Rose petals

Chapter 35

Staring at the white door, I took in deep breaths and closed my eyes in hopes of slowing down my racing heart. These people haven't seen Everly Rose Carter in five years. Everyone is so much more older than I remember them being. I don't know what to expect. Happiness? Tears? Awkwardness? All three? I just don't know.

Everyone was seated in the living room while I waited behind the door. Mason had told me to come in when I was ready but with my thoughts completely overtaking my mind, I don't think I'm ready. These people grieved my loss. They thought I was dead. They lived these last five years without me. And now it all changes?

The two people I so desperately wanted to meet more than anyone in the entire world were next door with Adam and his wife and kids. Is it bad that all I want to do is run out to them? I spent the entire of yesterday and all of last night watching their videos. I felt as though I was right there the entire time. That I hadn't missed their whole lives and that I was their mom.

"We don't have to do this today if you don't want to." Mom said as she stood in front of me and held my face in her hands. "We can go up to your room and take a nap, or watch movies, or even go outside and break stuff." She smiled as I almost instantly felt a heavy weight being lifted off of my heart.

"I can't do that to them." I whispered, straining my ears in hopes of hearing them talk, but it was dead silent. "Can you walk in with me?" I asked and she almost instantly nodded her head.

"I promise you, it's not as scary as you're imagining it to be." She said as I nodded and let out a breath I hadn't even realised I was holding in.

"Let's go." I said shakily, holding her hand and squeezing it as tight as I could in hopes that it would give me that little push I needed to walk through the door.

It happened in half a second. Mom pushed open the door and we walked into the living room. Everyone was there staring at us. My brothers, sister in laws, my best friends, and all my nieces and nephews excluding Kai who was next door with my twins.

Turning my head, I looked over at Holly who was holding a tiny newborn in her arms. A gasp escaped my lips as I slowly walked over to her, my eyes glued to her baby. She had a baby. My best friend had a baby.

"His names Carter." She whispered, slowly holding him out for me to hold. Taking him in my arms my eyes instantly welled up with tears. I could barely see anything.

"I'm so glad he looks like you and not Kade." I whispered.

"Right." She snorted as we looked up at Kade who was huffing and puffing like a child. "Mimi had a baby too." She grinned as I gasped once again and snapped my head over to Mia who had a little baby boy cuddled on her chest fast asleep. He looked at least a year old and had the chubbiest cheeks.

Handing Carter back to Holly, I shoved Max out of the way and sat besides Mia. I bit back a laugh when he dramatically flew off the couch and landed on the floor, and gently ran a hand through the baby's soft black hair he most definitely got from Mia.

"His names Atlas and he's a year and four months old." Mia grinned as she carefully handed him to me so he wouldn't wake up.

"He's so handsome." I pouted as I cuddled him and rest my cheek on the top of his head.

"He's his dads son of course he's handsome." Max shrugged as we rolled our eyes and mocked him.

"Emerson and Elle are so good with him, Elle dresses him up like a fairy and it makes Emmy so mad." She laughed as a wide smile made its way to my face at the mention of my kids.

Just as I was about to say something, I felt Atlas begin to move. I froze in place hoping I didn't wake him up but the second his gorgeous big brown eyes looked right into mine, my heart melted. I waited for him to start fussing, or crying to go to his mom, but instead he smiled wider than I've ever seen a baby smile. He reached his chubby arms up and pinched my cheeks, pulling my face down to his.