“Do you need to talk to someone?”
She meant a therapist. It had been over a year since I’d contacted Doctor Fenberg, and I was in no hurry to do so now. I was certain I could get over my insecurities on my own.
“I just need to remember, that’s all.”
“Remember what?”
“That you love me; that you love us.”
She kissed my shoulder again, threaded her fingers through mine. “More than I love breathing.”
I slipped into a peaceful slumber shortly after that.
*****
I took a whiff of my sweat-drenched sports top, and made a face. For an arduous hour of high intensity interval training, aka HIIT, at the gym in our apartment complex, it could have been worse. In any case, I needed to get home and shower before Naomi and the kids got back from their Sunday afternoon park visit. Has anyone ever been dumped because they smelled bad after a workout? I wondered as I headed to the exit.
I waved goodbye to one of the personal trainers who worked there, then made my way home, which was two floors above.
As I entered the corridor leading to our apartment, I saw my brother, Dove, waiting by the door.
“Hey,” I called out, unable to hide my surprise at seeing him. “Did I miss a text or something?” He usually called or sent a message whenever he was coming over. Gone were the days when he could drop by unannounced, fall apart and wait for me to put him back together again. Luckily, when my life came together, so too did his. He’d been clean for three years, after a relapse shortly after my wedding. But he was healthier than he’d ever been. He’d been booking gigs like never before.
I still hadn’t gotten used to the buzz cut he’d been sporting for a few months now. Dove without hair was like a stranger.
Only as I got closer did I notice there was someone standing behind him.
The man slowly stepped into view, and my heart skipped a beat. The pit of my stomach felt like it would fall out.
“No,” was all I could manage, as I stared into the face of my father.
Holy crap! The dad!? THE DAD SHOWED UP!? Oh dear me, here comes some dramaaa…
Damn Heidi, this was AWESOME. Was totally grinning ear to ear the whole way through. THIS fic is totally what I yearned for after the epilogue. Been wanting the happy ending extended so badly. Finally seeing the aftermath of their life together has my heart doing all kinds of happy flip-flops. Thanks for the feels!
Also, it’s nice to read some well-written, grammatically correct, ultimately flawless fan fiction! So thanks for that added gift. You must have one hell of a beta team. Very well done, you. Can’t wait for the next chapter. —oh, I personally prefer chapters as their finished opposed to waiting for the whole story. More frequent updates, plus more time to reflect and appreciate what you’ve already written. But that’s just me.
Brilliant piece once again, Heidi! Thank you VERY much. Please never stop writing 😀
Haha! Yeah, bit of a cliffhanger there.
Glad you liked the chapter. The family dynamic was something I also couldn’t wait to explore. But you know it wouldn’t be one of my stories if it wasn’t filled with drama 😉
I’ve said this and I say it again you are one of my favorites hands down. Thank you so much for this series continuation. I can’t wait to see what happens next, now that the abusive dad has showed up.
Aww, thanks for the kind words. Glad you liked it.
Why would Dove bring their dad unannounced?! Is he being threatened? What about when Naomi and the twins come back? 😳 Just, wow!
Great work with this chapter! I loved seeing the marital bliss, Dakota navigating being a mom, and battling those nagging fears/struggles with self-worth. The scene at Naomi’s office – so beautiful ♥️
I prefer you to release the chapters as they’re ready. Thank you for this fantastic chapter!
Glad you liked it! And I’m sure Dove has his reasons 😉
Yeah, I really enjoyed writing the scenes with Dakota and the kids. I’m a sucker for that sort of thing, lol.
The consensus seems to be that people want the chapters posted as and when they’re ready, so that’s what it’ll be.
I’m completely intrigued and caught up now. I want..no..need to know what are the dynamics between Dak and her father. Please keep them coming. I can hardly wait!
Haha, me too! His arrival will NOT go down well, that’s all I’ll say. I’m sworn to secrecy 🙂
OMG! I just finished reading this book and it was one of my favorites of yours outside of “Her Lesson to Love” and “A Scarlet Kiss.” I was wondering about the characters Naomi and Dakota and how they fared. I was so happy to stumble upon this. It was nice to see that their love made it and they each saw happiness in their lives. Dakota especially was deserving of a good family, to give her anything less would rob her of what she truly deserved in life. Although my allegiance is to Naomi as my favorite of the two. Everyone needs a Naomi in their lives to love them. I can’t wait to read the other chapters. I hope this trend of yours continues with your other works.