The two mothers traded dazzling smiles across the sunroom at Roman’s and Imani’s home before they met in the middle to exchange their loving bundles. Imani cooed down into Brogue’s face, while Giselle put a kiss to Smoak’s licorice dark cheek.
“Roman does love him?” Giselle queried. “I mean...loves him the same as Hill and Isak.”
Imani gave the other woman a critical look. “Giselle? Of course, he does-”
“I’m sorry, Imani I...”
Giselle pressed her cheek to Smoak’s. “Hill and Isak they...well they look the part, don’t they?”
Imani’s expression remained animated for Brogue while she answered his mother. “Is that what Athena thinks of her first two grandsons?”
“I’ve heard the phrase uttered a time or two, maybe more.” Giselle said. “She’s very in love with them.”
“Despite trying to kill one before he was ever born,” Imani noted.
The young moms returned each other’s sons.
“Roman would love to deprive her of any time with them. The only reason he hasn’t, is because of Liam and all the family getting along stuff.” Imani said of her husband who had left earlier with Hill and Isak to visit his parents.
“The family getting along stuff was fine when it was just us, but now there are kids involved,” Giselle said. “We have to do what’s right for them.”
“What does that mean?” Imani asked, while she put Smoak down to his bassinet.
“I mean, it’s time for the masks to come off. Time to know where everyone stands.”
“And if you don’t get the happy ending you want?”
Giselle shrugged. “At least all the lies are out,” she put Brogue down to the large bassinet he was to share with Smoak. “I’m not the coward I used to be, Imani. Having a child changes you. Changes something inside you for the better,” she straightened from the bassinette. “At least it should.”
“You’re no coward, Giselle.”
“Oh, but I am,” Giselle wore a whimsical smile that paired with a far off look in her blue eyes. “I work a job I love, around people I admired for years and never told them the truth of who I was because I was afraid.” She sighed, studied Imani at length then. “After what happened to you I...I was terrified again and again when I found out this guy was on the way,” she smiled down at Brogue when he yawned.
“I trust Gabriel to do right by him,” she said and her voice held the same far off tone as her eyes. “He hasn’t been the same since Stone died. Something’s still off with him...but since we’ve had Brogue... I’ve seen his light return. He’ll give his life for Brogue, but it’s my job to protect him too. I need my enemies in front of me to do that, Imani. Not hiding behind poisonous plants.”
“And you want to start with our mother-in-law?”
“Actually, I started with my coworkers.”
Imani’s eyes flared. “You told them?”
Giselle confirmed with a nod. “Right after I had Brogue.”
“How’d they take it?”
“There were some cold shoulders,” Giselle went to lean against one of the open French doors. “Not nearly as many as I expected, though. Others were upset because I didn’t trust their characters enough to be honest, but they’ve forgiven me.”
Imani curled into Roman’s favorite chair, her yellow sundress flaring generously around her. “You know Athena is different from your coworkers? She may do more than give a cold shoulder.”
Giselle turned to favor her sister-in-law with a smug look. “Guess we’ll have to see about that when we all meet for dinner next week.”
Imani cringed. “I’m weary of our dinner events, you know? They never seem to go well.”
“In our defense, we’ve never actually had one, so to say they don’t go well is a little unfair.” A wicked light crept into Giselle’s eyes. “The Assumption dinner doesn’t count.”
The women fought to muffle their laughter so they wouldn’t disturb the babies.
“Promise you’ll talk to Roman.” Giselle pleaded once their quiet laughter ceased.
Again, Imani bristled. “Why don’t you just see Athena on your own?”
“Because I only want to do this once. Humphrey and Vale still don’t know and I’d really like to not meet with the three of them on my own to chat over this particular topic.”
“Understood.”
“So you’ll talk to Roman?”
Imani’s nod was reluctant. Giselle looked delighted.
“Gabe and Aaron will be there,” Giselle walked the room as she ran through the guest list. “Mr. Liam will make sure Athena and Vale are there. I only need to talk to Humphrey.”
Imani raised her brows. “Sounds like you have a new plan.”
Giselle beamed. “Let’s hope it’s the last one I’ll need.”
~46~
“I have to say the last thing I expected you to do with the bum was to give him steady employment again.”
