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I shrugged. “I didn’t want you to miss anything if I could help it.” My voice sounded shy to my own ears, and I hoped they could hear the truth in my words.

“We appreciate it.”

Danny moved further into the room. His hands clasped around the back of a kitchen chair. I leaned back on the couch, Dani snuggled in my arms. The silence, awkward and unnerving.

“I’m sor—”

“I want to—”

Danny and I spoke at the same time. Holding Dani tight, I began again, “I’m sorry for screaming at you when you came to the clubhouse. I’d like to say that it wasn’t me. But...” I didn’t want to admit the truth. “I think Haizley might have been right. I think I was projecting my own trauma from what Gunner did on to you. And I’m sorry for that.”

Danny looked at Dante, who nodded and reached for Dani. Walking over in front of me, Danny held out a hand. “Take a walk with me?”

Ignoring Danny’s hand, I turned to Dante. He nodded to me and tilted his chin toward Danny’s outstretched hand. His smile was reassuring, but I still didn’t want to go. Dante was the buffer between Danny and me.

If the two of us went outside alone, we were likely to start World War Three with the way we yelled at each other. Of course, at least here there was no one outside to witness it.

“Ok,” I relented, taking Danny’s proffered hand and letting him help me to my feet. Instead of letting go, he pulled my hand up, tucking my arm around his.

The sun was shining, and the wind was minimal, making it feel unseasonably warm for the end of February. We walked down the steps and Danny drew me along with him.

“I want to apologize for my reactions as well. My mother would kick my ass if she were to see how I spoke to you. Not to mention what my dad would have done.”

That made me smile. Danny had spoken a little of his parents before he left, and I knew how important they were to him.

“The truth was, I was just as angry at you when I walked into the clubhouse.”

Me? What did I do?

“Haizley told us Danika was calling you mama, and... I didn’t take it well.”

I stopped walking and pulled my arm away from Danny. We hadn’t gotten far from the house. We could turn around and go back. They could go back to the clubhouse.

“Melissa, wait,” Danny called when I turned around. “I know you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I never asked her to call me mama,” I said, my back to Danny. My face tilted to the sky, hoping to stave off the tears.

“I know. We watched the video from the zoo.”

There was no stopping the tears. No stopping the guilt I felt that not only were they not there to hear her first word, but it should have been papa. I had tried so hard.

“Melissa, please look at me.”

I shook my head, refusing to turn around. My emotions were out of control. If I looked at his face, and saw the pity I heard in his voice, I would break.

“Dante and I know what you did. We know you worked hard to not only care for and protect our daughter, but also make sure she didn’t forget who we were. I can’t tell you how much it meant to us to be able to see everything we missed.”

Wrapping my arms around my waist, I stood there, trying to pull back my reactions. This was it. This was when he told me they were taking her home. This was where Danny ripped my heart out by taking Danika away from me.

It’s why he brought me outside. He didn’t want me breaking down in front of Dani. He didn’t want her last moments with me to be filled with tears.

“But?” I asked, my voice hoarse with emotion. I looked to the house, and Dante stood in the window, watching us. Another witness to my emotional demise.

“Melissa, there is no but. I am trying to express our gratitude for everything you did for us. Dante and I talked, and while I didn’t want to see it at first, he showed me how important you are to Dani. How much she needs you in her life.”

I spun around to look at him. “What are you saying?”

“We’re staying in Diamond Creek. At least for now. There are still things I need to do. The war that’s coming...” He looked out over the land. “We don’t know what will happen, so we’re staying here.”