Secrets and Lies | ✔️

Chapter 6 - Talia

Ch6 - Talia

"You're a sight for sore eyes," Charlie announced, his head bent low, bringing his face closer.

"You always say that," Talia beamed, reaching up for a kiss. Gently, Charlie brushed his lips against hers, and Talia's insides went into an uproar.

He grinned in response, holding her close to him. "And I always mean it."

Talia felt the taught muscles move underneath her husband's t-shirt as he wrapped his arms around her for a tight hug. Even though she spent every day with him and slept next to him every single night, the sight of her husband still made her heart flutter, just as it did when they'd first met. He was breathtaking, every little thing about him. He stirred feelings inside of her she never knew were possible, and she counted her lucky stars every day that he was hers. Not a moment went by where she didn't consider herself the luckiest woman in the world.

Carter sat comfortably in Enid's arms, her lids growing heavy as they rocked back and forth on the front porch rocker. "I hope you plan to make dinner tonight, Charlie. Talia deserves a break. She's worked tirelessly in the garden all day, pulling weeds and planting new flowers. She certainly earns her keep around here that's for sure, doing all the things my old bones are too tired to do. Or too lazy, I haven't really decided which."

"Oh yeah?" he asked, looking down at Talia with a wide grin. He had just gotten off work and a thin layer of perspiration decorated his brow. "I don't doubt it. She's the hardest working woman I've ever met. Why just yesterday she slept in until nearly 9:30, and when she finally decided to crawl of bed she offered to make me breakfast," he teased, purposely ignoring the frown that appeared on Talia's face.

"Hey," she began defensively. "You offered to let me sleep in since our daughter has a habit of waking up every single-"

"But, of course, I had already made breakfast," he playfully interrupted. "In fact, I had breakfast waiting for her. Wait a minute, did I say she was a hard worker? I meant I'm a hard worker."

Talia lovingly swatted his arm, accustomed to the occasional teasing she endured from her jovial husband. They had been through so much over the past few years and watching him joke around was always a treat. And watching the affectionate way he interacted with their daughter, a bigger treat still.

"Hey, now," he laughed, ducking away from her slug with mock fear. "I'm only kidding! Talia is an exceptionally hard worker. The way she juggles our home and The Ivy House, Carter and the new company," he said, referring to the architectural design business he had recently started. Charlie shook his head, "I don't know how she does it all."

"Well, it helps that I have a wonderful husband who comes to my aid whenever I need him," she said, smiling fondly at him.

"Oh, you two are so cute," Enid confessed with a smile, as she rocked Carter to sleep on her lap. "I'm so happy you found each other. And to think if any one thing had happened differently, you may never have met. Or had this beautiful girl," she added, looking down at the sleeping baby in her arms. Gently, she brushed a soft blonde curl away from Carter's face and gazed at her as only a grandmother could. "You just have no idea how satisfying it is to see your child turn into a parent, and to know he has his soul-mate by his side."

Charlie wrapped his arm tightly around Talia and she looked up at him and smiled. Her mother-in-law was fond of talking about fate, as if she wanted prove the nightmare they'd lived through had brought them together. It was funny, Talia understood how precarious life could be. That if she had chosen to plant her roots even one town over, she may have never ended up with the family she had now. And as ironic as it all was, she never took it for granted. Who knows, maybe everything did happen for a reason? It wasn't for her to say. She was just happy the ordeal was done and over with and that they were able to get past it and move on. She didn't have to look over her shoulder anymore, waiting for the bad guy to jump out and get her. Steven was gone. He was buried in the ground where he belonged. Still, she sometimes had to remind herself that she was safe, that the demon really was dead.