Chapter 71
TARA
It was almost the same scenery as the last time Aidan called, which was just yesterday, and again, Nadia was exhausting the heck out of me.
But was I complaining?
No!
Not now, not ever.
What did I live for if not to hear those hysterical, contagious, and soul–soothing sounds that were my baby’s laughter?
It was a good day, the traffic in the diner had lessened compared to how it was so busy in the morning, so I could give Nadia my undivided attention for the next few minutes.
“Okay, Nadia,” I said, imitating a set position of a bull, as though I was about to run into her.
Nadia was about ten feet away, and she giggled on taking in my stance, then she imitated one of her own because she knew what was coming next. I was smiling so hard that my teeth were on full display.
I continued. “You have twenty minutes until I drop you off with Esme and Aunt Jenna, so that should be enough time for me to show you who’s the boss around here. LITERALLY,” I emphasized, earning another string of laughter from Nadia.
Before she could move, let out a small yell and ran in her direction
walk in would see us as two kids, but like hell if I cared.
as at the
Candeames Latyn same time Nadia darted left, laughing her lungs out. Anyone who would
“I’m gonna catch you! Come here,” I yelled, rolling in some bass on the words from the back of my throat so that it had more effect on her even as her tiny legs scurried away from me.
I had already closed up on her, but that was only because I had to use all my speed. She was fast, goddamnit! Nadia was about to spin or change direction, but I grabbed her by her arm, jerking her a little, before picking her up, and throwing her over my shoulder.
“Caught you, baby girl! I won.”
For the next thirty seconds, we both rolled with laughter, and my heart felt so full in my chest, letting me know for the umpteenth time that I would not want to miss any moment like this with her ever!
“Why do I have to go to Esme and Aunt Jenna though?” Nadia asked with a pout when we had sat down. She was nursing a glass of lemonade to refresh herself after that exhausting feat, only that Nadia wasn’t exhausted at all. Perks of childhood. “I want to stay with you, Mommy, I’ll be good, please.”
Closing the small distance between us, I took her full cheek in one of my palms and pressed my lips to her in a peck.
‘I know, onion. But Mommy has to go do some hard work. I have to get the last of our things and move them back home and they’re heavy. I wouldn’t want to stress you like that, and again, Esme and Jenna have both missed you at game night. Don’t you think you guys would have some fun? You can even
braid Esme’s hair.
Weird choice of a name, if you ask me, but I couldn’t ignore the fact that I just called Nadia by the pe
name
Aidan gave her.
I wondered what made him give her such a nickname.
Maybe I’d ask him when next we spoke on the phone,‘ I thought to myself.
Nadia responded to what I said with far less attitude this time. “I guess we could do game night,” she shrugged. “But I wouldn’t want to braid Esme’s hair, Mommy, just Aunt Jenna because she has a pretty hair like yours,
“Thank you for the compliment, baby. But why wouldn’t you want to braid Esme’s hair?” I smiled.
“Because it looks out weird and of place. It’s scary sometimes, Nadia admitted, and I held back a laugh.
“It is scary sometimes though, I agreed, and Nadia’s eyes widened a bit.
‘Right?”
Where Jenna had full red hair with curls framing her face and falling to her back, Esme’s hair was dark and short like it had repeatedly been run over with a hacksaw.
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Chapter 71
Sometimes, the hair looked like a misplaced wig, but I guessed with her old age, she just didn’t take care of things the way we young ones did.
The small bell at the front of the diner rang, indicating that we had a customer. From how Nadia and I sat at the table, she was directly facing the entrance door, while I backed it completely, so she was the first to take in the customer.
But I didn’t need to turn around or study the wild look on Nadia’s face to know who it was.
All the while when Aidan had been away at his real pack–our real pack-, it felt as if a part of me was so distant and far away, but yet an invincible taut string connected us from one pack to the other, tugging lightly for one to return to the other.
It’s not like we were together or anything, heck, our mate bond had basically been severed some nine years ago, so it was hell of weird. But as soon as he stepped into the diner, it was like I could breathe a little easier. Like I was finally getting something I didn’t know I needed.
I whirled my head around, and the first thing I saw was him, so it was no surprise when my breath disappeared for a moment.
Fuck! I’d almost forgotten how…perfect Aidan was.
He seemed to have gotten a shave and a haircut, but I was enthralled nonetheless. His dark eyes warmed up at the sight of me…or Nadia, and I couldn’t help it if I tried, but a small smile played out on my lips.
Aidan looked so handsome in dark blue slacks, loafers, and a beige shirt, giving him an old–money look.
“Mommy?” Nadia called, snapping me out of my lust haze, and I turned to see her bouncing on her seat excitedly, asking me for permission.
I didn’t know when I nodded.
Nadia was just as captivated by Aidan as I was because, within the next millisecond, she was flying through the air straight into Aidan’s arms.
Dare I say that I missed Aidan?
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