Page 132 of Axe Backwards
“You’re already perfect.” I brought her hand to my lips and kissed her fingers. “I love you. Tess loves you. This whole town loves you. You and I have been through so much, but we can rebuild. Together.”
“I want that. To rebuild. But.” She sucked in a harsh, stuttering breath. “You know that I can’t have a baby of my own, right? I’ve seen all the specialists and I’ve been through all the tests. The chances of getting pregnant are virtually nonexistent. If you want more kids, then it’s probably better that you move on before we get any more attached.”
“I don’t care,” I said, my chest pinching tight. “Tess is not my biological child, and I love her more than I thought was possible to love anyone. DNA doesn’t make a family. Love does. If we want more kids, we’ll find a way. If we don’t, then we’ve already got an incredible one.”
My own eyes filled with tears as I lay there, holding her and Tess.
Eventually, we pulled the crib Finn and Adele had brought over into the room. I couldn’t bear for my baby girl to be so far away.
With Vic in my arms, I looked out at the moonlit mountains. Knowing that Jack and Emily were looking over us, I vowed to make them proud and give everything I had to the people I loved.
Our apartment had been destroyed, but it was nothing more than a place to live. A roof over our heads.
It wasn’t my home.
Tess was home.
Vic was home.
And now, despite all odds, Lovewell was my home.
Chapter 44
Victoria
In the two days since the fire, we’d settled into the cabin, though we were still trying to find a sense of normalcy. Already, I missed being in town. I missed chatting with the neighbors and walking wherever I needed to go.
But the mountain was beautiful, and Alice and Henri were the overprotective siblings I’d never had. I’d also gained several brothers and sisters in the form of the Heberts and their significant others, who were constantly checking in and bringing toys and treats for Tess.
Officer Fielder, Parker, and the FBI were working together. With any luck, there would be an arrest any day now. The post office next to our building had a surveillance camera that luckily hadn’t been damaged in the fire, and Denis, the pompous asshole he was, hadn’t even tried to hide the massive red gas can he carried as he approached not long before I woke to find my apartment on fire. Parker had warned that because his dad had many connections, the arrest warrant had to be perfect.
Though it made sense, that didn’t calm my anxiety. I needed this to be over. Only then could I breathe deeply again.
This morning, Noah had dragged me out to the Caffeinated Moose for coffee, scones, and social interaction. We sat at the big table in the window with Debbie, who was bouncing Tess on her knee while feeding her cookies, and Aunt Lou, who was cracking us up with tales of the senior hijinks at the assisted living facility.
Noah sat with his arm around me while we sipped our lattes, and I focused on regulating my senses.
All would be okay. We had each other, and the lumberjack festival had been a huge success. Once we made it through the next couple of days, I had a host of exciting things to look forward to at work.
Whatever happened, we’d navigate it together.
Just as my heart rate was leveling out again, the bell over the door jingled.
On instinct, I looked up. Instantly, I regretted it. The sight of my mother and Alex and Graham was enough to make me feel like I might throw up.
Mom and Alex were fully made up and accessorized, even though it wasn’t even nine a.m., and Graham looked dressed for a golf tournament.
I silently prayed for a diversion so I could run out the back door. They were the last people on earth I wanted to see.
My mother marched straight over to us, her expression thunderous.
“What’s this I hear about a fire?” She put her hands on her hips. “You couldn’t be bothered to pick up the phone and tell your mother you’d been in a fire?”
“My phone didn’t make it out of the fire, Mom. And I’m okay. Thanks for asking.”
She shook her head, “Great. But we still have to discuss the incident the other night.” She lowered her voice. “Your father and I were so embarrassed.”
My heart sank. I shouldn’t be surprised that my mother cared less about my physical safety than she did about my public humiliation. Maybe one day I’d stop hoping she’d love me the way other mothers loved their children.
