Page 203 of Between Passion and Revenge: Part Two

“I did all this. Marianne is out for the day, so we’re on our own for breakfast.” I point to the fridge. “She left pre-made meals, of course, but the kids and I wanted to do something special for you.”

Her arms fall to her sides.

“Surprise, Mommy!” Tempest shouts, holding her arms out like that one Will Smith meme. “Do you love it?”

Shae seems to take in the sight, too, and after a beat, she smiles and walks over to me.

Closer.

Closer.

And then, she takes my hand.

“I love it,” she replies, looking directly into my eyes. Into my goddamn heart.

I squeeze her fingers in reply.

“Okay, kids. Why don’t we take all of this to the table and eat? Maybe to the patio to let the smoke air out?” she asks, looking at me. If she asked me to eat breakfast on the side of an active volcano, I’d tell her yes in a heartbeat.

Instead, I nod.

“And then,” she says, still smiling, still holding my hand. “Your father and I have some things we want to talk to you about. Together.”

It takes everything within me not to burst into tears of overwhelming fucking joy.

Twenty minutes later, we’re out on the back patio with plates in front of us, the fire scare behind us, and the kids bouncing in their seats like this is the best Saturday morning of their lives.

“So…” Tempest starts, drawing out the word like she’s chewing on it along with her bacon. “Does this mean you and Mommy are, like, boyfriend and girlfriend again?”

Raiden smacks his lips, pulling on the admittedly rubbery bacon.

“No, stupid! They’re gettingmarried. That means they’reengaged,” Raiden says.

“Don’t call your sister names,” Shae and I say at the same time, and I grin at her, which probably isn’t the appropriate response when disciplining one’s child.

“Sorry,” he grumbles, and Tempest rolls her eyes.

After a moment, she gives me a hopeful look.

“Does this mean we get to stay here? All of us? All the time?” she asks, her voice small.

I want to sweep her up in my arms right this second and smother her with love and promise her we’ll never not be together as a family ever again, but this is Shae’s place to speak. I squeeze Shae’s hand again, signaling for her to take the lead.

“You really want to live here, huh?” Shae asks, giving Tempest her full attention. Tems and Raiden share a look, and surprisingly, Raiden is the one who answers.

“Tempest and I talk about this a lot, and we want to live here. We don’t want to go back to the condo, Mom. First, the playground there sucks, and there’s so much grass here.”

“Second,” Tempest picks up, “the kids in the building are jerks, and we get to play new games with Uncle Axel!”

I look at Shae with my eyebrows lowered. Who’s been a jerk to my baby girl?

You can’t beat the shit out of a seven-year-old, Storm.

“And third,” Raiden says, saving me from my dark thoughts, “this is where Daddy lives, and we want to be with Daddy.”

My son nods, punctuating the argument, and he and his sister share twin expressions, their arms crossed over their chests.

Shae and I share a look.