Page 115 of If You Love Me

“I know, baby, but—”

“Paw Paw said you better let us take care of you, or he’s coming over with his belt.”

That made me laugh and caused my wife to throw me a dirty look.

“You would snitch on me to my daddy?” she asked.

“I absolutely would.”

“Traitor.”

“I love you too.”

Evenie allowed us to guide her into the house with no further resistance. Summer ran ahead to fluff the couch pillows for her. I guided her into the seat, and baby girl propped her feet up.

“Comfortable?” she asked.

“Very. Thank you, my love.”

I headed into the kitchen to make Evenie a snack, coming back with all her favorites on a tray. Summer had set up a little table beside her, so I placed the tray next to her.

“You guys…” Evenie said, looking around. “I love that you want to take care of me, but I don’t need catering to right now. All I want is to cuddle with you both. We can watch a movie or a show or something. I just want to be close to you. Can I please have that?”

Summer and I looked at each other, then at her.

“Okay, Mommy,” she said.

Evenie smiled as she made room for us. I sat next to her, while Summer sat on my lap with her legs thrown across Evenie’s. She reached for her mother’s hand, and Evenie didn’t hesitate to give it to her. Just like with me, she had to be in her mother’s skin. Her need to be near us or touch us in some form or fashion was like reassurance that we weren’t going anywhere.

Dr. Stewart, who she was now seeing, said it was a normal trauma response. We were more than happy to give her the reassurance she needed. In a way, I needed that shit too. To go through having a loved one kidnapped not once but twice was triggering as fuck for me. I knew, eventually, I would snap out of it, but for right now, I needed the comfort as much as both of them did.

I turned on a movie, and for the rest of the day, we occupied that spot on the couch. Our parents had agreed that Evenie’s first day home should be spent with us, so they left us alone… mostly. Every so often, I got a text asking how she was doing, but that was the extent of the conversation.

Darkness fell, and I cooked dinner for my girls. We ate and watched another movie before getting ready for bed. Once all three of us were showered and I’d dressed Evenie’s wound, we climbed into bed with Summer Rose between us. She cuddled upnext to her mother and closed her eyes. It wasn’t long before we heard her light snores filling the room.

In the light from the television, Evenie and I stared at each other. I reached out and stroked her face.

“I’m so glad you’re home, love,” I said quietly.

She smiled. “Me too.”

I hesitated for a moment before I spoke again. I felt like I hadn’t apologized enough for everything that went down. There weren’t enough words to express my deepest sympathy, yet I tried to find them. As though she could read my thoughts, Evenie placed a finger to my lips.

“Tyrion.” She cupped my chin and guided my lips to hers, kissing me slow and sensually. “You don’t have to say it again,” she said when she pulled away. “I don’t blame you. I’m not mad at you. I’m not going to leave you. Get the thought out of your head.”

I chuckled. “You know me well.”

“Like the back of my hand.”

“Do you think she will be okay?” I asked, looking down at Summer.

“She will, because she has you, me, and a bunch of other people that care for her and her mental.Wewill make sure she’s okay.Wewill make sure she is and feels safe.Wewon’t allow what has happened to traumatize her any more than it already has. You and me are her parents… the people who love her most in the world.Wewon’t fail her.”

I nodded, understanding exactly where she was coming from. Mrs. Cambridge failed Iona in so many ways. It was almost laughable that she was a mental health professional. It was my opinion that she blurred the line between mother and professional when it came to her own child.

She was an award-winning psychologist, yet under her care, she’d allowed her child to go untreated for far too long. It wasone thing to threaten to commit her to get her help. It was another to follow through with it. Had she followed through sooner, Iona might still be here, and none of this would have happened.

“I love you, Tyrion,” Evenie said.

---