AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Please, I don’t—”
“Until I had Guillaume, I didn’t have that. And even when I had Guillaume, I truly didn’t have that. How could I give something I didn’t have myself?”
“I’m acutely aware of your health, and I feel right now—”
“It was all I knew,” she hissed.
“No,” I retorted. “I’m looking at you now, and I know you knew better.”
She opened her mouth.
But this time, I got there before her.
“We’re done talking, Colette. If you have amends to make, they aren’t to me. They’re to my husband.”
“My grandchildren—”
Ah yes.
Last night was not lost on her either.
“And to them as well,” I carried on. “As I said before, but you didn’t catch it, so I’ll make myself clearer, you now have two and a half days to take care of important business. Honest to God, I hope you take advantage of them so maybe you’ll get more than two and a half days. Because as hideous as it might be for you, no matter how you look at it, time is running out.”
And with that, I left her looking perfect on her iron chair and dashed into the house and up to my daughter.
CHAPTER 21
Storm the Bastille
Wyn
“I want whatever the fuck is going to happen tonight like I want someone to tie me to a chair and pull my teeth out,” Remy muttered to himself where he stood beside me in the bathroom, hip to the counter, arms crossed on his chest, watching me as I peered into the mirror, gliding lip stain on my lips.
I didn’t have a chance to reply.
There was a knock on our door, we heard it crack open and Sabre call out, “You guys decent?”
“Yup,” Remy called back, pushing from the basin and turning toward the door.
I looked into the bedroom to see my children march in.
And my heart actually fluttered with how magnificent they were.
Sabre was wearing gray slacks that fit him so perfectly, they looked tailored for him, a sparkling white shirt with a navy-blue vest over it, and black loafers with his skin showing at his ankles, so either no socks or likely (because his mother taught him better) footies.
Yves was in darker gray slacks with a black shirt, the cuffs rolled up to his elbows, and burnished leather dress boots.
And Manon was a vision in a flowing, mauve chiffon, long-sleeved maxi dress with a high, round neck. It was embroidered with big flowers in pink, purple and yellow with bold green stems and leaves. A dress I knew (because I’d bought it for her) had a full cutout back. Her lustrous hair was in a side pony.
Remy was in blue and gray. Blue slacks and a lightweight gray sweater, over which he wore a matching gray sports jacket.
I was in a currant-red, twist-front kimono dress that had dramatic sleeves, was delightfully slouchy around the middle and had a short hem that showed off my best asset: my long legs. My hair was smoothed up in a wide, velvety top knot. On my feet were Rene Caovilla gold, bejeweled, embroidered lace, slingback pumps.
And yes.
If my family was going to war, I didn’t care what it said about me, this was the armor I’d choose.
“Before you say it, we know we look like the fucking Kardashians,” Yves grumbled. “Sah and I have already puked.”
“I didn’t puke. I’m killing it in these duds,” Sabre replied.
I started laughing.
Manon moved forward and used the doorframe to lean into the bathroom. “And we have it figured out, Dad. If things get weird, I’m faking an epileptic seizure.”
“And if Grandma gets mean, Yves is going to start talking about how big and buff Theo is,” Sabre added.
“I can talk about that, for, like, three hours,” Yves shared. “She’s got some chops, but I think I can outlast her.”
They were being so funny, and so fabulous, they took all my attention.
So it came as a surprise when Remy ordered roughly, “All of you, in here.”
As I’d mentioned, the bathroom was heavenly.
However, it was not large.
But that wasn’t the only reason we all huddled together when the kids wedged in with us.
Remy’s long arms almost wrapped around us all, but considering Sabre’s and Yves’s were just as long, we were covered when Remy said, “Everything I live for is in my arms.”
All kidding was now aside, Manon made a peep, and I held her eyes as I kept hold on my own emotions.
“I messed up, and you rode that wave with me,” Remy carried on. “And I cannot express how much that means to me.”
All right.
No.
He had to get beyond that.
I looked right at him.
“Honey—” I began.
“But right now,” Remy spoke over me, “I have to remind you, your grandfather is losing the woman he loves, so I have to ask you to see to him. She might make it hard, but we’ve all learned things today, where what you just gave me is what we all have to give him. Soon, we’re all he’ll have left.”
