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"Oh o," I added

"You’ve been looking for her, haven’t you?"

"Yeah, that’s why I moved to California in the first place"

Her words were uess, her na that I had once told her my tattoo was a lost love I never wanted to talk about Which had not been a lie, technically

"Lane, why?"

"I know you, doll I know you would have worried just aseats away at a person You had enough on your plate already"

"I still would have wanted--"

I jumped to interrupt "I know and I love that about you, but it wasn’t your burden to bear"

"So, why now? Why are you telling ates were entirely bloay and she was full-on sobbing into the phone Thankfully, I could hear Jace trying to console her but I wished I could hug her I knew I didn’t have an would be done in the bathroom so I attempted to consoleher that everything was okay now

- SEVEN -

RAEGAN -

It felt incredible to actually be clean Not the hospital shoith their sterile-s soaps kind of clean, but the really and truly fresh kind And blow-drying my hair! I haven’t done that in years, and I couldn’t believe how light and beautiful it felt I alhed at myself in the mirror with how ridiculous that sounded

When I entered the roos crossed at the little dining table I smiled when I sa happy they ith their food We were never given bad food, but it was portioned and all extremely health-conscious I can’t say that I hated the idea of theetables and fruits, but they never got the opportunity to splurge--ever

"Mama, Lane said this is a pancake! I think it’s my favoritest," Braden said with his mouth full

"Your most favorite," I corrected with a smile

"Mama, look at this! Have you ever had one?" Kate asked enthusiastically

I laughed, "Yes, it’s called a donut Did Lane only order sugar?"

"No, we ate eggs, bacon, and bananas already," Braden inforet sick, if you don’t slow it down" I pointed seriously at the one off to

"So, you don’t hate me, doll?" I heard Lane’s deep ask I halted inwhy I would hate him and second, why he called me doll

"I don’t know if I’ll be able to call every day, but I’ll do my best," he continued I then realized he was on the phone and since his back was facing me, I slipped out before he even knew I had been there But before I was out of earshot, I heard, "Love you too, doll Give the baby a kiss for me"

I heard the phone click back in the receiver and Lane began walking around the room I didn’t knohat to think about that conversation Did Lane have another family? I irl recently, I took it as a fling Now I realized that uess it had felt like he was flirting with uys in relationships didn’t do that I could have been wrong

I had obviously been out of the ga Hell, even before I ith Braden’s dad, I was probably never really ‘in the game’ Question was did I even care if he ith someone else or not? I wanted to say no

Maybe this was justabout how the situation would affect Kate When I saw Lane and Kate together, I had really hoped that they would be able to spend plenty of one-on-one tiht be harder for Kate to adjust to another baby or a stepmom I hated that idea instantly

With my spine stiffened, I walked back into the roo to work a fork with his left hand He was obviously right-handed, but that hand was currently secured in a sling against his body

"This sucks," he gru it to do as he de exactly how I should approach the matter I was never the type to silently holdfester when you could just get it off your chest? He looked up at me and immediately realized my mood

"I I" he stuttered "I’m sorry?" he asked with coh at his ridiculous deer-in-the-headlights look Typical y that he obviously had no idea what it was for

"So, how is this going to work? I don’t knohy I didn’t think about it before, but I just don’t knoell Kate will adjust She needs you Just you Not a step-mom or a baby I know that sounds awfully selfish, but I know her and I know she’s going to need time Too many people all at once--"

"Whoa, hold on," he interruptedincoherent I was thankful for his disruption because I didn’t knohat else I could add to proveabout here? Step to ask Kate to call her ‘mom’?" I shrank back inon?!" he whisper-shouted, leaning toward me over the table

I pointed across the roo to Doll?" I cringed "Sorry, I overheard" I wrung uilty for eavesdropping

"Ohhh," he laughed "Audrey is notlike that, and her baby is definitely not mine More like a niece"

"So, Audrey is your sister?" I asked, feeling a bit of relief For Kate, of course

"By blood, no By what matters, yes"

"But you call her doll?"

"It’s a nicknaed and sat back in his seat