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Our mouths locked.
Our tongues danced.
And when we came, we tasted true, endless happiness.
Chapter Fifty-Two
*
Aslan
*
(Heart in Spanish: Corazón)
THAT FIRST MORNING BACK IN AUSTRALIA WAS spent in a borrowed pair of shorts and a pale green t-shirt—courtesy of Teddy (slightly too tight but gratefully received)—and the four-hundred-dollar bottle of champagne went well with fresh strawberries, pancakes, and copious amounts of whipped cream, thanks to Ayla being in charge.
Jack and Anna joined us.
The table outside barely held all of us as we spent the day talking, drinking, eating, and soaking in the fact that things were exactly as they should be.
Neri helped me tell a heavily redacted tale of abuse and imprisonment, revealing my leg and scars. I brushed over how I’d been able to return to Australia and had no doubt questions would come once the shock of my miraculous appearance wore off. By then, I would have a better story. One that would keep my new job a secret and protect everyone.
At some point after lunch of cheese, biscuits, and hastily made cucumber sandwiches, Ayla disappeared into the house and appeared in a bathing suit. She begged and begged until Neri changed too and opened the childproof lock on the fence around the pool.
I stood on the sparkly pavers while Ayla dove as deep as she could before shooting for the surface. My heart overflowed as Neri asked me to do something that’d been a nightly ritual for us.
Almost shyly, she’d passed me her old stopwatch and I’d timed her breath hold, giving her a kiss that’d turned into something definitely not suitable for children when she popped up four and a half minutes later.
The metal of my leg glinted in the setting sun, obvious thanks to the pair of shorts I wore, and Jack pulled me aside to check, man to man, how I was doing. The tears in his eyes spoke of guilt and pity, but I had nothing to blame on him, and I definitely didn’t need his pity.
I was the happiest man alive.
I could walk, run, jump, and love.
I hadn’t swum yet, but I’d already had a blade fashioned to fit the socket of my leg by my doctor in Turkey. There were multiple attachments—a fin to swim with, a blade to run on, even one made of high-grade silicone that looked exactly like my own leg—airbrushed and haired to be as natural as possible.
Funny that that didn’t interest me.
I wasn’t trying to hide that I was now an amputee. I’d hidden all my life as a refugee, and I was strangely proud of my carbon replacement. It represented everything I’d overcome and proved that I was virtually unkillable.
By the time we’d all tucked into a reminiscent dinner from Nemo’s and I’d devoured a fish burger and salty fries, Jack and Anna vanished into the bathroom to bathe Ayla, and Teddy, Eddie, and Neri guided me down the road to the beach.
The waves welcomed me back with their ever-constant song and the sun slowly went to bed while the stars slowly woke up. Teddy toasted me with the beers he’d brought for all of us and leaned over to bear hug Neri. “Best. Day. Ever.”
She chuckled and gave me a soft smile from his arms. “Best day ever.”
Eddie raised his bottle to the silver half-moon. “To dreams that do come true.”
We all toasted.
Teddy finally sighed and pulled away from Neri. “So, I...I have a confession to make. I didn’t want to say anything with Aslan’s return, but...now is as good a time as any.” He grinned my way. “Goes without saying that you’re welcome to move in with us, mate. It’s a full house, but Neri is part of our family, so is Ayla. It would mean the world to me and Eddie if you stayed...if only for a little while. We need time to adjust to the idea of no longer sharing our life with our two favourite girls.”
Eddie looked away, trying to hide his sudden sniff, doing his best to camouflage how deep his grief went at me taking Neri and Ayla away.
Fuck, I hadn’t even thought about that.
Neri had found salvation with them.
