Page 33 of The Road Back to Us

“No, sweetie,” I said softly. “It’s just a picture I drew, but it kind of looks like her, huh?”

Chloe nodded, continuing to smile at it as Ben came and stood behind her.

“That looks just like my mom,” he replied, a ting of sadness in his voice.

I moved my head in agreement, the emotions building so quickly that I didn’t trust myself to speak. As if sensing my unease, Ben guided Chloe out of the room, promising her a snack and her favorite cartoon while allowing me a moment to gather myself.

By the time Cole got home after picking Kara up from school, I felt like I had conquered the world, when in reality, I had just unlocked some creativity I didn’t know was blocked. I had spent the day working on a whole new set of sketches with an entirely different focus than when I had started.

Melanie had been the inspiration for everything, and I was over the moon about the idea of launching a new brand focused on mommy-and-me trends. I had taken some of the concepts I had originally been playing with and re-worked them, making them fun and appealing to all age groups.

I was prepping dinner when Cole and Kara walked in, both laughing at something that had been said before they came inside. My heart fluttered with happiness, seeing the two of them together, knowing how safe she felt with him. I knew no one would ever replace their father, but it was comforting knowing that Cole would do everything in his power to be the kind of father they all needed. Kinda like how I always knew he would be the perfect father to our children, if we were ever blessed to have them.

Thirty

Cole

Something was different about Lyric, but I couldn’t figure it out. I couldn’t help but watch her at dinner, intrigued by the way her eyes seemed to light up more than usual when she talked to the kids. She looked genuinely happy—something I hadn’t seen on her in so long it felt almost foreign.

Kara had just finished telling us a story about school when Chloe pushed her plate away from her, having cleared all the food without any fussing about it.

“Aunt Lyric drew Mommy today,” she announced.

The entire room went silent as Kara tensed slightly while Ben leaned back in his seat and smiled at Lyric. My eyes narrowed in confusion as I watched Lyric’s face flush with embarrassment with everyone’s attention on her.

“I umm...” she started, but then paused when she looked at Chloe. “It wasn’t on purpose. I hadn’t realized the likeness until Chloe and Ben pointed it out.”

“Can I see it?” Kara asked, her voice quiet, almost like she didn’t trust it not to betray the emotion that lingered beneath the surface.

Lyric stayed frozen for a second before nodding and pushing away from the table. I set my fork down and studied the kids, just as excited to see the drawing as Kara. Ben gave me a smile and a nod, confirming he had already seen it as well.

When Lyric returned, I noticed she was holding the sketchbook she used for her fashion design work. It wasn’t the one she used when she was just drawing for fun. My heart tightened at the thought that her personal life had crossed into her professional life because I knew how hard she tried to keep that from happening.

She sat down, holding the sketchbook against her chest as she locked eyes with Kara. I stiffened, unsure of what she was about to show her. Given how nervous they both looked, I was worried things were about to go sideways.

“The sketches aren’t done yet,” Lyric said softly. “These are just starting points to see if I like the direction it’s going. I know that it’s different and not everyone will love—”

“I’m sure they’re great,” I interrupted, hoping to calm her nerves.

She nodded, sucked in a deep breath, then opened the sketchbook and passed it to Kara. I gave her a few seconds to look at it before I glanced over her shoulder, immediately knowing why she had tears streaming down her face.

The page had a woman who looked like Melanie standing with a little girl on one side and a teenager on the other. It wasn’t lost on me that the girls also resembled Kara and Chloe. The three of them wore matching outfits, with Chloe sporting a cute bow on her head, like she always wore.

“I don’t have to—” Lyric started, but stopped when Kara held up her hand.

“This is amazing,” Kara said, shaking her head as the tears fell. She pulled the sketchbook away, making sure not to get it wet. “I can’t believe it. This looks just like Mom, like all of us.”

“I hadn’t realized the resemblance until Chloe pointed it out,” Lyric replied. “After that, the idea of having matching outfits for all of you flooded my brain, and I couldn’t stop sketching. There are a handful of pages with designs, if you want to look at them. I still need to color everything, but the general idea is that it would be a mommy-and-me concept.”

Kara flipped through the pages, laughing as she grinned so big that her cheeks had to be hurting her. I relaxed in my chair, loving this interaction between them.

“Will these outfits be all denim?” Kara asked, flipping the book to face Lyric so she could see which design she was referring to.

“How on earth did you know that?” Lyric asked, her grin matching Kara’s.

“That’s what I would do. Denim romper for Chloe, then denim dresses for me and you.”

My heart sank for a second as I saw the emotion flash across Lyric’s face before she tried to erase it with a forced smile. Kara hadn’t even realized what she had said or that she had put Lyric in as the mother in the scenario.