Burned Hearts (Burned 3)

Laughter wafted into the wide corridor, mingling with the music I’d turned on earlier. Mikaela spared a glance toward me. I smiled and nodded encouragingly.

She seemed to swallow down another lump of emotion. Then preceded me into the room.

I heard another gasp from her—this time a sharp, shocked one—as Dane stepped away from his conversation with Amano and Ethan to greet her.

A litany of what I presumed were Italian swearwords flew from her mouth and she swayed a little, so that I gripped her arm to steady her. Rosa rushed over to take the baby, saving me from a juggling act. Particularly helpful in the event Mikaela fainted. I didn’t know if she was the sort, but there was just enough drama surrounding us that I wanted to be prepared for anything.

“This really can’t be happening,” she said on a harsh whisper. “How could this happen?”

“I’ll explain everything,” Dane assured her. “Just believe us that it was necessary to keep this all a—”

“Oh, my God! Dane!” The Italian accent vanished and Mikaela all but launched herself into his arms.

Thankfully, he had lightning-quick reflexes. He caught her soundly and held her while she burst into a crying jag I felt was wholly justified. So much so, it got me going a bit. Ethan handed over a handkerchief for me to blot my eyes. Even Rosa looked moved. That was saying something.

Eleanor came to my side and gave me a gentle squeeze about the shoulders. “I’m sure that wasn’t an easy conversation to have.”

“I’m actually glad he doesn’t have sisters,” I said in a raspy voice. “I’d never make it through.”

She laughed softly, soothingly. “Mikaela’s a close second, so I’d say you did a fantastic job.”

Tamera joined us. “Really, Ari. You constantly amaze me with all this resiliency. You used to be the solver of wedding crises, and now look at you. Taking on all of these family obligations and strengthening the entire foundation you and Dane started building last fall. I’m so proud of you—and so in awe.”

As I gazed at her, I saw the emotion in her eyes. The admiration. Along with a hint of something elusive, forlorn. I knew Tamera didn’t have relatives in the States, nor did she date often, given the limited availability of young, single men in our community. I almost felt her lonesomeness, and it shredded me as much as Mikaela’s pain did.

I’d been right all along about not coming out of this insanity unscathed. We were all caught up in something too fragile and heinous to carefully extract ourselves from, but I had to find those silver linings Dane always credited me for latching on to.

And, in all honesty, I wasn’t above admitting the vulnerabilities growing within me over how to strengthen my marriage and my bond with Dane.

I said to my friend, “I’d like to have a lengthy conversation with you in a few days. Once I’ve composed myself following all of this.”

Tamera eyed me curiously, then slowly nodded. “Of course, darling. This hasn’t been an easy ride for you. Whatever I can do to help.”

I gave her a faint smile. “I could use a little perspective.”

Eleanor gave me another squeeze. “I’m happy to lend an ear as well.”

“I just might take you up on that.” I could use marital expertise in addition to moral support.

Mikaela collected herself and I moved to her side. Placed an arm around her narrow waist. “I really am sorry we had to keep this from you. Dane had important work to do that necessitated the lie, once he pulled through from the surgeries and coma.”

“Ari,” she said as she patted dry her cheeks with a tissue my husband supplied. “I would never doubt yours or Dane’s intentions. In fact, I suppose I helped to perpetuate the lie by orchestrating his memorial service. So, in a roundabout way, I was involved to a small degree.”

That was a little more along the lines of what I expected from her. “Thanks for finding an upside.”

She gave me a quick hug, then said, “I’m happy for you. For both of you. That’s all that really matters.”

“Well, there is one other thing,” I said.

“Oh, naturally,” she quipped, though her tone was a bit strained. “This is Dane’s World we’re all living in.”

“Indeed,” I concurred. “So he and I have discussed this, and I know we’re springing a lot on you all at once, but it would be such an honor for us if you would consider being Amsel’s godmother. I realize this is the first time you’ve met him and the circumstances are certainly unorthodox, but you’ve known Dane your whole life and so I thought—”

“Ari.” She beamed through her residual tears. “I’d love to be Amsel’s godmother.”

“Really?” I gripped her hand. Perhaps a bit too tightly, though she didn’t let on.

“Of course.” She smiled.