The Resurrection of Wildflowers (Wildflower #2)(51)
Seda stands with her cousins, happy to see them.
“Are you okay?” Thayer whispers in my ear, his lips brushing my sensitive skin.
I force a smile. It’s on the tip of my tongue to lie, but I don’t want to lie to him anymore. “No.” He wraps his arms tighter around me. His gaze drifts in the direction of Forrest’s grave. “You don’t have to stay.” I know how hard this must be. I’m not expecting him to stay glued to my side if this is too much.
He shakes his head. “I’m not leaving you.” Warm brown eyes meet mine and I instantly feel comforted. “Wherever you are is where I belong.”
Luckily the graveside service is short and sweet, and we all start to head back to where we parked our cars.
Seda tugs on Caleb’s hand. “My brother is over there.” She points in the approximate location of Forrest’s grave. To me she says, “Don’t worry mom, he’ll look after grandma.”
I pull my black skirt up slightly so I can crouch down to her level. I stroke her soft cheek. “You think so?”
“Mhmm. They’re family.” She looks at me, then Caleb, and lastly Thayer. “We’re all family.”
“Yeah, we are.” Caleb scoops her up, her arms going around his neck.
It’s unconventional, the three of us raising Seda, but we are a family and we’re going to do the best we can.
CHAPTER 33
THAYER
Caleb heads back to Boston, leaving Seda behind since she’s out of school now and she wanted to stay with her mother. I could tell it bothered him leaving her, but he didn’t fight it since it’s what Seda wanted.
The three of us are on the couch in my living room, watching some PIXAR movie Seda loves. She rests her head on Salem’s leg, her body draped in a blanket, snoozing away. But neither of us makes a move to change the movie or turn the TV off all together.
“I was thinking,” I start, and Salem turns her eyes up to me. She looks exhausted, her eyes red from crying off and on today. “Do you think … I mean, would it be okay if I turned a room upstairs into a bedroom for Seda?”
She smiles slowly, stretching slightly. I’m sure she’s stiff from not being able to move with Seda sleeping on her leg, but she never complains. “I think that’s a great idea.”
“You do?”
“You look so worried.” She pokes my cheek. “Don’t be. She should have a room here.”
“I don’t want her to feel obligated to stay here if you’re not here, but I’d like for her to have a space that’s her own.”
“Trust me, Seda doesn’t do anything she doesn’t want to do.”
“We can go furniture shopping tomorrow. I’ll get whatever she wants.”
Salem laughs lightly. “You’re such a pushover.”
Her phone vibrates on the coffee table. I lean over and grab it, handing it to her.
Her brows furrow at the screen. “Wha-?”
“What is it?” I ask.
“It’s Lauren. She said she had something delivered and I need to grab it right now.”
“What do you think it is?”
“I have no idea, but I better go see.”
“Let me go.”
“No.” She shakes her head. “It’s fine.”
Somehow, she manages to get up without disturbing Seda. She heads quietly to the front door and opens it, looking around. I get up too, joining her. I put my hand on the back of her neck, massaging my thumb into the skin there.
“She probably meant your mom’s house, love.”
“Oh,” she blushes, “right, of course.”
Barefooted, she scurries off my front porch and runs next door. A moment later I hear a shrill, high-pitched scream. I look back at my house for one second and close the door before I take off in a run.
Is she being attacked? What’s happening?
I get my answer seconds later when I run onto the driveway and find Lauren and Salem jumping up and down hugging each other.
That was a happy scream? I thought she was being murdered.
The two girls can’t stop shrieking and my eardrums hurt. “Ladies,” I interrupt, “do you mind if we head over to my house?”
Salem lets go of her best friend.
Lauren is tall with dark hair and tan skin. She’s Salem’s complete opposite, at least in looks, I can’t say anything about her personality.
“Oh, look,” she looks me up and down for emphasis, “it’s Baby Daddy.”
Salem busts out laughing while I shake my head.
“Seda’s sleeping, come on,” I encourage.
Salem grabs Lauren’s hand, dragging her with her. “Thayer, grab Lauren’s bag from her car will you?”
With a sigh, I unload the massively large suitcase from the back of the rental and wheel it behind me.
The girls’ excited chatter grows softer as we approach my house since Seda is still asleep on the couch. I take Lauren’s suitcase upstairs and put it in the first guestroom. It has an attached bath which I’m sure she’ll prefer.
When I get back downstairs, I find both of them in the kitchen drinking wine with Salem gushing over a diamond ring on Lauren’s finger. Salem hears me approach, looking over her shoulder with a smile. I’m glad Lauren came. She needs a friend during this time to help lift her spirits.