Page 56 of Ricochet

He and Javier exchanged knowing looks, and Colin hugged her. It’d been too long since he’d done that. “Sorry, Sophia. I should’ve been here for you, too.”

She sniffled. “It’s okay.”

Colin rubbed her back, remembering all the ways he loved to take careof his sister. It wasn’t only Javier’s responsibility. When she gave him a quiet squeeze, he did the same, and she moved from him to Javier, muttering about killing the mood for Brazilian dinner.

“No,Paixao, you didn’t.”

Sophia finally made her way back to her chair, the full circle complete, and brushing the silence away as though she were embarrassed, she thanked Colin for the hug.

“Don’tworry about it. I should’ve done it before.”

“You know what that reminded me of?” She picked up her fork, turning to Javier. “Our Dad used to tell us when we were kids and he’d go on these long diplomatic trips, that hugs and kisses, hand holds—” Her voice cracked. “Meaningful touches are written into memories so that you can always remember that person when you need them the most.”

Colin’sfork fell limp in his hand. “I forgot how he’d say that.”

Sophia nodded at Javier. “But only with the most special of people.”

Colin’s life had been filled with advice from his father, and it always felt like instructions on how to win, conquer, or simply survive. Those words were almost haunting for how strong the gut punch landed. They’d come to Colin with Adelia right after he’d died.

After spending a day in a church questioning what the hell he’d been doing with his life and where he needed to go, maybe he’d known the answer more than he already thought he did.

Adelia was part of his future.

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