Page 116 of Sweet Strings
“I’ll give her flowers now,” Ly sniffles again, crawling off his lap and planting herself in the grass. Reaching over, she places the last bouquet into the vase with a tiny smile. “Hope you like your flowers, Grandma,” she murmurs, kissing the granite.
“I think she will, Little One,” he says, leaning forward to kiss her cheek until she grins.
Warmth fills every molecule in my body as they continue to converse one-on-one. Lyric watches him intently, absorbing every word he utters about his mother and the stories he tells.
The sound of crunching rocks pulls my attention away from them and onto another car stopping behind ours. One by one, the other guys get out with suits plastered to their bodies and flowers in their hands.
My fucking heart stops at the sight of them slowly walking toward us with varying expressions.
“Oh, Pretty Girl,” Rad murmurs, sitting beside me in the grass, not bothering to keep his new suit clean from stains. “I’m so sorry you had to come and do this all by yourself. I fucking loved Stella. She was so damn bossy,” he tsks the last part jokingly.
His fingers brush against my jaw, sending shivers down my spine. Without hesitation, I brush my lips against his, capturing him in a simple kiss, trying to convey my thanks.
“I think she liked you guys, too. She even called you ‘good guys,’” I chuckle, pulling back with admiration in my heart. “Thank you all for being here. This… It means a lot to have you here.”
Kieran sighs, sitting on my other side, tossing an arm over my shoulder. The tips of his fingers brush up and down my upper arm, eliciting goosebumps over every inch of my flesh.
“She was a good lady,” Kieran says solemnly, staring at her name etched into the granite with his brows furrowed. “She tried her hardest.”
“Yeah,” I murmur, leaning my head on his shoulder. “She tried the best she could.” And that’s all that matters to me. She was there. Sometimes. Whenever she could be, at least. I had a roof over my head, food in my belly, and determination in my veins. If there’s anything my mom did for me, it was to prepare me to work hard.
Life isn’t roses and rainbows with pretty sparkles. It’s muted grays, blacks, and whites with struggles.
“Here, Little Star. These are for you,” Callum murmurs, falling to his knees to complete our little circle.
I smile, reaching for the pretty white roses bundled together. Inhaling deeply, I catch their scent and hum.
“Thank you,” I whisper into the petals, squeezing my eyes shut.
“I’ve prepared some words,” Rad says, clearing his throat. I peek an eye open when his tongue pokes out as he searches through his suit pockets. “Ah-ha,” he murmurs, pulling out a white piece of paper with scribbles. “Pretty Gir… River,” he says, choking back tears as he takes my hand. “Stella was the most magnificent woman, besides you, of course.”
“And me, Daddy?” Lyric asks with a tiny voice.
“Of course! You, too, Little Pretty Girl. You’re the most important girls in my life!” he proclaims with a grin, staring between us. “And I wouldn’t give you up for anything.”
“Even unicorn ice cream?” Lyric whispers, leaning in. “Cuz I love unicorn ice cream.”
“I love it, too,” he says, grinning from ear to ear. “But I’d give up everything to be by your side, Little Pretty Girl. And your mommy’s, too.”
Be still my beating heart.
“I really only knew Stella as a kid,” Kieran says, squeezing my shoulder. “If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have had you. Those days and nights on the hill, strumming my guitar with you at my side. They meant the world to me. Stella worked hard. She was nice as hell, giving the shirt off her back. That one time when she fell and hurt herself in the bathroom, I was so shaken up thinking that she was dead. My heart hurt for her and you,” he murmurs, kissing my cheek. “It’s a shame that she had to leave this world.”
“That shit was scary,” Rad murmurs, shaking his head. “I think my heart fell out of my chest when we found you crying at your front door. Stella was so hurt, and I knew I had to call my mom to get her some help.”
“You talked to her lately?” I ask, squeezing his hand.
“Nah. Haven’t talked in a while. She disapproves of the rock star lifestyle. It is what it is. I don’t need a negative Nancy in my life, anyway. Besides, I already have a family.”
“You do,” I whisper, leaning forward to kiss his lips again. “We’re a family,” I murmur. He grins against my lips until I’m ripped away by Kieran, who pulls me back into him.
“She knew I snuck into your room every night,” Callum murmurs with a hint of a grin, pulling at his lips. “Caught me one night,” he chuckles.
“She did?” I ask, raising a brow.
“Yeah,” he breathes. “I had to go to the bathroom, and she was out in the hall with her arms crossed. She asked me if I was one of the boys making you happy?”
“What did you say?” I ask, staring into the depths of his gray eyes.