Tiffany Snow - Point of No Return

“Easy, buddy,” Blane said. “Your mommy’s a little fragile and so’s your new sister.” Blane gently sat him next to me on the bed.

“How’s Mommy’s Teddy Bear?” I asked him, leaning down and puckering up for a wet kiss.

“Good,” he piped up. Theodore was his full name, after my dad, but we called him Teddy. His hair was golden blond, his angelic looks a contradiction to his mischievous ways. “Dad got us doughnuts.”

“He did?” I said, glancing up at Kade, who’d followed Teddy through the door. “Did he bring me any?”

“Here you go,” my oldest said, handing me a paper bag. My hands were full, so Blane took it and set it aside.

“Kane, you want to meet your new sister?” I asked as he moved closer, eyeing the pink bundle in my arms a little skeptically. Kane was the spitting image of his father, right down to the unruly lock of hair that always fell in his eyes. Though he was only six, he’d been born with an old soul, it seemed, always the one to observe and take measure of things before committing himself.

“Boys, meet the newest member of the family,” I said, pulling the blanket aside a little so they could see her face. “Lana.” They both peered down at her.

“That’s kind of a weird name,” Kane said.

“It was your grandmother’s name,” I said, glancing at Kade. “She died a long time ago, but I think she would’ve liked your sister.”

Lana opened her eyes, blinking at the two little faces staring down at her. Then she stuck her tiny fist in her mouth.

“She’s kinda red,” Teddy said.

I laughed. “You were, too, when you were this small.”

“Glad you could make it,” Kade said to Blane, holding out his hand. They shook, which I always thought was a strange way to greet each other rather than with a hug, but I knew the reasons behind Kade’s preference, so I stayed silent.

“Wouldn’t have missed it,” Blane replied.

“I’ll trade you,” Kade said to me, brandishing a Starbucks coffee.

“You read my mind,” I said, handing him Lana and taking the coffee. I curved an arm around Teddy, who cuddled at my side, thumb in his mouth. Kade had been trying to get him to stop, but he was only three, so I just shushed Kade.

“Uncle Blane, when are we going to the farm?” Kane asked, walking over to him. It was what they called Blane’s house on Nantucket.

“Soon,” Blane said, ruffling the boy’s hair. “Summer’s almost here.”

“Oh my! Let me see her!”

We all turned as Mona entered the room with a flurry, followed by a grinning Gerard. Kade had no choice but to hand Lana over.

“It’s about time we had a little girl in the family!” Mona crooned. “Kathleen, I saw the cutest little pink shoes in the store the other day—I just had to get them. Then she needed a new outfit to wear them with, of course, so I added two new dresses to her wardrobe. Wait until you see them, you’ll just die, they’re so sweet.”

I grinned.

“Why do I think Lana’s going to be the most spoiled member of this family?” Kade mused, though his mouth was tipped up in a half smile.

Blane laughed. “I don’t think you’d be able to stop her,” he said to Kade.

“Oh, you boys hush,” Mona admonished. “Like you’re ones to talk. I spoiled you both rotten and I intend to do the same to this one.”

Everyone stayed for a while, passing Lana around, and I think Gerard was already making plans to build a barn to house a pony by the time they left. After a final round of kisses and hugs and promises to be good, Teddy and Kane went with them.

“I’d better bug out, too,” Blane said.

“Are you heading back to DC?” I asked.

He nodded. “I’ll fly out this evening, but I’ll be back in a few weeks, once the session ends.”

Bending over me, he kissed Lana’s forehead, then my cheek. “Bye, Kat.” He crossed to Kade and gave him a one-armed hug, slapping him on the back. “Congratulations. She’s amazing. You’re a lucky man.”

“Don’t I know it,” Kade said, and I was glad to see him give Blane a squeeze back before pulling away. “We’ll see you soon.”

Blane left and it was just me, Kade, and Lana.

“Chance and Lucy came by earlier,” I said. “They brought those.” I motioned with my head to another floral arrangement that stood next to Blane’s.

“Sorry I missed them,” Kade said evenly.

I rolled my eyes. Chance and Kade would never be best buddies, but they’d come to an unspoken truce over the years.

Alisha and Lewis came by shortly after that, then Clarice and Jack, and by the time the day was over, my room looked like a flower shop.

I was tired when we handed Lana over to the nurses and I thought Kade was going to leave, but he ended up sliding into bed beside me.

“This is much better,” I said with a sigh, cuddling against his chest as his arm wrapped around my shoulders.

“Thought I’d stay tonight,” he said. “I don’t sleep well with you gone anyway and Mona offered to keep the boys.”

“I’m glad,” I said. “I missed you.”

“Brought you something,” he said.

I glanced up at him. “I told you not to do that.” Kade had given me expensive jewelry when each of the boys was born, which was really sweet, but I didn’t need more jewelry.

“You’ll like this,” he said. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out my locket that he’d given me so long ago. I hadn’t worn it to the hospital since they made you take off all your jewelry. He opened it and handed it to me.

“Oh, Kade,” I breathed, tears sparking in my eyes. My parents’ photo had been moved to the left side and the right side of the locket now held a photo of just Kade and me. “Thank you,” I said, leaning up to kiss him. “It’s perfect.”

He fastened it around my neck and held me as I drifted off to sleep.

Seven Months Later

“Don’t run!” I called out, but I might as well have saved my breath as Kane and Teddy ran through the hallway of Blane’s home, chasing a remote-controlled car of some sort that he’d bought them. I adjusted Lana on my hip and straightened the little red bow in her hair. “Your brothers are crazy,” I said to her. She grinned toothlessly at me as though she understood.

I headed back to the library, where Kade and Blane were busy picking up the discarded wrapping paper, bows, and ribbons that littered the floor.

“They tore through that pretty fast,” Blane said with a grin.

“Well, you shouldn’t have bought them so much,” I chastised him. “And the toy drum set is so staying here.”

“Yeah, that was just cruel, brother,” Kade added, grimacing. Blane just laughed.

The doorbell rang. “That must be Chance and Lucy,” I said, handing Lana to Kade. “I’ll get it.”

Christmas dinner had become less formal with little kids running around the house, though we still dressed up. Mona went all out with the candles and table linens, but the boys got heavy-duty plastic cups rather than crystal.

“Dinner’s about ready,” Gerard said as I passed by. He was uncorking a bottle of wine to decant it.

“Smells wonderful,” I enthused. Vivian was helping Mona with the finishing touches in the kitchen.

Sure enough, Chance and Lucy were at the door, along with Billy and their other son, Jared, who was slightly younger than Kane.

“Merry Christmas!” I greeted them, hugging them all. The boys squirmed, but I squeezed them anyway.

“Merry Christmas, Strawbs,” Chance said, kissing my cheek. “We brought a bottle of Blane’s favorite scotch.”

“That’s nice. He’ll like that,” I said, taking it from him. “Come in! Come in! It’s nearly time for dinner. I thought you were never going to get here.”