Epoch (Transcend Duet #2)(43)

Unbelievable … I shake my head and look over at Nate.

He smiles. “Your handprints.”

This is the part that hurts the most. More than the missing feelings—I don’t remember me.

“I want to feel this so badly. It’s like I can’t truly make sense of it if I can’t feel it. I’m going to do the hypnosis. I have to.”

Nate rests his hand on mine. He doesn’t hold it or rub it. This is the only part I feel. How the hell do I not remember myself as Daisy, but I remember his touch?

“I don’t need you to love me back … in this lifetime.” He smiles.

My eyes fill with tears. How can one sentence be so beautiful and so forlorn at the same time?

I don’t need you to love me back … in this lifetime.

Nate Hunt deserves to be loved back in every lifetime—especially this one.

“Maybe after today you’ll see enough to be able to let go.”

Narrowing my eyes, I slowly turn my hand so our palms are pressed together. Still, we’re not interlacing our fingers or holding onto anything more than the familiarity of his skin touching mine.

“Let go of what?”

“Anything that doesn’t serve the purpose of you finding happiness in this life.”

My gaze leaves our two hands in search of more meaning in his eyes. “Are you letting me go again?”

He flinches. “Swayze …”

My hand slides out from under his. I pump it into a fist a few times to shake off the lingering feeling of the boy I knew before the man. “I’m getting married. I have a great job. I think happiness has found me.”

If he’s trying to hide his concern, he forgot to tell the line between his eyebrows.

I nod toward the house. “So you said they’re excited to meet Morgan. How are you going to explain the nanny tagging along?”

“They know you’re coming too. They know you’re Morgan’s nanny. I said you’re a friend of the family and have been like a kid sister to me for years. You’ve heard all the stories about Daisy and you wanted to meet them.”

My lips twist to the side. “I suppose it will work.”

Nate opens his door. “It will work as long as you don’t get too creepy about your knowledge of them or their house.”

I climb out of the vehicle while he gets Morgan from the backseat. “I think calling me creepy is a bit excessive.”

“It’s really not.” His lips wrinkle to hide his smirk as he shuts the door.

Cue the music as I enter the Twilight Zone. When she opens the door, a tidal wave of memories weakens my knees. It’s like I’m seeing a ghost, but she isn’t a ghost. This house isn’t a ghost.

I’m the ghost.

“Nate!” Daisy’s mom holds out her arms for a hug.

“Claudia. It’s good to see you.” He sets Morgan’s car seat on the entry floor and hugs Daisy’s mom.

My mom?

“Claudia, I’d like you to meet Swayze.” Nate smiles at me like, You’re up. Don’t be creepy.

“Nice to meet you, Swayze. What a unique name. I like it a lot.”

It’s no shocker that Claudia, who gave her daughter the middle name Daisy, would like my name.

“Thank you. Nice to meet you too.”

She quilts and makes scrapbooks. Cooking isn’t her strong suit, but she can follow directions with anything that’s a simple add-water-and-mix. The house is neat but not obsessively clean. I don’t have to run my finger along the banister or a coffee table to figure this out. I just know it.

“Oh, Nate … she’s adorable.” Claudia presses her hand to her chest, peering down at Morgan in her seat. I think she might cry. “We felt terrible for missing the funeral, but we were in Europe and just couldn’t make it back in time. We’re incredibly sorry for your loss.” She shakes her head. “I’ve wanted to come see you or call you a million times, but …”

Nate gives her a comforting smile. “It’s fine. I understand.”

Of course she’s emotional. Claudia lost her only two children.

“Come in, please.” She shuts the door behind us and leads us to a formal living room. “Dennis should be back soon. He ran to pick up a few things from the store.”

We take a seat on the sofa, and Claudia sits in the chair next to it. Nate pulls Morgan out of her car seat and hands her to Claudia.

She bounces her as Morgan springs her legs because she loves jumping. “Look at you, sweetie. So much energy. Such big smiles.”

Nate shoots me a look. I feel his joy and his grief.

“What did you name this beautiful little girl?”

Oh … fuck …

Seriously? Daisy’s parents don’t know that Nate named his daughter Morgan?

“Her name is Morgan.”

Claudia freezes, even with Morgan’s hyper legs demanding more bouncing. Way to make Claudia cry, Nate. I bet Jenna would have sent out birth announcements so this kind of surprise would have happened via snail mail instead of special delivery.

She gasps and several seconds later she releases that breath in what sounds like a hollow oh.

I grab Morgan before she drops her. Claudia’s fist covers her heart as tears stream down her face.