Unbreak My Heart (Unbreak My Heart #1)(49)

I glanced up to where Shane stood in the doorway to my room and flinched at the misery in his eyes.

“You have to go with your daddy, sweetheart,” I told her gently. “He’s missed you guys.”

“But you’ll miss us!” Keller said, turning to his dad. “She’ll miss us if we leave her.”

“I know, bud,” Shane said consolingly, “but she’ll come—”

“She can’t move or Iris will come out!” Keller yelled back, his whole body shaking with sudden fury. “She has to stay in bed!”

“It’s not forever, baby,” I tried to calm him down.

“Iris?” Shane asked.

“That’s the baby’s name,” Sage informed him. “It’s a flower, and it only has four letters, like mine!”

“Awesome.” Shane smiled.

“I’m not going,” Keller announced, his voice trembling. “I’m staying here with Auntie Kate.”

Gavin had been sitting quietly, watching everything unfold, but at Keller’s announcement he started crying.

“Oh, monkey,” I cooed, sitting up to pull him onto what was left of my lap. “It’s okay.”

He mumbled something back that I couldn’t understand then began to sob as I rocked him back and forth.

“Son, it’s time to go, if you’re going,” I heard Mike say from the hallway, making my body go cold.

“Give Auntie Kate a kiss, guys. It’s time to go,” Shane called out as he stepped toward the bed.

“No,” Keller replied as Sage’s face grew terrified. She looked between me and Shane, her lower lip quivering.

“Give me a smooch, sweet thing,” I teased, my voice hitching. “Time to go.”

As she leaned over and gave me a quick kiss, wrapping her arms around where I held Gavin, I closed my eyes and tried to get my emotions under control. Sobbing would only make their departure harder for them, and I couldn’t let that happen.

Sage crawled off the bed and walked to the door without looking back, dodging the hand that Shane held out to her.

“Give me a kiss, monkey,” I said into Gavin’s ear as he hiccuped. “You get to ride on an airplane!”

“Don’t wanna.”

“You love to fly! I bet the flight attendants will even give you some pretzels if you use your manners.”

Ellie came into the room then, and I widened my eyes at her strained face. “Come on, Gavie,” she called, picking Gavin up off my lap after another quick kiss. “Grandma will help you buckle your seat.”

“Mama!” Gunner yelled as I watched Ellie carry Gavin out the door. “Annie! Mama! Mama!”

“No more, bud,” I told him with a small sniffle, setting the small bowl of marshmallows to the side as I kept Keller in the corner of my eyesight. He’d climbed off the bed and was standing rigidly across from Shane.

“Can I have a kiss?” I asked Gunner, pulling him toward me.

“No! Mama!” He twisted and turned, pissed at me for not giving him more marshmallows. Before I could get him settled, he was plucked out of my arms.

“Mamas are marshmallows?” Shane asked, a weird look on his face.

I nodded. I couldn’t even speak to him.

“We’ll get you some mamas for the car, bud,” Shane mumbled, rubbing Gunner’s back as he met my eyes. “I’ll take him to the car. Come on, Kell,” he ordered, his voice absent of any emotion.

“No. I’m staying with Auntie Kate,” Keller argued mutinously.

“Keller,” Shane warned with a stern look before walking out the door with my baby.

“Mama! Annie! Annie! Mama!” Gunner yelled fearfully, trying to pull away from Shane. He still wasn’t quite comfortable with his daddy, and my stomach turned as he began to cry.

When they disappeared from view, I turned to Keller, tears rolling down my face.

“I’m going to stay with you,” he said, reaching out to wipe at my face with his grubby fingers. “Don’t cry.”

His words only made the tears come faster.

“You gotta go, baby,” I argued. “Your dad wants you with him. He’s missed you like crazy.”

“He can take Sage and Gavie and Gunner.” He straightened as we heard Shane’s footsteps thudding back down the hallway. “And I’ll just stay with you.”

“Let’s go, bud,” Shane said resolutely as he stopped in the doorway.

“I’m staying here.”

“No, you’re not. Get in the car, Keller.”

“No.”

Shane started toward us, his jaw flexing, and Keller scrambled up behind me on the bed.

“No!” he screamed, cleaving my heart in two. “Don’t!”

Shane gently but firmly pulled Keller away as he grasped at me, pulling at my shirt and arms.

“Don’t let him take me!” he shouted, his eyes dry but his voice filled with panic. “Auntie Kate! Auntie Kate! Please! Please!”

He fought Shane. God, he fought hard. But he was no match for a full-grown man.

I dug my fingernails into my thighs as I called back to him, trying to calm him in the only way I could. “It’s okay, baby. It’s okay. I’ll call you tonight. I love you! You’re okay.”