Chapter 39

She leans out at an alarming angle, throwing trusting arms toward me that could have ended in disaster if both Jake and I didn’t react quickly. He deposits her in my waiting arms with a look of relief at the near miss of his kid face planking a marble floor from a five-foot height. Mia treats me to the same hugs and slobbering kisses Jake has just endured. Lucah, however, curled up against his dad’s throat shyly, regards me suspiciously. In the eyes of a three-year-old, a few months are a long time, and he is no longer willing to throw himself at me like his sister. That internal pang of guilt eats away more as I watch the wary looks and serious expression of Jake’s mini-me with sadness.

The funny thing about these two kids is, despite the obvious looks, each child has the opposite parent’s personality. Mia is Emma to look at but Jake in a nutshell. All bold, flamboyant, and fearless and loves people like crazy. She is always the belle of the ball and center of the limelight s