Page 46 of Clashing Moon
“This is Jacob. My husband.” The pride and love in her tone were obvious, as was the shine that came to her eyes.
“Arabella, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Jacob stepped closer, holding out his hand and enveloping mine in a firm but gentle shake. “We’ve prayed for this day.” His eyes were a muted shade of blue, and his smile was warm and inviting. I felt instantly at ease.
“It’s nice to meet you too. Thank you for having us.”
“You’re always welcome here,” Jacob said.
Footsteps sounded behind me, and I turned to see two young men. Tall and athletic, they looked a lot like younger versions of their father.
“These are your brothers,” Sally said. “Daniel and Michael.”
The taller of the two, Daniel, stepped forward first, giving me a shy smile. “Hi, Arabella. I’m glad to meet you.”
“I’m glad to meet you, too. It’s hard to believe I have a little brother.”
“We’re psyched to finally meet you.” The younger of the two bounded forward, pumping my hand. “I’m Michael.” He had the energy of a black Lab puppy. “You look just like Mom.”
“I thought so too,” I said.
“Did you remember her?” Michael asked.
“I have memories, yes. Not a lot. Almost like little snippets of videos, if that makes sense.”
“Totally. I’m sorry about everything that happened.” Michael’s tremulous smile became a grin. “But you’ve made Mom really happy by calling. It’s a miracle. One we’ve been praying for.”
“You have no idea how much it means to hear that coming from you.” I smiled back at him, mesmerized by the charming warmth that exuded from his every pore.
Rafferty’s hand gently pressed against the small of my back, reminding me to introduce him to my brothers and stepfather. What a concept. I had brothers. And a stepfather. It was hard to stay grounded in the moment, as my thoughts jumped from thing to thing, like a bee in a meadow of flowers.
“This is Rafferty,” I said.
Rafferty stepped forward, shaking both boys’ hands before turning to Jacob to do the same. “Thanks for welcoming us into your home.”
Jacob spoke, his voice calm and genuine. “We hope you’ll make a habit of it.”
“Are you hungry? I made lunch,” Sally said. “And I have sodas or coffee if you’re thirsty.”
“Maybe in a bit,” I said. At the moment, I was way too nervous to eat or drink anything.
“Mom cooks when she’s nervous,” Michael said. “So, there are cookies too.”
“She makes really good cookies,” Daniel said.
Sally flushed with obvious pleasure at their compliments, which told me how loyal they were to her. Protective even. Yet they were welcoming me into their lives without hesitation. They had been loved unconditionally. I was not a threat to them because they felt secure.
“It must be weird to be here,” Daniel said. He was the quieter of the two but one who noticed what was happening around him. A quiet observer. Like me.
“Shall we leave the ladies to get better acquainted?” Jacob asked. “Rafferty, would you care to join us downstairs? We have a man cave down there with a television.”
“We can watch football,” Daniel said. “Or whatever.”
“Last we looked, the Steelers were up by seven,” Jacob said.
I couldn’t care less about football, but I welcomed the chance to speak to my mother alone. There would be time to get to know Jacob and my brothers later after I got used to the idea that I had a family.
“You good?” Rafferty asked quietly, near my ear.
“Yes, I’m fine.” I smiled back at him, resisting the urge to throw myself into his arms.