Page 63 of Fire Forged

“Yup.”Britt brought her feet up to rest her chin on her knees.“You know how I longed for the ride-into-the-sunset kind of romance?Well, it ain’t gonna happen.I have to spend my life with a man who doesn’t love me.Sure, he’s affectionate, but is that enough?”She tutted.“Not that I have much of a choice either.Another thing that irritates.But when I’m with him, I don’t care about this Ethera.I…want him, I guess.”She shrugged, happy to be talking to someone about this, and since Mom was going through it too, she’d understand.

“What would your father say about obstacles?”

“They’re a bitch to climb over?”Britt wiggled her eyebrows while grinning.

“Nice try.”Mom smacked her lips after another sip.“They’re just illusions built up in your mind to resemble a brick wall.”

“Find a way through, around, or over it.”Britt sniffed.“He said that, I remember.”She lowered her legs and tucked her hands under her thighs.“So, does Aldur love you too?”

Mom’s cheeks flushed.“None of your business.”

“Ah, come on,” Britt whined then huffed when her mother stayed quiet.

“I half-expected you to elope.Dropping me a text saying how you’re on your honeymoon.”Mom grinned.“Your father called you a wild child.”

Britt scoffed.“Well, I guess this makes you a mom-in-law.And Aldur my stepdad.”She swallowed hard.Having wanted Mom to move on hit differently now that it had happened.She mumbled, “He’s awesome.”

“Your father will always be my first love, honey.He’ll never be forgotten.”

“I know.”Britt wiped her cheeks.“It’s just too fast.”She caught her mom’s hand.“I’m happy for you…and sad.I’m being silly.”She offered a watery smile.

“It’s been just the two of us for so long.”

“The Swansons against the world.”Britt raised a fist in triumph.

“Now we have back up.”Mom patted Britt’s hand then rose to pull on her clothes.

“Just… I went from single with no prospects to married with a daughter.”

A slow smile bloomed across Mom’s face, sparkling her eyes.“I can’t believe I’m a grandmother.This…is incredible.”

“Yup, me as a mother.Who would’ve thought it.”

“I did.”Mom gave Britt an awkward hug then stepped back to slip into her ballet flats.

“Want to talk about what happened on that ship?”

Mom pursed her lips.“Nope.”

Britt released a long exhale.“Do you think Aldur will recover?”

“Of course.With our medical tech, nope.With theirs, yup.They can grow eyeballs, for Pete’s sake.”

The door chimed.

Britt leaped to her feet to answer it.Lily danced on the spot; the neon pink tutu she wore bobbed around her.

“Cupcake, come meet your granny.”

Lily skipped inside then stopped.“I have a granny?”She faced Mom, her mouth slack jawed.With a squeal, she bounced around the room, then wrapped her arms around Mom’s legs, hugging them.

Mom laughed, caught Lily’s hand and twirled her.“Hello, granddaughter.”

Lily giggled, pulled away, then stared at Britt.Tears spilled over her plump cheeks.“You’re my new mommy?”

Britt’s heart wrenched, and she stepped toward Lily.“Of course,” she managed to say through the lump in her throat.“And Aldur is your grandfather.”

Lily’s face crumpled as she threw herself at Britt, who kneeled to pick her up.When Mom had been saved, Britt had thrown herself at Nerx—she’d expected him to catch her.With the sobbing girl cradled in her arms, Britt let her tears flow.Yup, she trusted Nerx when she hadn’t felt like that with any man since Dad died.Something unraveled in her soul.His death had been a betrayal.It had taken her this long to realize why she’d never dated, why she was such a control freak, why she was too scared to love again, and why she had to let that all go.

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