Lily spread the blanket out on all three of their laps. She pointed to the bright pink splashes of color. “Sawyer, that’s the pink t-shirt that your mom gave me to wear when I spilt chocolate milk on mine.” Lily pointed to a faded blue material. “Those are the pants that your mom gave me when my mom sent me to your apartment in shorts and it was freezing cold outside.” Lily then pointed to a piece of green material. “Vida, this is the jacket you outgrew and your mom gave it to me when I was cold. And this white material is the socks she gave me when I had a bad cut on my foot and she didn’t want me barefoot.
“When our mom gave me this quilt, my nightmares didn’t stop, but I would cover my face and pretend I was protected with a special blanket that had magical powers. It’s funny how a child’s mind can twist and turn and find what it needs to survive. I thought I had forgotten about you, but I hadn’t. I never forgot. I kept you with me the only way I could.” Lily swept her hand over the blanket.
“I made you my shield of love, always protecting me. Even now, all grown-up, you tried to protect me, Callie.” Lily’s hands reached out, one to each of her friends to take. Their hands grasped hers, tears falling from each of their eyes. None of them wanted to break the circle to wipe them away.
Lily looked at her friends. “I didn’t forget you, Sawyer, or you, Vida. And I didn’t forget Callie. I’m still here.”
Chapter 44
Lily stood on the snow bank, shivering though she had dressed warmly. She just wanted to see them one more minute.
She put out her hand, knowing how ridiculous it was, but it actually looked like she was holding the lights.
A warm blanket was draped over her shoulders. She hadn’t even heard his footsteps in the crunching snow.
“What did I tell you about sneaking out of the cabin, Lily? I’m going to punish you when I get you back inside,” Shade’s seductive voice whispered into her ear.
“I couldn’t resist, Shade. Isn’t it beautiful?” Lily whispered reverently. “I didn’t know anything so beautiful could exist.”
“I didn’t, either,” he said, rubbing his cheek against hers, his tone just as reverent.
“All these years I’ve waited to see this. It’s more spectacular than I ever believed possible.”
He swept her up into his arms, packing her back inside the warm cabin, shutting and locking the world outside.
Shade had hot chocolate on the table in front of the couch and a warm fire blazing a few feet away. She sipped her chocolate from the mug as she watched him throw a log onto the fire.
He stood up, going into the bedroom then coming out with a small package, handing it to her.
Lily opened the tiny package. Inside she found the exact replica of the flower that Gaige had destroyed.
“Happy Valentine’s Day.”
“Thank you, Shade. I love it.” She reached up, kissing his cheek.
“I’m going to go take a shower. Can I trust you not to sneak out again?”
“Yes.” She curled her legs under her, sipping her hot chocolate.
She was still sitting and staring into the flames when he came back wearing sweatpants. His tats stood out in the firelight as he put some more logs on the fire.
He sat down next to her on the sofa, his arm on the back of the couch. “What are you looking so serious about?”
Lily shrugged, avoiding his question.
“Lily?” His blue gaze demanded an answer.
“Nothing, really. I was just thinking.” She looked up at him.
His hand cupped her cheek, his thumb wiping away the lone tear clinging to her lashes. “About what?”
“It’s just that I waited such a long time to see the Northern Lights… it would have been disappointing if they hadn’t been as beautiful as I thought they would.”
“I’m sure it would have,” he said gently.
“I was just thinking that you said you had waited for me since Razer had met Beth, and then I thought that… what if I wasn’t what you wanted. You might become disappointed.”
“You did a lot of thinking while I was in the shower.”
“I know.” She nodded her head.
“Lily, you only saw the Northern Lights in pictures. It’s different having expectations of something that you don’t know anything about. I grew to know you over the years; what a warm, loving woman you are, how you can’t stand anyone hurt, and how strong you were to survive a childhood that would have seriously fucked up anyone else. Angel, I didn’t have expectations. I knew I wanted that sweet girl whose beautiful soul I could see in her eyes. The more I grew to know you, I wasn’t disappointed— I was captivated by everything I had learned. It was like unwrapping a pretty Christmas package and finding a work of art inside that’s priceless. So, no, I wasn’t disappointed.”
Lily looked at her husband who always tried to give her what she needed. “You’re definitely not what I expected. Giving me flowery speeches on Valentine’s Day, a trip to Alaska to make my dream come true, even being a nice guy and giving Georgia’s brother her job, so that he would be able to support his kids and hers while she’s in prison.
“The first time I saw you, all I could think about was how scary you looked with all those tattoos. Then they ended up being the reason I fell in love with you,” Lily said ruefully.