Wes!”
Two little girls ran full speed toward us, their blonde hair flying in the air. Their hands wrapped around his legs as their laughter and glee erupted, but they came to a sudden halt when they noticed me.
“Tess, Teegan.” He patted their heads. “This is Emilia.”
I lowered my body to their height. “Hi.”
Teegan pushed her golden blonde hair off her face. They both had the most beautiful piercing blue eyes, and if it weren’t for a freckle on Teegan’s chin, you wouldn’t be able to tell them apart. “Is she your girlfriend, Uncle Wes?” He laughed and whispered something in Tess's ear before she ran off.
“They're adorable,” I said, and watched them run up the deck.
“They're a handful. My brother, Trent, is overseas, so my mother has them.”
“Work or pleasure?”
“War.” His voice, which had been smooth and happy, instantly changed to sadness.
My palm slammed on my forehead. “Gosh, I'm an ass. I'm sorry, I didn't even think—”
“It's okay.” Weston threw his arm over my shoulder. “Their mom suffered from postpartum depression and never fully recovered, and Trent’s deployment didn’t help. It's been a working battle, but my mother has full custody now.”
“Weston!”
“And that would be my mother.” He laughed. A petite woman appeared on the deck, her slim body leaning against the railing. Her skin was the color of mocha, and her hair was midnight black with tight spiral curls. When she smiled, it was the same smile Weston had. A tall, older gentleman with blond hair and light green eyes joined his mother on the wooden deck.
“Your dad?” I questioned.
“Yeah. Stepdad, technically.” He grabbed my hand and led me towards the deck. My heart rate spiked with anxiety. What would she think of me?
They met us halfway. His mother clutched her hands to her chest as she admired her son. “Oh, sweetie.” She opened her arms for an embrace. Weston released my hand and hugged his mother before looking back at me.
“Emilia Darcy, these are my parents, Margaret and Joseph Carter.”
I extended my hand to his mother. Ignoring it, she opened her arms for me. I smiled and hugged her briefly. “It's a pleasure to meet you.”
Margaret held both of my hands. “Oh, the pleasure's all mine. I'm so happy you could join us for lunch.” She beamed at Joseph. “Isn't she beautiful?”
“Hi.” I extended my hand to shake his.
“Hello.” He smiled. “Margaret is a bit excited to have you over.”
“Nonsense.” She patted his chest. “Come out back. Lunch is almost ready.”
The modern house stood tall, stretching out toward the horizon. Wooden panels flanked the facade as the smooth glass from the windows peeked out from behind perfectly groomed hedges.
Locking her arm with mine, she led us through the backyard and up onto the deck; I followed Margaret inside. Weston followed, then led me into the kitchen. The cabinets were a dark cherry with tan granite countertops. Dishes loaded with delicacies covered most of the counter space. It was beautiful.
Margaret collected my purse to put away. After she had left, Weston introduced me to an elderly woman standing at the stove. “Emilia, this is Mama, my grandmother.” She was an older version of Weston’s mother, her ash gray hair pulled back in a low bun. She had the same smile as Weston and his mother.
“Hello. It's a pleasure to meet you.”
Her soft hands framed my face; her eyes shone brightly. “Oh, look at you.” She turned to face Weston. “You've done well, my boy. She’s beautiful.” Her arms dropped to embrace me.
There was a small pinch in my chest. I’d never had a grandmother, at least not one who I’d had the pleasure of meeting, and the way Mama wrapped her arms around my body made me yearn for a family.
I pulled away, masking my pain with a smile. “Can I help with anything?”
“Yes, thank you, dear.” She turned and pointed to the dishes on the counter. “Those are ready to go
Two little girls ran full speed toward us, their blonde hair flying in the air. Their hands wrapped around his legs as their laughter and glee erupted, but they came to a sudden halt when they noticed me.
“Tess, Teegan.” He patted their heads. “This is Emilia.”
I lowered my body to their height. “Hi.”
Teegan pushed her golden blonde hair off her face. They both had the most beautiful piercing blue eyes, and if it weren’t for a freckle on Teegan’s chin, you wouldn’t be able to tell them apart. “Is she your girlfriend, Uncle Wes?” He laughed and whispered something in Tess's ear before she ran off.
“They're adorable,” I said, and watched them run up the deck.
“They're a handful. My brother, Trent, is overseas, so my mother has them.”
“Work or pleasure?”
“War.” His voice, which had been smooth and happy, instantly changed to sadness.
My palm slammed on my forehead. “Gosh, I'm an ass. I'm sorry, I didn't even think—”
“It's okay.” Weston threw his arm over my shoulder. “Their mom suffered from postpartum depression and never fully recovered, and Trent’s deployment didn’t help. It's been a working battle, but my mother has full custody now.”
“Weston!”
“And that would be my mother.” He laughed. A petite woman appeared on the deck, her slim body leaning against the railing. Her skin was the color of mocha, and her hair was midnight black with tight spiral curls. When she smiled, it was the same smile Weston had. A tall, older gentleman with blond hair and light green eyes joined his mother on the wooden deck.
“Your dad?” I questioned.
“Yeah. Stepdad, technically.” He grabbed my hand and led me towards the deck. My heart rate spiked with anxiety. What would she think of me?
They met us halfway. His mother clutched her hands to her chest as she admired her son. “Oh, sweetie.” She opened her arms for an embrace. Weston released my hand and hugged his mother before looking back at me.
“Emilia Darcy, these are my parents, Margaret and Joseph Carter.”
I extended my hand to his mother. Ignoring it, she opened her arms for me. I smiled and hugged her briefly. “It's a pleasure to meet you.”
Margaret held both of my hands. “Oh, the pleasure's all mine. I'm so happy you could join us for lunch.” She beamed at Joseph. “Isn't she beautiful?”
“Hi.” I extended my hand to shake his.
“Hello.” He smiled. “Margaret is a bit excited to have you over.”
“Nonsense.” She patted his chest. “Come out back. Lunch is almost ready.”
The modern house stood tall, stretching out toward the horizon. Wooden panels flanked the facade as the smooth glass from the windows peeked out from behind perfectly groomed hedges.
Locking her arm with mine, she led us through the backyard and up onto the deck; I followed Margaret inside. Weston followed, then led me into the kitchen. The cabinets were a dark cherry with tan granite countertops. Dishes loaded with delicacies covered most of the counter space. It was beautiful.
Margaret collected my purse to put away. After she had left, Weston introduced me to an elderly woman standing at the stove. “Emilia, this is Mama, my grandmother.” She was an older version of Weston’s mother, her ash gray hair pulled back in a low bun. She had the same smile as Weston and his mother.
“Hello. It's a pleasure to meet you.”
Her soft hands framed my face; her eyes shone brightly. “Oh, look at you.” She turned to face Weston. “You've done well, my boy. She’s beautiful.” Her arms dropped to embrace me.
There was a small pinch in my chest. I’d never had a grandmother, at least not one who I’d had the pleasure of meeting, and the way Mama wrapped her arms around my body made me yearn for a family.
I pulled away, masking my pain with a smile. “Can I help with anything?”
“Yes, thank you, dear.” She turned and pointed to the dishes on the counter. “Those are ready to go
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