stepped foot in Endymion’s childhood home, and now that I’m here, under these circumstances, it feels strange. Almost made up.
When Ermias throws open the sliding glass doors to the backyard, my heart flutters at the sight of my daughter running and laughing with a carefree grin on her face. I pause just on the other end of threshold, unable to keep my gaze off her. I’ve seen happiness written on my daughter’s face plenty of times, but this? Never like this. It’s a shot to the heart. It has me questioning my capabilities as a mother.
A warm hand settles on my shoulder, and when I look up, I spot Ermias there, a knowing look on his face. “She’s been talking about you for the past hour. I know she misses you.”
He leads the way into the backyard, and Luna glances over at the sound of the door closing. Her face splits into a blinding grin, and unable to help myself, I laugh. She runs across the lawn, throwing herself at my legs.
“I missed you, Mommy,” she breathes against me.
“I missed you, too, nugget.”
“Did you meet Grandpa Ermias and Grandma Aurora yet?” she asks, her eyes glittering with excitement.
“I’ve already met them, but why don’t you reintroduce me?”
My little girl does just that, taking me to each of her grandparents to introduce me as if I’ve never met them before. They stare at her with a love that envelops me wholeheartedly. The whole time, I can feel End’s gaze on us, but I work to keep my gaze fixed on anything but him. I don’t want to see the anger or the look of disgust on his face anymore. Not when I’m already so close to falling apart where he’s concerned.
“Selene, you look gorgeous, and your timing is perfect. We were just about to eat,” Aurora says, smiling, as she tickles Luna along her ribs. “C’mon, munchkin, let’s get the food for everyone.”
“I can help,” I offer, not wanting to stand with the men of the family.
Aurora waves me off. “We got it, sweetie.”
I deflate, watching as they disappear into the house. Silence descends, and a weird tension cackles in the air. It has me shifting on my feet. Ermias must sense that his son and I aren’t going to speak to each other because he tries to strike up a conversation.
“So, Selene, how was Pasadena? I hear the summers there are pretty gnarly compared to here.”
I breathe a silent sigh of relief. Now this I can do. Filler conversation about the weather. Awkward silence? Not so much.
I dive into conversation with Ermias. We discuss random things, mainly just conversation fillers to keep from making everyone uncomfortable with the silence.
Dinner isn’t much better. We try to have a civilized meal, but you can’t miss the tension in the air. Endymion doesn’t want me here, that much is obvious. And his parents are doing the best they can to include me in the conversation, but at this point, I wish they would stop and just let the conversation flow between them.
Luna is telling a story about her old kindergarten teacher, and everyone is riveted, absolutely glued to her and her vibrant personality. It makes me smile. Feeling eyes on me, I glance up, and my heart skids to an abrupt halt when my gaze clashes with Endymion’s. He’s leering, staring at me through narrowed slits. There’s something in his eyes I can’t quite place, and its intensity sends a tremor down my spine. My mouth goes painfully dry, and I glance away, looking down at Luna then up at Aurora, only to realize her gaze is darting back and forth between her son and me. Her brows dented together.
Crap.
Heat climbs up my chest and settles into my cheeks, and I make a mental note only to focus on my daughter for the rest of the evening. It should be simple. But it’s easier said than done. Luna carries the weight of most of the conversation through dinner, practically jumping with energy at the thought of going back outside to play. Endymion built a playground in his parents’ backyard for his niece years prior, fully equipped with swings, a sandbox, and a slide, so she’s in heaven back here. Especially since my parents’ house is currently under construction.
I fidget uncomfortably as I stand on the back patio. My heart twinges, and my stomach tightens as I watch Luna play with Endymion. Her father. I never thought I’d see the day. Honest to God,