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Big Tag seemed to get serious. “They taped hisinterrogation?”
She’d spent a couple of hours this morning listening to themtorture TJ. “Yes.”
Erin’s jaw tightened. “I’d like to hear it.”
“Mom, there’s nothing on there that would help,” TJcountered. “It’s torture and me screaming when I couldn’t hold it in. Also, there’sa point where I kind of threw you under the bus. They basically told me theywould go after you or Devi or Lou. I pulled a whole ‘not my sweet, elderly mom’thing.”
Erin stood and crossed the space between her and her son,putting her hands on his cheeks. “You should always send them my way because Iam your mother and I will slay every monster for you.”
Tears pricked Lou’s eyes because Erin was a good footshorter than her son and he weighed a hundred pounds more, and Erin meant everyword. She would stand between her son and whatever came his way. The way Lou’smom would.
The way Lou would.
It didn’t matter. The revelation came upon her suddenly. Sheloved TJ and she always would. She wasn’t sure why. Maybe it had been his sweetsmile combined with his tender heart when he was a boy. Maybe it was thefriendship they’d formed. It didn’t matter. Her love wasn’t selfish, and shemade it less when she allowed it to be.
Theo joined his wife and son, forming a circle around TJ.
That was what she wanted. What she had, in a way. She wasthe center of that circle for her parents, and she was so grateful, but shewanted more. She wanted to be the strong arms protecting their kids.
She wanted everything with him, and she had to be braveenough to risk disaster.
“I love you guys, and this is one of those moments,” TJ wassaying. “One of those family moments that I’ll never forget. But it’s notcomplete.”
For a moment she thought he was talking about the fact thathis sister wasn’t here, but then she realized he was looking at her. He openedhis arms, giving her entry to the circle. “It’s never complete without you,Lou.”
“It’s not, sweet girl,” Erin agreed. “It hasn’t been sincehe was twelve years old. He’s a late bloomer. Forgive him.”
Forgive him. Was there anything to forgive? They hadn’t beenready if one of them hadn’t been ready. If he’d given in, would they still betogether or would they be broken like Kala and Cooper? Did she want that forthem? No. She wanted this. She wanted inside that beautiful circle, and withtears blurring the world, she walked to them, letting them surround herutterly.
“We’re going to get through this,” Theo promised. “It’sgoing to be okay.”
“We can get through anything together,” Erin added, and Loufelt her tighten her arms around her.
Then there was another body behind her as Big Tag joined in.
Theo looked up at his brother, a brow cocking.
“Hey, I like a good hug and this one is a long time coming,”Big Tag said. “Now we have to find a way to fix the rest of them. Also, I likehow TJ called his mom elderly and got this big hug out of it. Erin’smellowing.”
“I’ll get him back,” Erin promised, but leaned her headagainst her son’s.
“And we shouldn’t forget that she killed that monster withthe power of her thighs,” Big Tag added.
Theo laughed and hugged them all tighter. “That’s my baby.”
“And you’re mine,” TJ whispered, nuzzling against her.
A sense of peace settled over Lou.
And she was buying a thigh master because she was going tobe as fierce as her mother-in-law.
* * * *
TJ wanted the moment to never end because when Lou hadjoined them, it had felt like forever, but like all things, time moved on andhis parents pulled away.
Damn, but he loved them.
He prayed that had been more than a moment for he and Lou.She had to see how much love was waiting for her.
