Page 71 of The Fighter who Needed Me
She had to bite her lip to keep from crying and she loved seeing the Brooks that everyone had missed.
A young girl broke away from the pack of children and came and stood before her.
She was small, only three years of age or so and she was sucking on her thumb.
Persephone knelt in front of her and the girl smiled at her and touched her face softly.
“Pwetty.” She said in her quiet voice and Persephone gently touched the girl's face, “You are pretty, sweet one.”
The girl pulled her thumb from her mouth and then threw her arms around Persephone’s neck, which made her give a soft start.
She held the young girl close and breathed in her little girl smell.
She could not hold back the tears this time.
And then she was surrounded by children.
Brooks had untangled himself from them all and held the child that had thrown herself in his arms still.
He knelt at her side, and the children gathered around close and Brooks said, “This is Persephone. My wife. She wanted to meet you all. To hear your stories and to see your life here.”
Brooks kissed her cheek and thumbed away the tears that had fallen. He leaned in and whispered, “This is a happy place. I hope those are good tears.”
She smiled at him and nodded. She held the little girl close and then, still kneeling on the ground, spoke with each and every child.
They all hugged her, one by one and she held them all close, loving each and every child.
Some of the boys were shy and she gently coaxed them into speaking with her and they did so.
All the children sat in a large circle around her and Brooks and they sat like this for hours.
Just talking with them, holding them and loving them.
Persephone felt like she was glowing by the time Mary called them down for lunch and as Brooks helped her to her feet, she felt as if the weight of her worries had flown out the window.
That for once in her life she had been able to be around children. To see what normal children were like and to love them.
To be even more certain that she wanted a child with Brooks.
So that they too could have this always.
She wanted several actually and hoped that it would happen for them.
Brooks kissed her, “Thank you love. For coming here and talking to them.”
She looked up at her handsome husband, “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. I hope we can come back soon. That Bruce and Kitty will stop. I want to live the life that I choose. And that life includes this place. This haven that you helped create.”
Brooks placed another kiss on her lips, “I want that too.”
They were getting ready to walk down to join everyone for lunch when Burk burst in the front door, “Brooks! We need you!”
Brooks’ eyes went wide, and he ran down the stairs, and she followed as quickly as she was able.
Burk was heaving for breath as if he ran here and Brooks’ had gone completely still.
Burk gasped, “Rose,” he sucked in a breath, “Went missing. She was supposed to come and visit today but got here earlier than they were expecting, and she was taken last night when we were at the fight. And now she is gone. No one can find her.”
Persephone let out a gasp and Brooks turned and tucked her into his side, “What has been done?”
