Chapter 235: The First Kiss, The First Goodbye
Jacob~
"Okay," she whispered and nodded.
That one little nod from Easter—it shattered and rebuilt me all at once.
She was trembling, cheeks streaked with drying tears, her emerald eyes wide and glassy. I felt her unspoken answer pulse in the quiet space between us, and for a second, I couldn’t move. My body felt too full—too alive.
Rose stirred softly in her arms, a sleepy mumble escaping her tiny lips. Easter glanced down, brushing her daughter’s curls back gently, and I used that moment to lean in.
"Let me," I whispered.
Her eyes flicked to mine. She didn’t resist as I reached forward, cradling Rose’s tiny, warm body with both arms. The little one sighed against my shoulder, heavy with sleep.
Easter watched me with something between awe and disbelief. Like she couldn’t quite believe I was real.
I walked carefully to the couch in the corner of the room and gently laid Rose down, tucking the quilt over her small frame. She shifted once, then settled again.
Then I turned back to Easter.
She was still seated at the dining table, fingers curled lightly around the edge, her lips parted slightly, breath hitching when I stepped toward her.