A long yellow dress that matches Aurora's ghosts across her body, following the flow of her curves. Her hair is a wild mess, falling around her shoulders. The sun is spilling around her, making her skin glow.
She looks… Stunning.
Perfect.
I shake my head and step closer, slowly, like I'm worried she’ll run off.
When I get close enough my shadow blocks out the sun and I can finally make out all her features.
Dark circles are under her eyes, and her face is thinner, her collarbone more pronounced. Her freckles are standing out stark against her paler than usual skin, and something about the sight of it twists my gut.
She’s beautiful, but God, she lookssosad.
“Hi,” she breathes, meadow eyes glossy as she blinks up at me.
“Hi,” I choke out, throat tight. I blink again and again, but the mirage doesn’t change. She doesn't disappear. “You’re really here.”
Why are you here, baby?
“I…” she nods, swallowing hard. “I couldn’t miss the event. I promised your mom.”
My jaw tightens, but I breathe through the hurt. “Yeah.” My voice cracks and I clear my throat, taking a step back. “Well, she’s, uh…” I rip off my Stetson and yank on my hair, looking away. “Mom’s around here somewhere.”
“I know,” she whispers, stepping into me. “I already talked to her. I came here looking for you.”
Tell me, freckles. Tell me why. Be honest with me.
“Why?” I hate that my voice is sharp. Laced with so much fuckin’ pain. She flinches and I kick myself mentally, but she doesn’t run, doesn’t back down, and pride fills me.
That’s my girl.
“I deserve your anger. I deserve for you to hate me like you used to. I ruined…” She chokes out a sob that has my shoulders tensing, body aching to wrap her up. “I ruined this.”
Oh, darlin’. It’s me who fucked up.
“Georgia—” I start, shaking my head. “No. Absolutely not. You—”
Before I can finish, a scream pierces the air.
“Kade!”
We both spin and I find Colby sprinting toward us, Aurora wrapped in her arms, eyes wide and face coated in tears.
I charge forward, Georgia hot on my heels.
“What the fuck happened?” I bark, eyes sliding over both of them. “Are you okay?”
“It’s Rory!” Colby gasps around a broken sob as she thrusts my daughter into my arms. “We were picking flowers and…and sh-she go–got—”
“Colby!” I snap above Aurora’s screams.
But it’s Georgia who gently pushes me aside and grips my little sister's face, calmly saying “Sweetheart, breathe.”
They breathe together for a beat and then Colby finally nods, letting Georgia wipe her tears. “We were picking flowers and Aurora got stung. I was bringing her home to check on the sting, but she started turning red and breathing funny and…” She swallows hard. “I think she's allergic.”
My body locks up, and I lift Aurora, frantically searching for signs of reactions, finding them immediately. The world spins and my knees buckle.
I know how fast bee stings can go south and for a baby…
