A Handful of Daffodils (Forgotten Series, #7)

Chapter Twenty-Five

A Few Days Later

"So we aren't going to the craft hall?" Menza looked so confused as she stared up at me. Her cute little nose scrunched up slightly and her head tilted just a fraction. She looked so fucking adorable that I had to smile.

"No." I shook my head slightly. "We're going to spend the morning having fun." We had both been working hard and I knew she would never ever complain or ask for a break. She would keep moving forward no matter how long it took her to get things done. I was realizing I needed to be the one to say stop or no, just to give her a break.

She tilted her head a bit further, those big brown eyes looking even more confused. "So we are going to stay home?" She asked it slowly and I nodded at her. She was just... She was just so fucking cute.

I reached up and nudged her chin with a knuckle and smiled. "Yes. We are going to take little miss outside and we are going to play for the morning." Working was good but even I knew we needed to have time off. I had been running my drills non-stop for nearly three months with so few breaks and even my wolf knew that we needed a break. Even Menza needed a break no matter how much she would adamantly deny she needed one.

"But I was working on-"

"Nope!" I grinned at her as she wrung her hands in front of her, that small confused look turning to a nearly perturbed concern. She didn't want the break. I could tell she didn't but I also knew she wouldn't exactly say that. I bent down so she was forced to meet my gaze. "We are going outside and having fun." Her cute little bow shaped mouth pressed into a thin line and that small line between her eyebrows deepened with her perturbed irritation. She gave a small huff that had me laughing as I stood up straight and then pulled her close, giving her a tight hug.

She was such an adorably amusing little thing. "It will be fine. You can work on whatever you want after lunch but right now we're going to relax and have fun." I nodded as I kept my voice firm, letting her know she wasn't going to wiggle out of it. Her hands came up and lightly touched my sides and there was a strange rolling in my stomach at the movement so I cleared my throat. "Isn't that right, baby girl?" I looked at Maeve bouncing in her saucer and she gave a small squeal and bounced quickly. "See? Even little miss Maeve agrees." I slowly let Menza go and despite the line still between her eyebrows her mouth was no longer pinched.

"Well if she agrees I don't have much choice." She gave a small nod at that and I chuckled, throwing a wink at her before I moved over to the love of my life. I picked her out of her saucer and she babbled at me, reaching up to grab at my face. I mouthed one of her hands with a low and playful growl and she kicked out her legs with another screeching laugh, her other tiny hand batting at my face.

"We're just going out to enjoy the weather and perhaps roll around in the dirt." I looked at Menza and she gave me an almost disgruntled look at the words and it made me laugh. "Come on. Grab that table cloth and some toys for the little miss." She nodded quickly and I moved to the door as I grabbed one of Maeve's hands, gently nomming on her tiny wrist. "Nomnomnom gunna eat you!" I gave another low growl that had her giggling so hard she was nearly shaking in my arms as I carried her outside.

The light was bright and the air was still warm. I knew fall was coming but the days were still warm and the sun was still bright. I wanted to enjoy it while it lasted. Maeve flung herself forward, giving the cutest little growl as she tried to chew on my cheek. I chuckled, letting her do her best to drown me in drool as I moved down the porch stairs. The day was a nice one and I knew I made the right choice to take the morning off.

"Come outside!" I turned and called it out and Maeve babbled rapidly. "It's beautiful out!" It really was. I turned my face up into the sun with my eyes closed and my chest tightened at the thought that my Chrissie would never get to experience this day, get to come outside and play with her daughter. My first instinct was to push it away and shove it down but I flexed my free hand and relaxed, letting the melancholic and pained feeling move through me. I let it wash over me, let myself miss my sunshine, her warmth and her love.