Emma whispered to me, “Would you turn down the light?”
I turned off the lamp and stood by the crib while Emma made a shhhhhhh sound for a moment more, then she nodded at me and let me take over. I tentatively smoothed back Isla’s downy hair, my heart breaking from the closeness and the distance. Then I began to sing, a lullaby that I used to sing to her when she was brand new—
My baby loves wild horses... wi-ild horses...
My baby loves horses, wi-ild ones.
My baby loves berries... black, blue, and strawberry...
My baby loves berries, wi-ild ones.
My voice wavering, tears streaming, Isla looked up into my eyes, listening, pupils wide and drawing me in, entwining us, floating us down.
My baby loves roses... wi-ild roses...
My baby loves roses, wi-ild ones.
I sang her to sleep. And I promised her that tomorrow I would do it again.
I returned to the living room, now empty because the men were in the kitchen, and sat on the couch beside Emma. She was nursing sweet Zoe to sleep and it filled me with love and regret just watching it.
“Thank you. Words can’t express it quite enough, I’m full of gratitude, and I mean for everything.”
“I know, I totally understand... you’re welcome. I was glad to do it.” She sat quietly for a moment. “I’m not going to lie, some days were really hard. I’m not a saint, as you know, but yeah, I am glad I was able to help you — to help Isla and Archie.”
I pulled a pillow to my lap and finger combed the fringe. “You’re her mama?”
“I love her so much, Katie, so so much, but I’m also so glad you’re home.”
My heart sank. “This is going to be complicated, huh?”
“It will. I never wanted to adopt her, but I have loved fostering her. And I’m so glad you’re not taking her away somewhere else, my heart couldn’t take it.”
My voice was so small when I asked, “So what will we do? My heart is broken too.”
She said, “I know. All we can do is do our best. We’ll let you take over without her thinking I’m abandoning her.” She took a deep breath. “And slowly, over time, I’ll become Aunt Em and you’ll be mama, and it will all be okay. I will love being her Aunt Em. I really will.”
“Really?”
“Really, Katie. It will take some time. But I will love being her Aunt. I never wanted more, that’s enough.”
I took a deep long staggering breath and said, “Can I get you something to drink? I remember how freaking thirsty I used to get when I was nursing.”
“I’d love a glass of ice water, and I’m sorry but we’ve rearranged everything in the kitchen, ask Zachary if you can’t find it.”
“Of course, no worries.” In the kitchen I refused Zach’s help and opened every single cabinet before I found the glasses. I delivered to Emma a big tall glass of ice water and placed it on the end table. And then I met Magnus in the hall and he held my hand and led me to our bed, and though I had said, ‘no worries’ to Emma, in truth my heart was full of every kind of all the worries.
In the morning, deeply asleep, draped across my husband’s chest, I was startled awake by our bedroom door banging open. In the doorway, Archie, carrying Isla. She was almost half his weight and he was struggling to hold her up. She held on as if she was used to being carried by her brother, even though he staggered under her heft. He announced, “This is Mammy and Da!”
Isla said, “Ma! Da!” He got her to the bed and dropped her on the mattress. She crawled closer to us and sat between us and patted the bed. “Ma! Da!”
Archie climbed on the bed after her, sat beside her, and held her hand. “Mammy and Da. I told you they would come home.”
Isla said, “Ba! Ba!”
Archie said, “Yep.”
Isla patted her hands on the bed. Archie said, “This is their bed. Isla come here see Mammy and Da.”
Isla said, “Ba! Ba!” And crawled to the edge of the bed, lowered herself off, and toddled out of the room with Archie following along behind her, saying, “Isla want breakfast?”
It was like having a heavy weight lifted from my heart. I called after him, “Archie?”
He stopped.
“You are such a good boy, thank you.”
He rushed back to the bed, climbed on it, and hugged me big and squeezing. Then he patted Magnus on the chest. “Da ready for breakfast too?”
Magnus jumped up, and lifted Archie to his shoulder. “Ye better believe it, wee’un.” He carried him from the room calling over his shoulder. “Come tae breakfast, mo reul-iuil. We are home, tis goin’ tae be a grand day.”
The End.
Thank You
Thank you for taking the time to read this book. The world is full of entertainment and I appreciate that you chose to spend some time with Magnus and Kaitlyn. I fell in love with Magnus when I was writing him, and I hope you fell in love a little bit too.
Please leave a review. I’m writing the next installment and I love the encouragement.
Review Son and Throne
I dreamed up the story one day while visiting the town where I grew up, Fernandina Beach. I had taken my four kids (aged between 5 and 16) to the beach and, after frolicking, they joined me in sifting through the sand, searching for sharks teeth.
I remember that day so clearly, my eyes swept the beach: my children, the great loves of my life, the high blue sky, calm ocean, warm sand, gorgeous shells and yes, when I sifted, a wee black triangle.
The idea flooded me. Magnus setting his leather clad foot on the shores of my hometown. And Kaitlyn meeting him there.
There are more chapters in Magnus and Kaitlyn’s story and in Fraoch and Hayley’s story as well…
Coming soon... Book 12
If you need help getting through the pauses before the next books, there is a FB group here: Kaitlyn and the Highlander, now at over 3,000 fans.
Kaitlyn and the Highlander (Book 1)
Time and Space Between Us (Book 2)
Warrior of My Own (Book 3)
Begin Where We Are (Book 4)
A Missing Entanglement (now a prologue within book 5)
Entangled with You (Book 5)
Magnus and a Love Beyond Words (Book 6)
Under the Same Sky (book 7)
Nothing But Dust (book 8)
Again My Love (book 9)
Our Shared Horizon (book 10)
Son and Throne (book 11)
(Book 12) coming soon...
Series Order
Kaitlyn and the Highlander (book 1)
Time and Space Between Us (book 2)
A Warrior of My Own (book 3)
Begin Where We Are (book 4)
A Missing Entanglement (short, optional, between 4&5)
Entangled With You (book 5)
Magnus and a Love Beyond Words (book 6)
Under the Same Sky (book 7)
Nothing but Dust (book 8)
Again My Love (book 9)
Our Shared Horizon (book 10)
Son and Throne (book 11)