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Ayla looked up at her with a toothy grin, batter all over her face. “Did you want any?”
Katie chuckled. “I’m good, sweetheart. It’s all yours.”
Ayla eagerly went back to her bowl, clearly not too upset Katie wasn’t sharing it.
Katie watched the scene play out before her, and a pang of longing entered her chest. A longing for a future just like this. One where she and Ayla could have more days where they baked together and played. And then Axur would come home, and they would drag him into their fun.
Then, at night, she and Axur would tuck Ayla into bed. After that, they’d spend a little time with just the two of them in each other’s arms.
And then the next day, they would all wake up and do it all over again. And the next and the next and the next. They could be a family. A real family.
Katie wasn’t naïve. She knew that even the most ideal families had their rough days. But strangely enough, if she was going to choose a family to go through rough times with, it would be this one. This little family which had begun to form even though it wasn’t supposed to.
And there was the kicker. This was forbidden for Axur. He wasn’t supposed to have a child or marry. He was a general, and his duty was to his men and his service. This couldn’t last.
The thought settled like a knot in her gut, and the euphoria that surrounded her all day weakened a little. It was a reality she knew she couldn’t keep denying. Sooner or later, they’d all have to face the truth, and a decision would have to be made.
She just didn’t know if she could bear to know what that decision would be. What would Axur choose?
The more time he spent with them, the more he was warming to the same idea as she was. He wouldn’t be pushing back meetings and taking her out on dates if he didn’t.
And the way he looked at her, not just in the bedroom but when they were eating or playing with Ayla, there was something warm in his gaze. Something that stirred her deep inside. It was the reason Katie dared to hope for so much.
Ayla wasn’t the only one who’d come so far since she’d been here. And so Katie didn’t try to fight the possibility of a future with Axur and Ayla. She let herself embrace the fantasy of thewhat-if. As each day went by, she could tell Axur’s heart grew softer over the idea of the same future.
They just needed a little more time. A little more time to grow closer. For Axur to realize he could have just as great a life if he chose to be with them. She could tell that a part of him already wanted to choose them. The only thing holding him back was that he’d have to give up his career.
That’s where an even wilder fantasy of hers was born. One where somehow their little family would conquer it all, just like in a book. Where the military would see that Axur was just as great a man as ever even with a family. Maybe they’d even declare that the family had made him better.
But she didn’t give that particular fantasy much thought. Mostly because she knew how unlikely it was that it would ever become a reality. No matter how perfect they might be together, his people were set in their ways and probably weren’t going to change just for her and Axur.
The only reason she even allowed those thoughts to surface was because, in her fantasies, there would be no debate. Axur wouldn’t be forced to choose between her and Ayla and his career. He could have both. She could have him. Ayla could have a home with people who loved and cared for her.
Not that Katie was going to talk about any of this with the young girl. She didn’t want to give her hope in something that might not materialize.
Most importantly, in her daydreams, the possibility of this all being a short-lived dream they’d all have to wake from wouldn’t have to happen. There was no chance of her getting hurt. She didn’t want all of this to end yet. More than ever, she realized that this was all she ever wanted.
A family.
She’d never had a real family, and she couldn’t imagine losing the one she’d just made.
And so, she pushed all those foreboding thoughts into the back of her mind with practiced ease. She was going to enjoythisright now. She wasn’t going to let the possibility of whatmighthappen ruin the well-earned happiness she had now.
“I’m done!” Ayla said, drawing Katie out of her thoughts.
She burst out laughing when she saw the girl’s face. It was covered in even more batter and had even gotten into her hair.
“Come on, let’s get you washed up.”
After half an hour of cleaning batter off of Ayla’s face, hair, and even her ears, she stated batter eating would involve spoons next time.
They took the cookies out of the oven and then set them to cool.
“We need to get everything we need to decorate.”
Ayla was already moving around the kitchen, pulling out things from various cabinets.
Katie grinned. “I’ll follow your lead.”
