Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 102754 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102754 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
That was when he broke.
He dropped his head, burying his face against my chest as the first sob tore out of him. He cried like I hadn’t seen someone cry in a long time—shoulders shaking, breath catching, everything raw and unfiltered. And all I could do was hold him and let my tears fall silently into his hair.
My heart ached for him. For the pain he was drowning in. For the friend he’d lost and the way he’d lost him.
Then he started talking, his words coming out sounding painful through the tightness in his throat, his body still shaking as he held back his tears. It was a tragedy that should never have happened. So preventable and so devastating.
I didn’t even realize I was speaking until the words whispered past my lips. “The kids… Roque, what about the kids?”
His head tilted back slowly. His face was wet with tears, and when he rested it against the back of the couch, he looked like he’d aged ten years over his current thirty-six in the last forty-eight hours.
“They made me their guardian,” he said hoarsely. “They had the paperwork on the wall, framed. CPS confirmed it a couple of days ago. I wanted to call you, but I forgot my charger, and I lost track of time while I was sitting next to their beds.”
My breath caught. My eyes stung even harder. “Oh, Roque…”
He nodded, rubbing at his face before letting his hands fall to my sides. His touch was gentle as his thumbs moved up and down, grounding himself in the motion.
“Kairo’s almost three,” he said softly. “He’s a quiet kid. Smooth and observant. He doesn’t say much, but when he does, it lands. An old soul in a little body. And Kaida… Jesus, that girl’s got fire. Eighteen months and already taking over every room she’s in. Loud. Laughing. All personality.”
I smiled through the tears, the images forming clearly in my mind. Roque had shown me pictures during the storm and told me stories that painted them so vividly that it felt like I already knew them. Even in their tiny bodies, there’d be echoes forever of their parents—little reflections of Kemble and Aislinn, living on in the smallest expressions, personalities, and gestures.
“They were groggy when I got there,” he continued. “Sluggish and scared. But the doctors said the blankets probably saved them. The tests came back decent, considering. But they’re improving and will be released in a few days once the levels in their blood normalize.”
He looked up at me then, tired eyes searching mine. “I need to bring them home. Soon. But I don’t even know what I’m doing. I don’t know if the house is right or if my life is right for this. The job, the hours, the shit I deal with…”
His hands squeezed gently at my waist.
“And then there’s you.” His voice cracked. “How do you feel about all this?”
I didn’t answer right away, I couldn’t. My heart was a mess—twisted with grief for him, aching for those kids who’d never get to grow up with their parents, and spinning with the reality of what this all meant.
“They’re never going to remember the little things,” I whispered. “Not really. Not the way they should. Bedtime routines, and birthday candles. Hearing their parents laugh from another room. Making those memories that last for a lifetime. They’ve lost all of that before they even knew what they had.”
I looked at my house across the street, my brain already making plans. “You’ve got the space, you just need beds, bedding, and some of their clothes and toys to make it feel familiar. That’s the start.”
He dropped his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. “What about us?”
My brows pulled together. “What do you mean?”
“This is my house,” he said quietly. “They need a safe, stable place. A home. Not confusion.”
“I’m not going to confuse them, Roque,” I said softly. “But I think I should move back to my place or stay with my parents for a little while to give you space to settle them in. The bath’s been removed from my living room, and the electricity’s back on. They’re coming to start on the plumbing tomorrow before they fix what needs to be done structurally. It’s been fast, but I hit gold with my insurance company, and the contractors started immediately. I’ll be okay over there, and if not, there’s always my parents’ or Heidi’s.”
His expression dropped—like that thought hadn’t even occurred to him.
“You don’t want me to go,” I guessed.
“I hate the idea,” he admitted. “I need you. I just… I didn’t think that would mean losing you, even temporarily.”
“You’re not losing me.” I brushed my fingers across his cheek. “I’ll still be here, Roque. I’ll help with everything—getting the house ready, settling the kids, whatever you need. But they’ve been through hell. Bringing them home to a stranger living under the same roof might be too much and too soon. It doesn’t have to be forever, just until they know they’re safe.”