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Hawk reached for my hand, linking his fingers through mine as we cruised into the downtown area. “No. I don’t think that at all. I think she will understand that we can’t control the actions of others. That bad people are bad people, and nothing we do, or any choices we make, justifies those people hurting others.”
Things had been a rollercoaster ride, and Hawk was the rock we both needed until we found our footing again. He was a man I could have never described or anticipated if someone had asked me six months earlier what I wanted in my life.
Who else would have taught me how to throw a proper punch so I wouldn’t bruise my hand the next time I kicked some asshole out of the bar?
Who else would encourage me to learn to cook and not care when I fucked it up, and we had to order in anyway—at least a couple of times a week?
Who else would take their motorcycle to my daughter’s daycare so the kids could put their grubby fingers all over the chrome?
Hawk could be rough around the edges, but when he saw you as part of his family, there was nothing he wouldn’t do.
I finally took notice of where we were. “We aren’t going home?”
“Grace is being released from the hospital tomorrow. Not sure when we’ll see the twins again, so thought we’d stop by.”
“Yes,” I agreed, my smile growing. “Yes, so much yes.”
He smirked as he pulled into a parking space outside the hospital. “Keep some of those yesses for later tonight when we go to bed.”
I practically skipped through the hospital doors, and Kadey giggled as we raced ahead of Hawk. It was almost comical to see him walk through public spaces. He got a sternness on his face when he had to mix with people, not to mention his tattoos, leather cut, and steel-capped boots that topped it off.
And yet, when we stepped into Grace’s hospital room, her face lit up at the sight of her brother. The two of them couldn’t be more opposite in completely obvious ways, but I was starting to realize that Grace was just as protective of her brother as he was of her.
She was simply more subtle about it.
“Come, come,” she whispered, waving Kadey forward and lifting her onto the bed so she could see over the edge of the cot the two tiny babies shared.
One boy.
One girl.
“Hawk said you’re going home,” I stated, sitting at the edge of her bed while Hawk took the chair in the corner. “Have you named them yet?”
She nodded enthusiastically. “I have. Their names are Benjamin and Missy.”
Kadey gasped. “That’s Mom’s name.”
Grace giggled softly. “I know. Do you think it is okay if I borrow it? I wanted a name that was very strong.”
“My mom is…” Kadey nodded, “…very strong.” She grinned as she tickled Benjamin’s tiny fingers.
Grace looked over at me, tears brimming her eyes as she smiled. “I think so too.”
I spun around to look at Hawk, who instantly held his hands up in surrender. “Didn’t know a damn thing.” He got up from his seat, walked over to his sister, and pressed a kiss to her head. “But I’m with the consensus. Come on, kid, let’s get some candy from the vending machine.”
Kadey leaped to the floor and shot the door, Hawk right on her tail.
He knew I had things to say.
We’d talked about it.
I just didn’t know how to say them.
Grace sat back in her bed, looking at me with this knowing smile I’d come to expect from her. “You may speak freely. I will not get upset.”
“Why are you taking these beautiful babies back to that place?”
Maybe it was too harsh.
