Page 51 of Unwrapping Ember
"How... how... what...?" My voice trails off, staring at the pictures while I inspect each one.
The resemblance is undeniable. I let the tears spill; I’m not ashamed to break down in front of Ember.
“Are you okay, Koda?” Her voice is anxious and soft, evoking the kind of fear that makes my heart ache.
I place the stack of pictures beside me and gently push her down on her back, bracing myself above her as I drown in her gaze.
“I don’t even know how to express this. I wasn’t prepared for this at all.”
“Are you mad at me?”
I kiss her, desperate to taste her lips. “No, I’m not mad at you. This is the best gift I’ve ever gotten. You’ve given me my son, Ember. You made the impossible happen, and for that, I fucking love you more than anything or anyone in the world.” I kiss her again, longing for her with every fiber of my being. As I pull away, I caress her cheek, searching her eyes filled with love and gratitude. “Thank you. Thank you for showing me my son,” I say, my voice thick with emotion.
Ember’s smile is tender, her eyes glistening with tears of joy. “I just wanted to give you something you’ve missed for so long.”
I take her hand and hold it close to my heart. “You’ve given me more than I could ever ask for,” I tell her, overwhelmed. “I love you, Ember. I love you so fucking much.”
With that, I lean in for another kiss, knowing our bond has grown stronger with the incredible gift she has given me—my son, my Koda Jr. But now, as I hold Ember close, I realize my love for her has soared to new heights. There’s no fucking way I can let her leave me now.
“How did you do it? How did you find my son and get these pictures?”
She shrugs, a mischievous glint in her eyes that I’ve never seen before. “I reached out to your ex and had a little chat withher.”
“And she just handed these over?”
“Um, not exactly…”
I raise an eyebrow, intrigued. “What did you do, my little troublemaker?”
“I may have suggested that if she didn’t let you see him, I could leak her secret on social media,” she admits, a teasing tone in her voice. “You know, the proof you have of her lying about the rape accusation.”
My jaw drops, and I freeze above her, shocked by her boldness. “You blackmailed her?”
“I did. What she’s doing isn’t right, Koda. It's not fair to you,” she explains. “And what’s even worse is how she named him after you.”
“I know; I thought the same thing.”
She pulls my lips down to hers, but instead of kissing me, she rests her lips inches away, foreheads touching, her sigh heavy with emotion. “She’ll let you see him, Koda. She’ll allow you to be a part of his life.”
Astonished and overwhelmingly grateful, I close the distance between us, kissing her with an intensity that almost leaves her gasping. The fire in my chest burns brighter than ever as I hold Ember close. I can’t let her go, not after all she’s done for me.
“Stay with me, Ember. Please stay,” I whisper, my voice laced with urgency.
She looks at me, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. “I don’t want to leave, Koda. But I’m afraid of what’s next.”
“Whatever comes next, we’ll face together. I need you, Ember. I can’t do this without you.”
I feel her body relax in my arms, and she nods, a smile breaking across her face. “I love you, Koda. I’m not going anywhere.”
Everest
Slipping my arms into the sleeves of my sweatshirt, I pull it over my head, looking up in time to see Koda and Ember walking down through stairs. They both look like they've been crying, and fear makes my stomach twist, thinking that he told her about our plan.
"What's the matter with you two?" I ask cautiously.
"Nothing; Ember just gave me her Christmas gift." I switch my eyes to Ember and see her smiling now as Koda pulls her petite body against his side.
"What was it?" I wink, but he doesn’t look to be in the playful mood.