Always (Spiral of Bliss #5) - Nina Lane Page 0,132

surrenders easily, putting her hand on my chest as she returns the kiss. When we part, the promise of later still heats her dark eyes.

“Hey, Dad.” Nicholas pulls an earbud out of his ear and indicates his phone. “Aunt Kelsey says she can get me a few college credits if I work with her and Uncle Archer on the Spiral Project this summer.”

“Great. Just make sure the credits will transfer to the colleges you’re interested in applying to.”

“What did Kelsey say you could do?” Liv asks Nicholas.

“Some of the forecasting and modeling.” He scrolls on his phone. “But Uncle Archer still won’t let me drive.”

I make a mental note to thank my brother.

We return to our seats to wait for the boarding call. A second and a lifetime have passed since Nicholas and Bella were born. Years of school, sporting events, gymnastics, homework, science fairs, assemblies, vacations, music performances, contests, friendships, and holidays are like a spinning kaleidoscope in our past.

Nicholas is almost a high-school senior, poised on the brink of adulthood, and Bella is ending her freshman year with a well-deserved reputation as a dynamic, ambitious force.

It’s both extraordinary and scary watching our children learning how to make their own way in the world. Over the years, I’ve fought hard to stop myself from running in to fix every problem they’ve faced.

It hasn’t always been easy—my instinct to both protect and rescue my wife has naturally extended to our children—but Nicholas and Bella are strong, confident, intelligent young adults who are learning how to navigate the complexities of the world.

And though I’ve had to retreat instead of racing forward to rescue them at every turn, I’ve made sure they both know Liv and I are always ready to help, support, advise, and fight for them—both when they ask and sometimes when they don’t.

“Pre-boarding will begin now for Flight 532,” a voice announces over the loudspeaker.

The travelers crowded around the gate start making their way to the door. Liv reaches for her travel bag.

“I got it, Mom.” Nicholas grabs Liv’s bag and pushes to his feet.

“Thanks, honey.” Liv reaches out to brush his hair away from his eyes.

She does that often with the maternal remark that Nicholas’s overlong hair drives her nuts, but I know it’s really an excuse to touch him without being too mushy.

Nicholas pulls away from her with a grumble, but steps aside so she can precede him to the gate. He follows, hefting both her bag and his backpack. Nicholas’s protectiveness of his mother has grown stronger over the years, and I see it intensifying the closer he gets to moving away from home.

Good kids. The best, both of them.

After putting our carry-ons in the overhead bins, I sit beside Liv. She rests her hand on top of mine. As always, being close to her settles my heartbeat and eases my breathing. Like I’m sitting next to a pool of cool, clear water rippling with sunlight.

I turn my palm upward so I can wind our fingers together. Over the years, throughout the craziness of our daily lives, careers, travel, child-rearing, and all the happy chaos and painful challenges that life brings, I’ve always held on to one unbreakable truth.

At the end of the day, she’ll always be waiting for me. The girl who lit an eternal fire right in the center of my heart. The beauty who saved me and became my reason for being. The wife who taught me the meaning of strength and courage. The woman who is my home, the place where the stars shine so bright we can see into eternity.

My Liv will always be right here.

Epilogue Two

Olivia

The Wonderland Café is alive with chatter and laughter. Though I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve come into the café over the years, I still love the moment when I step inside. The fragrant aromas of cake and chocolate linger in the air, and the French doors are open to the outside terrace.

Kelsey is sitting at the counter with a cup of coffee and her tablet, her eyes narrowed behind her rimless glasses.

“Problem?” I ask, stowing my bag under the counter and reaching for a clean apron.

“No, just might have to hit the road again sooner than I thought.” She turns the screen toward me to show me the radar. “Convergence of activity over northeast Kansas we should check out.”

“Can I go with you this time?” Bella comes down the stairs, her order pad in one hand. “Nicholas got to go on the