Page 131 of The Pact
So I do.
“Saint.”
“What? I’m breathing.”
“You’re growling.”
“Same thing. Air is moving in and out.”
I look over to catch her rolling her eyes.
“Come on, let’s go do this before you back the car out of the driveway.” She takes her hand off my arm and opens her door.
We say our hellos and hug the kids, who hear us come in and run to the door to see us.
Remy whispers in my ear. “I missed you.”
I close my eyes, my turn my head just enough to kiss him on the side of his head. “I missed you, too, bud.”
Rhyan’s in Presley’s arms, and she dives for me, and we switch kids.
“Remy, can you take your sister out to the backyard and play on the Mystic Tower for a little while so we can talk to your uncle and Presley?” Evelyn places a hand on Remy’s shoulder and smiles.
He looks up at me, and I nod to let him know everything is okay.
Once the kids are outside, Rhyan is ordering Remy around from the top of the backyard play set, and we sit down at the kitchen table. I watch them for a minute through the window.
It does look like a tower. We should probably get something like that for my house.
My attention turns back to the Harts. I see a folder and a notepad on the table, along with a tissue box.
“Can I get either of you something to drink?” Evelyn offers with a slight shakiness to her voice.
“I’m okay, thank you,” Presley answers.
I shake my head. “No thank you.”
Although my mouth feels like it’s stuffed full of cotton balls.
I don’t want to sit around exchanging fake pleasantries, so I start the conversation.
“Look, I want them in your lives.”
Evelyn’s eyes start to fill with tears. And Dennis’s hands are clasped tightly on the able, his expression guarded.
“I mean that,” I say, looking between them. “I don’t want to cut you out. I don’t want Remy and Rhyan growing up without their grandparents. You’re the only ones they’ve got.”
Evelyn takes a tissue from the box and presses it to her mouth. “We just miss them so much.”
“I understand that.”
“No,” she says, voice breaking. “Wyatt, you don’t. Seeing them … makes us feel close to Chris. They’re all we have left of him.”
Dennis clears his throat, his eyes shining even though his voice stays firm. “Chris was our only child. And we fought a long battle of IVF treatments just to have him. And now, he’s gone.”
Presley’s hand slides over mine under the table.
I look at them and nod slowly. “I know you love them. I do. And I don’t want to take your memories of Chris either. I don’t want to take them away from people they love, and also their only connection to their father. And these kids are my only family left, so trust me, I do understand.”
