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I walked past the perfectly pruned flowerbeds, shaking my head at the thought of any of the men I knew as lethal soldiers, out there in the yard, tending to the pretty flowers. I was laughing to myself as I made my way to the front door.
I pressed the video doorbell and waited anxiously. They knew I was coming. I had texted Maddie and Hunter the night before to let them know.
I laughed when the door started to open and I heard an excited little voice behind it crying, “Nic Nic! Nic Nic’s here!”
“You have to let me open the door first, munchkin,” Hunter laughed, then he pulled the door open. I just saw the huge smile on his face before a tiny ball of purple fabric and blonde curls launched herself through the gap and straight at me.
“Nic Nic!” Willow squealed as she wrapped herself around my legs like a spider monkey.
“Hey cutie,” I chuckled as I bent down to scoop her into my arms and lifted her up so I could see her.
“It took you too long to come!” she pouted as her blue eyes met mine.
“I’m sorry, princess. I’m here now though,” I replied.
“I missed you lots. Mommy did too,” she told me as she lay her head on my shoulder and wrapped her arms around my neck, holding onto me tightly and breaking my damned heart in the process.
I hadn’t spent a ton of time with Willow. Maddie occasionally brought her into the office if she had no choice, and I had been around when she met up with Mia in the building for coffee, with Willow in tow a few times too. But in the time I had been with her, I had become very attached. It was hard not to with Willow. She was a complete sweetheart and she wasn’t shy. She had happily chatted with me each time I had seen her and I had found her to be so smart. I was pretty sure the little fireball already won my heart. It would be a pleasure and an honor to be in her life, if Maddie would allow me to be.
“Missed you too, princess,” I told her as I held her in one arm and scooped up my bags from the floor with the other.
“Hey man,” Hunter greeted as he held a hand out to grab my bags. “Come on in.”
I thanked him, handing over my bags so I could hold onto Willow more securely as we stepped inside. I whistled as I looked around at the splendor that surrounded us.
“This place is amazing,” I told him.
“Thanks. We’ve done a lot of work since we moved in. The place was like a museum before.”
“They gots a pool! Will you swim wiv me?” Willow asked as she sat up and looked me dead in the eyes.
“I think we can manage that, cutie. What else is there for us to get up to in this huge house?” I asked her.
“Lots!” Willow cried, throwing her arms in the air animatedly. “I gots lots of toys and there’s a room in the basement wiv lots of games too! And Sam lets me cook wiv him. Hunter, can Nico cook wiv me and Sam too?”
“I’m sure he can if he wants to, pumpkin,” Hunter agreed.
Seeing Willow looking so happy and completely childlike put me at ease at once. All of the fear and anxiety that had been in her eyes, on the day that she and Maddie had gotten on to that plane, was now gone and she just looked as happy and carefree as any three-year-old could be. She seemed excited to be there and that could only be good.
“Hey Willow, why don’t you run ahead and let the others know Nico is here?” Hunter suggested.
“Okay!” I bent down and lowered her feet to the ground so she could take off, skipping happily into the house.
“She’s happy,” I remarked.
“She is. Maddie seems to think she likes it here. We’re trying hard to keep her occupied,” Hunter laughed.
“How’s Maddie?” I asked.
“Okay. She worries about Willow a lot and I think she’s having trouble sleeping, not that she’ll admit it, but when you consider what she’s been through, I think she’s okay.”
We stopped talking at the sound of footsteps approaching and when I turned slightly I saw Maddie coming towards me, Willow clutching her hand.
“Nico,” Maddie sighed as soon as our eyes locked. At that, something within me, that had been out of whack all week settled at seeing her smile softly my way.
“Hey sweetheart,” I greeted as I moved towards her with my arms open, desperate to hold her.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” she sighed as she wrapped her arms around my waist. I pulled her close and held her tighter than I ever had before. It had only been a week since I last saw her but it had felt like so very much longer.
