I wander around the room, running my fingers along the plains of the table and supplies. "This is an amazing workspace. I love it."
She smiles, looking around. "This was an add-on we had done a couple years after we moved here. What is your specialty?" she asks from the doorway.
"I love to draw. Pottery is fun, but I'm not amazing at it." I giggle and remember the vase I made in my ceramics class last semester.
While taking in everything about the room, I notice a painting on one of the windowless walls. It's a willowy sunflower, and I gasp when I realize why it looks so familiar.
"What?" Anna's alarmed voice sounds from behind me now.
I point to the painting. "Where did you get that?"
"I drew that. It's one of my favorites." She doesn't say anything else.
My eyes dart around the room. "I've seen this before," I tell her. I don't mention that I drew a similar version.
Hope shines through her eyes. "We broke the rules a little when it came to contacting you. Once we had your address, we sent you a birthday card every year. I like making my cards. For a while, all my cards had this flower on it. We never knew if you got them, but since they never came back to us in the mail, we at least assumed that they were delivered."
The pain of knowing they tried to reach out makes my heart hurt. I don't tell her the whole truth: I found a card once—just the front of the card with the flower design—and it has always stuck with me. I no longer want to dwell on secrets.
"Well, I love it," I say softly.
Her smile is kind when she puts her arms around me. "Let's check out the workshop outside, then I'll take you to meet the horses. We have two. Have you ever ridden a horse?"
14
Ryker
Sitting at the big wrought iron patio table, I'm lost in the moment while I watch Zella toast marshmallows with her mom. The sun sets, and darkness is quickly approaching. Dinner was easy. Truthfully, everything has been pretty easy since we arrived yesterday afternoon. Zella is on cloud nine, and I can't say I blame her. Anna and Fred are amazing people, who harbor so much love for a daughter they never knew.
They seem to all fit seamlessly together. At the risk of sounding like a tool, it makes my heart pound with a little more gusto. I made this happen. I won't take the credit for this meeting, but I won't deny that without me and my computer skills, this wouldn't have happened.
Zella pulls a marshmallow out of the fire and blows on it furiously then giggles at something Anna says in response to Zella's fifth burnt marshmallow.
I smile at the scene. Anna and Zella could pass as twins if it weren't for the fact that Anna doesn't hide her age. Know what they say, if you want to know what your girl will look like when she's older, just check out her mom. Not that Zella is my girl, but if she were, I definitely have something to look forward to.
And I totally just checked out her mom.
Chuckling, I bring the glass of iced tea to my lips and swallow it down. It's sweet tea, and I'm not a fan of it, but I'm going to drink what is offered.
I hear the screen door creak behind me, and Fred lumbers out. He stands next to me, laughing at the sight of them burning more marshmallows.
"I'm wondering if they'll run out of marshmallows before they get a decently toasted one," he muses. "Here, thought you might like this." He places a beer bottle in front of me, and I look up and tell him thanks.
He cups my shoulder, looks down at me as a fatherly expression crosses his face. "Thank you, Ryker. Thank you for finding us. We all needed this. She's lucky to have you." He moves to the seat next to mine and continues to stare out at them.
"I'd do anything to make Zella happy. This is what she wanted," I tell him honestly.
He nods.
I take a swig of my beer, glad to be drinking something other than the tea.
"Look! I did it, finally! Two perfectly toasted marshmallows!" Zella says, walking toward the patio.
"Nice." I laugh while Fred congratulates her.
"I brought you one." She carefully pulls the first marshmallow off and hands it to me, then the second. She studies her work with a smirk, then shoves the whole thing in her mouth. She's fucking adorable. I pop mine in my mouth and taste ash, but I don't complain.
She falls into the chair next to mine, Anna next to Fred. Easy conversation flows once again.
"Oh, my God! Are those fireflies?" Zella points out toward the backyard.
We follow her gaze.
Anna laughs as she speaks, "Yes, just wait. In about five minutes, you'll want to walk further out past where the porch light reaches and take it all in. There will be hundreds. While you're there, you should check out the stars. It's a clear night, so you'll see everything. Actually, let me get you a blanket." She jumps up and hurries inside.
"That sounds amazing." Zella sighs.
Soon after returning with a blanket, we walk into the darkness of the yard, alone. Anna and Fred head inside.
In the shadow, where the porch lights no longer reach, I lie out the blanket and sit down. Before she sits, Zella kicks off her flip flops. I grin to myself.
She's still, and just as I turn to look at her, she gasps. Immediately, I understand why.
Hundreds of fireflies creep up from the grass and float through the air—tiny flickers of light all across the yard and nearby field.
"It's breathtaking," she whispers.
I agree, but I'm not watching the light show anymore. My eyes are fixed on her. Her smile is a mile wide, and when she grabs my hand, I pull my eyes away from her beautiful face and look at our intertwined fingers.
"Hold on to me, Ryker, so I don't float away on all the happiness I'm feeling right now."
I squeeze her hand. "I won't let you go, Blondie," I tell her. I see her smile, but she's still in awe of the fireflies surrounding us. I swat one away. I look up at the sky and see all the stars.
I lay back on the blanket and put my free hand up behind my head. I tug her down next to me.
Another gasp when she sees our new view. I have to admit, the stirring in my pants wishes she were gasping for other reasons.
We lie in silence for several moments. Finally, she speaks. "Thank you for making this happen. This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me." She looks over at me.
"Anytime, Blondie." I wink. I expect her to laugh or shake her head, like she normally does when I use her nickname, but instead, I'm greeted with heat-filled eyes. Darkness surrounds us, except for the moonlight. I can barely make out her features, but I feel her desire. I'm surprised when she leans in and steals a kiss.
Her soft lips firmly land on mine for a quick moment before she starts to pull away, but I reach over and place my hand at the back of her head to pull her into me. I'm not ready to let her go just yet.
Moving my lips against hers, I swipe at her with my tongue. Her mouth opens, a welcoming invitation to deepen the kiss. Finally, a gasp of my doing falls from her mouth as I slide my tongue between her lips. I can still taste hints of marshmallow and think about how this is so much better than the actual one I had earlier.
Without breaking contact, I push up and lean over her, lying her flat on her back. My arm cradles her neck, and my fingers strum her soft hair. My other hand wanders down her body, eliciting more throaty moans from her. Then, unexpectedly, she throws her leg over my hip.