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“Like what?” she replied in confusion

“Why do you put yourself down? She’s lucky to have you”

“Lucky would’ve been Liv,” Cecilia said flatly “Lucky would’ve been sleeping in that nursery that heron so chair Lucky would’ve been two parents that loved her and wanted her so et her She’s not lucky”

“I think you’re forgetting so”

“Oh, yeah?” Cecilia said, dryly “What’s that?”

“That her parents hite supreanization that pretty much disappears entire families when they try to escape their fucked up lives,” I said, not bothering to pull any punches “That her older brother is a fucking murderer that killed her parents and would’ve killed her She’s goddamn lucky that you’re the one who saved her, that she has all these people—good people—that will have her back What kind of life would she have had if the Warrens had lived?”

“I wasn’t planning on being a parent,” Cecilia murmured “This was never in the cards”

“That would’ve been a fucking shame,” I said baldly

“I wasn’t cut out for this”

“Bullshit,” I practically spit “If ever there was a woman who should be a mother, it’s you”

“How do you figure?”

“Cecilia, you are one of the most loyal and protective people I’ve ever known”

She laughed “Yeah, right”

“Don’t pull that shit with et who you’re talking to right now”

“How could I?” she mumbled “You’re literally the only person on the planet ould ever say that”

“That’s because I know you better than anyone else on the planet does”

“You hadn’t even seen me in years”

“People don’t change that h I should’ve added stubborn to her list of traits “Who they are, the root of theed”

“Yes, I have,” she said, staring into my eyes