Page 16 of Broken Destiny

A small laugh escaped from me.

“Yes, I promise,” I said, kissing his cheek.

Lucas’s voice cut through the conversation.

“Mama, can we eat now?” he asked, folding his hands.

Oreo and Milo walked right beside Lucas and Emma, barking eagerly at the mention of food, their tails wagging wildly.

“Hungwy,” Emma added, rubbing her tummy dramatically.

Their timing made Jack chuckle.

He draped an arm around Lucas’s shoulders while I scooped Emma up against my hip. Her tiny hands wrapped around my neck.

Together, we walked toward the dining room, where a feast had already been laid out across the table—dishes steaming, platesarranged carefully, the rich aroma of home-cooked food filling the air.

Before taking my seat, I reached for two bowls from the counter and filled them quickly, placing them beside the dining table where we were all eating. Oreo and Milo settled immediately, their tails thumping against the floor as they began to eat, content to be close to us.

The sight of it stirred a mixture of comfort, gratitude, and longing inside me. I wished Cole were there with us, just as he had been during the past year, laughing beside Jack, teasing Lucas, and sneaking bites of dessert before dinner.

My heart ached at the thought.

I looked around the table, at the people who had stood by me through the darkest chapter of my life.

Everyone was there… except him… except for his presence, his voice, and his steady hand resting over mine beneath the table.

I closed my eyes briefly, allowing the ache to pass through me. I swallowed the lump rising in my throat before the tears could escape.

When I opened my eyes again, I focused on the people still beside me, grateful for them… grateful for the family I still had.

My family!

5

JIYA

Two months passed.

It was now the second week in February.

Standing by the family room window, I watched the children playing on the street. Snowbanks lined the edges of the road, and the winter air carried that crisp, biting chill.

Absentmindedly, I twisted my wedding and engagement rings around my fingers. The motion had become a habit—an unconscious ritual tied to memory. My mind drifted back to the moment Cole had proposed to me the previous year on my birthday, and the memory warmed my heart.

Then something outside caught my attention.

My breath stilled.

The black Ford.

It appeared again, turning slowly onto the cul-de-sac like a shadow returning to claim unfinished business. The vehicle moved cautiously, slowing down as it passed in front of my house before continuing along the curve of the street.

A pang of fear sank through me.

It had disappeared after the event at the gallery, and now it had reappeared… mysteriously.

Reaching for a pen and paper on the side table, I quickly noted down the licence plate number. Without wasting another second, I picked up my phone and dialled Alex, my trusted friend in the RCMP.