AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I rest my palm over his new gift, squeezing his fingers with mine. “Good. Then whenever you're ready, we'll start off slowly.”
“You're really going to do this for me?” He looks up at me again with hopeful eyes.
“Yes.”
He nibbles on his lower lip, appearing conflicted. “Don't feel you have to—”
“I want to be a part of anything and everything you are.”
He nods, his lips spreading into a smile. “Okay.”
I glance toward the window and back at him. “It's really pouring outside. We should go out before it gets too cold.”
“We can always borrow sweaters and jackets from Connor.”
I laugh. “I'm not sure he’ll appreciate us raiding his closet again.” Connor is more Iggy's size than I am and I took a few items from his drawers this morning while he was getting ready to run a few errands. He’s the one who wants us here, after all. He said he wouldn’t give me grief about my need to be around Iggy as long as I did it here. It’s only while Javier and Lennon are still out there. Connor is worried about them coming to my home and him not being there to help me in case I need it.
“We don't have to tell him.”
“Trust me, he'll know.” I stand up and offer him my hand.
He takes it and I lead him toward the back door. Before walking out into the yard, he looks over at me. “Will your brother be home soon?”
I shrug. “Not sure. He said he had to do some work this morning and then pick up a few things from my mom's house.”
“Is your family mad I'm keeping you away?”
Shaking my head, I step onto the porch after he does. “They don't know. Connor told them I was feeling under the weather.” Which isn't a complete lie. I'm not fully ready to be surrounded by too many people. It doesn't matter if it's only family.
He scrapes a little snow off the railing. “You think you'll ever tell them about me?”
I nod and pull him to my side. “Eventually. I want to keep you to myself for a little longer.”
He smiles, his cheeks flushing. “I like the idea of that, too.”
I take a breath. “Thought you might.”
He glances up, sticking his tongue out to catch snowflakes on the tip. “My mom used to talk about how she would make snow ice cream as a child.”
My heart pains. “We've made it before, too. It was always my favorite. We can make some today, if you want.”
“I do. But I think she would have wanted us to do it together, as a family.”
I press a kiss to his temple, rubbing my fingers down his back. “I'm sure she would have, and you still can.”
“How?”
I tap at his heart. “Because she's a huge part of you and you will always carry her everywhere you go.”
He sucks in a breath, tossing the melting snow on the ground. “You're so cheesy sometimes.” His face turns up. “But she would have said the same shit.”
“Your mom was a wonderful person.”
He nods, pausing for a few seconds before opening his mouth to speak again. “She was the best part of me, and now I'm worried all that remains are the worst ones.”
I shake my head and reach for his hand. “Not at all. You are still the same you. Don't ever forget it either. That's when you really lose who you are.”
He shifts his feet, the snow crunching beneath his shoes. “She wouldn't have wanted this.”
