Page 132 of Where Broken Wings Fly

“Ready, sweetheart?”

Arianna hoists the miniature, sparkly pink backpack up her shoulders. She’s wearing her favourite unicorn dress and new white, strappy sandals, which were a gift from Killian.

He’s a complete sucker for Arianna’s puppy dog eyes and can’t resist indulging her every whim, no matter how much I discourage him from spoiling her. With July bringing hot weather, we’ve had to switch to lighter clothing.

“I’m ready!”

“Got your packed lunch? Water bottle? Pencil case?”

“Mummy,” she drones. “Johan is waiting outside! I need to go.”

Fussing over her, I smooth her neat, two-part braids and wipe a spot of toothpaste from the corner of her mouth. It’s proving harder than I thought to let go of her. We’ve barely been apart in seven years.

But today is the day that Arianna joins the other children of Briar Valley. Rachel runs a home schooling program from a specially built barn behind her cabin. I’ve fought against it for weeks, but it’s time to let her be a normal kid.

Even if I hate it.

My little girl is growing up.

“Mummy!” she startles me.

“Okay, okay. Go on then and be good!”

Arianna gifts me a toothy grin. “I’m always good.”

“Don’t be giving Rachel any sass either.”

Bounding down the wide porch steps, Arianna hooks her thumbs into her backpack as she meets Johan at the edge of our cabin site. He waves at me, an excited smile etched across his face at the sight of Arianna. The pair have become inseparable.

“Be careful,” I shout at them.

“We will,” they reply in unison.

The route is safe enough for them to walk back down into the valley alone. Aalia usually takes Johan, but she’s started helping out at the shared allotment behind Lola’s cabin that supplies fruit and vegetables for the whole town.

Aalia has a real knack for teasing the life out of parched strawberry plants and drooping crops as we suffer through a July heatwave. Amie is more than content to be swaddled and strapped to her back while she works.

As soon as Arianna disappears from sight, my shoulders slump. In front of her, I can just about plaster on a brave face and pretend like I’m keeping it together. It’s the moments I spend alone that allow the soul-sucking hole of grief to return.

“Willow!” Ryder yells from across the street. “I’m towing a car to Highbridge to drop it off. Do you want to come and get some fresh air?”

I cup my hands around my mouth to shout back. “No, thanks.”

“Sure? Might be good for you.”

“Really, I’m fine.”

Plastering a smile on to cover his concern, he hops into the cab of Albie’s truck and sets off, towing a freshly repaired estate car behind him to return to its owner.

In his overgrown garden next door, Killian is getting his workout in early this morning as he tackles a monstrous pile of wood that needs to be chopped. Lola’s hosting one of her regular bonfires next weekend to celebrate Albie’s birthday.

“You should have gone,” he calls out, resting on his shining axe to take a breath. “Rachel will call if there’s an issue with Arianna at home school.”

Shaking my head, I wave him off. “I didn’t fancy it.”

Swinging the axe high above his head, he buries it in a slab of wood and leaves it there. His golden-hued skin practically glows in the morning sunlight, lit with a glistening layer of sweat, while his tangled blonde hair flows over his shoulders.

He crosses the street, wiping off his brow on his green flannel shirt. It’s unbuttoned and flaps open to reveal the chiselled lines of muscle that carve his chest. I almost swallow my tongue. It should be illegal to look this hot so early in the morning.

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