelings she was having.
I pulled her body back, needing to see that pretty face of hers. My smile transferred, making her lips turn upward in spite of the tears.
“I thought you might enjoy a little activity this evening. What do you say to making some vanilla ice cream from scratch? Will that make you feel better?”
“Umhm.”
“Good. Now, let’s dry these tears and get to work. Your dad told me you’re an excellent helper. I’d like to see for myself.”
I dabbed away her tears with the bottom of my shirt.
“Come on, sweetie.”
“But yours.”
She used the bottom of her shirt to mimic what I’d done for her, clearing my face of tears as well.
“Thank you, Aussie. That was so nice.”
“You’re welcome.”
“You’re so kind.”
