Teague (The Family Simon 4)

She nodded at her daughter and rinsed her eyes out, before rifling through the cupboards looking for a vase. The wild flowers were gorgeous and she busied herself arranging them, while trying to keep her emotions in check.

“Why are you sad?” Morgan asked, climbing onto the chair beside Sabrina. Her daughter had pulled on her favorite princess dress for Teague?

?s last supper and she was excited for him to see it.

“I’m not sad.”

“You were crying.”

“That was the onions, pumpkin. They always make me cry.”

Morgan’s little brows furrowed and she picked up a purple petal that had fallen onto the table. She rolled it between her fingers.

“I’m sad,” Morgan said slowly, glancing up at her mother.

Sabrina stopped arranging the flowers and tried to keep it together. She counted to five and then exhaled before turning to her daughter once more.

“Why are you sad, honey?”

“Because Tigger has to go away.”

“Well, sweetie. It’s normal to feel sad when a friend leaves us.”

She nodded enthusiastically. “Tigger’s one of my bestest friends. I wish he didn’t have to go.”

“I know.” What else could she say to that?

The door to the cottage flew open at that point and Harry, Bingo, and Teague appeared. Her son’s face was flushed and he skipped over to the table. “Do you like the flowers, Mommy?”

“I do,” she answered softly, eyes moving from her son to the man who stood a few inches behind him. “They’re beautiful.”

Teague’s hair was wet, as if he was fresh from the shower, and he wore a crisp white dress shirt with navy slacks. She’d never seen him in anything other than cargos and jeans, and with that slow lopsided smile creeping over his face, the man literally took her breath away.

This was another layer to Teague Simon that she hadn’t yet experienced. Another layer she was going to miss.

“Who are these two handsome men in our house, Morgan?” she asked lightly, hoping all evidence of her tears were gone. She didn’t want anything to spoil this night.

“Mommy you should put on a princess dress too!” her daughter shouted, sliding off the chair. She jumped up and down. “Then you can look like me.”

“Hmm,” Sabrina said, glancing down at Morgan. “I don’t know if I have a princess dress in my closet.”

“Yes you do. The blue one that Daddy likes.”

She stared down at her daughter for so long that Harry yanked on her arm and asked her if she was okay.

“I’m good sweetie,” she said, rumpling his hair before glancing up at Teague. “I’m going to change for dinner, okay? I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

She flashed them all a quick smile and retreated to the back of the cottage. She needed some space, a few minutes to herself. Her clothes were in the spare room but the dress Morgan was talking about, well, that particular dress was in her bedroom.

She wasn’t sure how long she stood in front of the door but eventually she opened it. The hinges creaked a little and she winced, slipping inside before she could change her mind.

It looked the same as it had the other day when she’d peeked inside and as she gazed around the room, she felt nothing but shame. How could she dishonor the life she’d shared with Brent by neglecting their things?

She walked over to Brent’s side of the bed and picked up the picture that sat on his night table. It was a candid shot of Sabrina, taken when they’d been in New York City before the twins were born. They’d been in Central Park amid all the glorious fall colors and a passing clown had made her laugh.

She held the photo close and closed her eyes, smiling at the memory. It was bittersweet. Painful. Lovely.

After a few moments she put the photo back on the table and walked over to the closet. She touched one of Brent’s suits, spied his old Bruins ball cap on the shelf and then she pulled out the blue dress.