Page 188 of Holy Hearts
“You mean take him to all of your favorite pubs and get him his first pint?” I chime in.
Julian laughs. “Probably. He’s eighteen, it’s legal to drink there.”
Sophie snorts. “Give him a kiss and a hug from me.”
“I will. I promise. But we really do have to go because we’re boarding. See you two in a few days when I get home. Love you both.”
“Love you more,” Sophie and I echo together as the call ends.
Handing her phone back to her, she gives me a tight smile. “That helped. Thank you.”
I take her hand. “Do you want to go sit on his bed and have another cry?”
This makes her laugh again. “God no. I’m not stepping in there for at least a month or two. I’m not a masochist.”
Bringing my hands to her shoulders, I rub them gently as I look down at her. “He’s only off to college. He’s not going to be gone forever. There’s Christmas break and summer break… he’ll be back. All right?”
She scoffs. “I know I’ve said it a thousand times, but why did he have to go to London? Why couldn’t he stay here?”
I give her a knowing look, and she lets out a sharp gasp before placing her hand over her mouth. “Fuck, I sound just like my mother.”
“Yeah. I wasn’t going to say anything, but…” I tease.
She swats my arm. “Don’t be cheeky.”
“I’m always cheeky.”
“I need a distraction,” she declares. “Bea’s at the shop, and Twix is on stall rest after his vaccinations.”
I wiggle my brows. “I’m here.”
“You don’t have to get back to Saint Helena today?” she asks.
I shrug. “I can take a day off.”
“Okay. What if we made some cinnamon rolls and cuddled in bed?” she suggests.
“That sounds perfect.”
Sophie
Later that evening, as the scent of cinnamon rolls lingers in the air, I find myself sitting in Rowan’s room. I know I told Kai I wouldn’t step in here for a month, but I couldn’t resist. The space feels like him, like all the memories we’ve built as a family. His bookshelf is a mess, overflowing with novels Julian and I gave him, with dog-eared pages peeking out from nearly every spine. There’s a photo on his desk of the four of us at the grand opening of The Story Nest in Larchmont Village, all grinning like idiots, holding up copies of our favorite books.
The ache in my chest from earlier is still there, but it’s gentler now. Sitting on his bed, I pick up one of his worn notebooks, thumbing through sketches and notes. He’s always had Julian’s eye for detail and my flair for creativity, though he’s far more disciplined than either of us. I smile to myself, wondering if that’s the Kai in him, the steady, grounding presence that holds everything together.
I glance at the corner of his desk, where a small, framed quote rests.“A family is a nest of stories, woven together with love.”
Julian gave it to me when I opened The Story Nestin San Francisco. He said it reminded him of what we’ve built, what we’ve shared.With seven locations of The Story Nest now undermy belt, the last several years have been chaotic and busy. If I’m being honest, life’s been chaotic—in the best way—for a very long time.
But I wouldn’t change it for the world.
The bed dips beside me, and I look up to find Kai. He’s holding two steaming mugs of tea, his hair damp from the shower. “Thought you might need this,” he says, handing me one.
“I said I wouldn’t come in here,” I admit, a little sheepishly.
Kai chuckles, leaning back against the headboard. “You lasted longer than I thought you would.”
We sit in companionable silence, sipping tea and letting the quiet of the house wrap around us. My fingers trace the rim of the mug as I glance at Kai. “Do you think we’ve done enough?”
