Reflecting On Wishes (The Wishes Series) by DeAnna Felthauser Page A

could gently sway Angel into moving into the rehab center, it was Delilah. She may be young in years at only twenty-one, but she had a mature sense about her like she had an older soul. Lilah had blossomed under the care of their adoptive parents. In the last few years she had really come into her own. Not only did she go to school full-time, but she was also on the Board of Directors for A Million Wishes . With only one more year of college to go, Lilah still lived at home with their parents. As he entered the house, the scent of his mom’s lasagna set his stomach to rumbling. It appeared he was just in time for dinner. Music was playing, early eighties rock and roll which was her favorite. He couldn’t help but grin when he rounded the corner to the kitchen to find her singing along with the music.
    “Hey , Momma,” Dakota greeted her with a big bear hug, lifting her off her feet.
    “Hi , darlin’! I didn’t even hear you come in. How are you doing?” Miki gave him a squeeze, turned to pick up her potholders and opened the oven door to pull out a pan of lasagna with cheese toasted to perfection on top. The sides were bubbling, letting loose the fragrant aroma of Italian spices, tomatoes and sausage. As she walked towards the dining table she nodded her head, “Grab those potholders and take the garlic bread out for me would you, hon? Your dad should be here anytime.”
    “I’m okay , Mom.” He grabbed the potholders and pulled out the fragrant loaf of bread, shutting the oven before following her to the dining table.
    “Just okay? What’s wrong , sugar? Did you get to see Angel?” She went to the refrigerator and pulled out the salad and dressing, along with a pitcher of sweet tea.
    He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he got a glass from the cabinet and poured a glass of tea, taking a long drink. He leaned against the counter while she puttered around the kitchen. “I saw her, only for a few minutes before she practically begged her dad to take her to her room to get away from me.”
    “Oh , honey.” Miki stopped what she was doing and walked over to him to press her hands against his cheeks. “I’m so sorry. I know this is hard for you, but try to remember she’s feeling like her life was just ripped out from under her. Give her some time.”
    Dakota turned his head away when he felt the familiar burn of tears threatening to fall. “I want to help her, to take care of her, Mom , but she won’t even take a phone call from me or be in the same room with me. I don’t get it. Before her wreck we were getting so close, you know?”
    Miki wrapped her arms aro und his waist and hugged him close. “I know—you fell for her. I can see the love in your eyes every time you speak her name. I can’t explain what’s going through her mind or why she feels like she needs to push you away right now, but I can say if you believe she is the one for you, Dakota, you have to fight for her. She’s worth it right?”
    “She’s worth it. I love her. That’s why I feel so torn up inside. When she had her accident and we didn’t know if she would even make it, I felt a part of me dying. I can’t imagine my life without her in it.”
    “Then don’t let her push you away. Make a nuisance of yourself like your father did with me when I tried to push him away and go through life alone. I swear that man drove me nuts, but I love him like crazy for not letting me go. At the time I was so afraid to depend on someone after all I had been through. But when he came back from war injured and I really realized I could have lost him…well, I’m just thankful for second chances.”
    “Are you guys having a love fest without me?” Lilah walked in wearing a flowing, orange strapless dress that brushed the tops of her bare feet. Her long, curly, dark brown hair was wrapped in a matching scarf that had pink and purple flowers embroidered on it just as the bodice of her dress did. She looked like a stunning African