Page 86 of Hold Me Tight

With River.

Living in his penthouse.

Even though it still doesn’t feel entirely real, it feels better.

I’m better.

And Nora is most definitely better.

She’s happy and strangely settled.

So maybe that means I’m allowed to want this.

Him.

Us.

Still, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to hide out in this bathroom for a few minutes longer. Okay, maybe for the rest of the day. My palms are damp and my stomach is in knots.

What if Willow takes one look at me and sees every one of my flaws?

What if she thinks I’m nothing more than a burden to River?

Or a mistake?

Just some struggling single mom who crashed into her brother’s life, looking to become a WAG.

I straighten my spine.

She might not realize it, but that’s not who I am.

And it’s not who River thinks I am either.

After a quick pep talk, I push open the bathroom door, cross the bedroom, and step into the hallway.

I peek into Nora’s room, surprised to find it empty.

Well, hell.

Looks like I’m on my own.

My pulse spikes as I walk down the hall, toward the voices, and round the corner. I find Nora sitting in the middle of the kitchen, knees bent, hair wild, giggling. Two other kids surround her, building towers with magnetic blocks.

What can’t be denied is that my little girl radiates happiness.

Pure, unfiltered joy.

There’s a pretty woman crouched beside them, sliding a juice pouch toward my daughter with a warm smile. Her long blonde ponytail swings behind her as she laughs at something one of the kids says.

Nora beams at her like a little ray of sunshine.

The reason hits me all at once. It’s a piercing ache behind my ribs because she doesn’t get the chance to laugh and play with other kids on a regular basis. I’ve been so busy juggling work and bills and stress that moments like this have been few and far between.

But standing here and watching her laugh like that?

It cracks something wide open in me.

It’s proof I’m not failing.