Craving Resurrection
Page 122
“Be rude to eat your food and not contribute,” she said with a grin before her face grew serious again. “You look beautiful.”
“Thanks,” I replied, self-consciously running my hand over my hair.
“It’s not the hair,” she said, reaching out to grasp my hand and squeeze it. “It’s the face.”
She moved past me with a smile, and I turned back toward the front door that my son had just passed through.
“Hey, kiddo,” I called, walking toward him.
“Hey, Mum. Place looks good,” he said with a smile, leaning down to hug me. “Brought you something.”
He handed me a wrapped gift, and I looked at him in surprise. “You didn’t have to bring me anything.”
“I think you’ll like it,” he replied with a smile. “Hey, Trick, nice to see you.”
I watched them reach forward and shake hands, and felt an overwhelming sense of relief at Nix’s open expression. It wasn’t the same as it was before, but they’d get there eventually.
“Well?” Nix asked, turning back to me. “Open it.”
I ripped open the wrapping, then fumbled, almost dropping the frame as I realized what it held.
“I think that’s the only one,” Nix explained. “I found it in Nan’s things about a year after she passed, and I put it aside. You know, just in case you found it and—”
“Ye did good, boyo,” Patrick said softly, reaching out to hug Nix tightly. “Real good.”
I stared down at the photo of me and Patrick on our wedding day, and couldn’t stop the tears that hit my eyes.
We were so young then.
Happy.
“Thank you, son,” I said, finally looking away from the picture. “This is awesome.”
“You’re welcome,” he replied with a wide smile, obviously proud of himself. “Grease outside? I wanted to see if he’d check out my bike while I was here.”
“Yeah, he’s out back. Are you staying the night?”
“Probably at Grease and Callie’s.”
“Oh, okay.”
With another smile, he left us, and I walked to the window facing the back yard to watch him say hello to everyone. He was so comfortable in the group, like he’d known them his entire life.
“Good photo,” Patrick murmured, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist.
“Great photo,” I agreed.
“Shall we go get some food?”
“No, let’s just stay here for a second, okay, baby?”
“Alright, my love.”
We stood there and watched our family for a while longer, talking and laughing and teasing each other. The kids ran around like maniacs, screeching, and Rose sat off to the side, a small smile on her face.
Without thought, he’d given me exactly what he’d promised.
Four boys.
A little house with a garden.
Everything I’d ever wanted.
“Thanks,” I replied, self-consciously running my hand over my hair.
“It’s not the hair,” she said, reaching out to grasp my hand and squeeze it. “It’s the face.”
She moved past me with a smile, and I turned back toward the front door that my son had just passed through.
“Hey, kiddo,” I called, walking toward him.
“Hey, Mum. Place looks good,” he said with a smile, leaning down to hug me. “Brought you something.”
He handed me a wrapped gift, and I looked at him in surprise. “You didn’t have to bring me anything.”
“I think you’ll like it,” he replied with a smile. “Hey, Trick, nice to see you.”
I watched them reach forward and shake hands, and felt an overwhelming sense of relief at Nix’s open expression. It wasn’t the same as it was before, but they’d get there eventually.
“Well?” Nix asked, turning back to me. “Open it.”
I ripped open the wrapping, then fumbled, almost dropping the frame as I realized what it held.
“I think that’s the only one,” Nix explained. “I found it in Nan’s things about a year after she passed, and I put it aside. You know, just in case you found it and—”
“Ye did good, boyo,” Patrick said softly, reaching out to hug Nix tightly. “Real good.”
I stared down at the photo of me and Patrick on our wedding day, and couldn’t stop the tears that hit my eyes.
We were so young then.
Happy.
“Thank you, son,” I said, finally looking away from the picture. “This is awesome.”
“You’re welcome,” he replied with a wide smile, obviously proud of himself. “Grease outside? I wanted to see if he’d check out my bike while I was here.”
“Yeah, he’s out back. Are you staying the night?”
“Probably at Grease and Callie’s.”
“Oh, okay.”
With another smile, he left us, and I walked to the window facing the back yard to watch him say hello to everyone. He was so comfortable in the group, like he’d known them his entire life.
“Good photo,” Patrick murmured, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist.
“Great photo,” I agreed.
“Shall we go get some food?”
“No, let’s just stay here for a second, okay, baby?”
“Alright, my love.”
We stood there and watched our family for a while longer, talking and laughing and teasing each other. The kids ran around like maniacs, screeching, and Rose sat off to the side, a small smile on her face.
Without thought, he’d given me exactly what he’d promised.
Four boys.
A little house with a garden.
Everything I’d ever wanted.
