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MADDIE
I could hear my daughter laughing as I hurried down the stairs the next morning.
I had slept in later than I had in years and I had been panicked when I woke up and saw the time. Willow never allowed me to sleep in. She was always up not long after dawn, jumping on me and demanding I get up, usually because she was hungry. It was a great way to be woken up, seeing her beaming happy face as soon as I opened my eyes.
But that morning, not only had she not woken me, but she had also gone from her room. I had tried not to panic this time, sure one of the guys must have come to get her so I could sleep in. We’d had a late night the night before, staying up to talk over all that had happened. It was three A.M. by the time I had crawled into bed, completely exhausted.
I had forced myself to stay calm as I took a quick shower and got ready that morning, but now I found myself moving down the stairs as fast as I could, to check on Willow. It was hard to break my need to know where she was at all times. I was just so used to being the only person who took care of her.
“Maddie!” Sam greeted me merrily the second I strode into the kitchen. “There you are, my dear. Can I make you some breakfast?” he offered. He was dressed in what seemed to be his favored work wear, consisting of jeans and a neatly pressed shirt. Today the jeans were dark navy, and his shirt was baby blue. He always looked impeccably neat.
“Thank you, but I c-can get it,” I replied, still so unused to having anyone do anything for me. For so many years it had been me running around ensuring Edward’s every need was met.
“Nonsense. What would you like? Eggs? Pancakes? I could make waffles?”
“Erm, tea would be good and maybe some toast?” I replied nervously.
“I’ll make you some eggs too, in case you change your mind,” he told me as he gestured over to where Kai and Hunter sat with Willow at the breakfast table, over by the sliding doors out to the garden. She had an almost empty plate of what looked like pancakes, syrup, and fruit in front of her as she animatedly laughed at something Kai had just said.
“Morning, peanut,” I interrupted as I walked up behind her and leaned in to kiss her head, trying not to grimace when my hand cradled her cheek and landed over a patch of sticky syrup.
“Mommy!” she cried happily as she turned to me and wrapped her arms around my neck, squishing her very sticky face against mine and into my hair. “Sam made me pancakes for breakfast and they was yummy!” she told me as she released me and pointed to her plate.
“That’s great, Honey. I hope you thanked Sam,” I told her as I rounded the table and took the free seat beside her, keeping my attention on her. Kai was at her other side and Hunter was opposite her. I was nervous to make eye contact with them after all that had been revealed the night before. I just felt unsure about what happened between us next. We had agreed to a truce and fresh start, but how did that actually look?
“I did! Twice!” Willow assured me, raising two fingers to illustrate. “And I told him he maked the best pancakes ever!”
“She did,” Sam laughed as he appeared behind me, placing a cup of green tea on the table before me. It was my favored drink when I was pregnant. I found it helped with the nausea and gave me the kick I usually got from coffee. “Your daughter is very good for my ego with all of her compliments on my cooking,” he added as he ran a hand affectionately over Willow’s head. She looked up at him with a huge smile on her face.
I thanked Sam, then took a sip of my tea, still putting off looking up at either Hunter or Kai.
“Mommy, Hunter, and Kai said we can go to the zoo today! Can we go, please? I wants to see the lions! And the elephants! Kai said they even gots panda bears there!” she squealed excitedly.
“Red pandas. They’re smaller, sweetie,” Kai reminded her.
“Only if you’re feeling up to it,” Hunter added and I forced myself to look up and meet his eyes. He smiled softly, reassuring me, just as he used to when we were kids.
“Don’t you have to work?” I asked. He and Kai had been working some kind of rota between themselves since we arrived, taking it in turn to go into the office while the other stayed with me and Willow. I had gotten the impression that their business, or Cameron’s business technically, required a huge amount of work and took over their lives for the most part.
“We both took the day off,” Kai answered.
“So can we go, Mommy? Please, please, pretty please. I always wanted to go to the zoo so we can see the animals for real!” Willow pleaded. There was no way I could deny her. She had always wanted to visit a zoo, but I had never been able to take her. Edward would never have allowed such a frivolous trip and wouldn’t have given me the money to take her on my own.
“Sure, as long as it’s okay with Hunter and Kai,” I agreed.
“The zoo it is,” Hunter told her with a huge grin. It lit up his whole face, only accentuating his chiseled cheek bones and sharp jaw. The years we had been apart had not taken an ounce away from how handsome he was.
“Yay!” Willow cried as she waved her arms up and down. She stopped suddenly, lowering her arms, and looking unsure when Cam came wandering into the kitchen. He was dressed in cargo shorts and a plain white t-shirt again, obviously headed for his workshop.
“Sorry,” he said when he saw us all looking at him. “I thought you guys would have finished breakfast by now.”
“It’s fine. Come and grab a seat, brother. Sam’s making breakfast for Maddie. I’m sure he won’t mind making you some too,” Kai said as he pulled the chair at his side out a little and looked up to Cam with so much hope that it hurt to see it. He and Hunter obviously missed their brother. The day Everett had died, they lost not only him, but Cam too. I could see how much it was hurting them both to not be able to help Cameron through all he was suffering.
“I’m good. I was just heading…”
“Is he mad again, mommy?” Willow asked, lowering her voice, but not enough that they all didn’t hear her question.
“Mad?” I asked as I looked between the three guys. Kai looked up at Cam.
