Chapter Twenty-Four

Atlas

We finish at the clubhouse a little after lunch. My brain is exhausted, we have been here since four this morning and have done nothing but watch the Rangers past games, then strategize. Over and over.

The entire team is coming for the cookout, Zander warning all of them not to mention the owner of the home. As far as anyone, except Indya, knows, the home belongs to a friend of theirs. The guys agree, everyone heads to their own houses to get changed and head to Zander's.

Zander and I pull in at the same time, and before we make it to the door, the rest of the team starts pulling in. Nice, we won't have to wait on anyone. When we open the door, the house is quiet, I follow Zander to the back door and see everyone is scattered around the patio, Silas playing with Haven on the playset.

"I am glad that thing is gettin some use," Zanders smiles looking out the window watching Haven.

I don't say anything. I just stare at her. She looks older, she has grown, her hair is longer and her curls a little wilder than before. Fuck I missed my princess.

"You good, bro? Nervous to see her?" Zander asks, which is comforting he cares.

"I am. I missed her so fucking much. It was like I was missing a piece of myself without her," I say honestly. He just nods his head, then opens the door. He turns to look at me, as if saying, Just rip the band aid off.

I greet all the siblings and Amara that are sitting on the deck. When I get to Indya, her cheeks are flush, her eyes hot with need. I just smirk at her and state, "Indya." Leaving it at that. When really, I want to capture her mouth with mine and let everyone see, I didn't need a plan or grand gesture, I got her back without it.

Haven sees Zander walking toward her, while I am listening to Van complain about something to do with brownies and Indya being mean. Honestly, I'm not paying attention to his whining, I am watching my princess and every move she makes. I want to run out there and grab hold of her and never let her go.

I feel a small hand touch my back, breaking me from the trance, turning my head, I see it is Indya. She gives me a small smile, and jerks her head toward Haven, telling me to go to her, the results of her reactions may surprise you. I take a deep breath, then let it out. Stepping away from Indya and toward Haven.

A step around a couple of my teammates, chairs, and a few toys, finally getting a clear path to my princess. I am looking at the ground trying to get the courage to get closer to her, when I see movement, and her Zander laughing. I look up, there she is, looking straight into my soul. Her features showing an array of emotions, disbelief, hope, happiness, and there in the very back of all of that is a little bit of sadness.

I start walking toward her and she runs as fast as her little legs can, when we are almost together, I bend down. She seemed to pick up some speed after that, I wasn't going to toss her in the air like I usually do when we greet each other, not this time. This little bitty thing pretty much tackles me, making me fall flat on my ass.

Still, she jumps into my arms squeezing my neck tighter than ever. God, I have missed this child.

I try to get her to look at me, but she just buries her face deeper, holding on tighter. I take in my surroundings because there is no longer the noise of people chattering and laughing having a good time, it is completely silent.

My eyes find Indya's first, she has tears pouring from her red rimmed eyes, but the biggest smile on her face. I look at the rest of the girls, and they are not faring any better. My poor hard ass sister is crying into Van's chest, who has a gloss shining in his eyes. I meet the eyes of all the guys, they are all smiling.

I try to pull Haven away from my neck, so I can see her beautiful eyes, but when I do, she sniffles. I stiffen. She. Fucking. Sniffled. My princess is crying, Indya said she only sniffles when she is crying hard. My eyes fill, I stay where I am, rubbing her back, speaking to her, so she can feel the vibrations. I just keep repeating I love you, Princess.

Finally, Haven starts to raise her head. Her eyes look brighter, even though she just spent the better half of twenty minutes crying. When her eyes meet mine, she smiles the smile I have been missing. The one she gives only me, showing all of her little baby teeth.

I try to take in every one of her features, memorizing them, wanting to keep them fresh in my mind, I notice her little cheeks have started to form little dimples. I don't remember her having dimples before. I know it hasn't been years since I saw her last, it has been months, and now she has fucking dimples, and I missed it happening.

I sit Haven back on my lap, so she can sign, and I can talk to her. I look to Indya, and she knows I will need her to translate, but as soon as the season is over, I will be fluent before the next season starts.

Haven starts signing, and holy shit she is fast. She is so much faster than she was months ago. I am only picking up a few words, my gaze goes to Indya, she just smirks.

"Haven says, look how fast I can sign now Atlas. My sentences are better too. mama says I talk like a grown-up but that doesn't make me a grown-up. She tells me all the time to act like I am four, not fourteen. I don't know what she is talking about. I missed you so much, Atlas. Don't you dare do that to me again, and leave. I don't want you to leave me. I want you with me all the time. I want to be with you all the time. No more space, okay?"

I start to laugh, and Haven's smile gets bigger and brighter, I hear Indya laugh as well, as she asks if I just want her to sign for me and I nod yes. So, she steps behind me so Haven and still looks at me while seeing the signs.

"I missed you too, princess. So much. You do sign so much faster now; I could only make out one or two words. I will do everything in my power to keep you and your mama at my side forever. I never want to let go of either of you. You both make me feel whole," I pause because I hear Indya gasp.

When I look at her, she is covering her mouth, and her eyes are filled with tears again. When I ask her what's wrong she gives me a "later" look. I turn back to Haven, telling her how happy I am to see her and I love her. Her response is, "I love you; do you think they will let us eat now?" All I could do was laugh.

After we all have eaten real food, as Van keeps muttering, Indya brings all the desserts she has made out onto the deck. All of a sudden, Van and Lyra are fighting over who gets to go first, until Indya comes around the corner.

"Van, Lyra, what are you arguing about? I know it better not be about those brownies, because if it is, I will make you both wait until everyone has had their fill of dessert before letting either of you near them," she scolds, she is giving them her mom voice, she even has a hand on her hip and a wooden spoon in her hand. If I didn't know better, Indya just threaten to whoop their asses, without saying it directly.

I throw my head back and laugh, Haven looking up from my lap, joy radiating off her. Then she signs to me, this time slowly.

I like when you laugh big. It makes me feel warm inside my belly.

I don't even know what to say to that. I just smile and give her a wink, enjoying watching my woman put my brother and sister in their places. They both sag their shoulder and flop down in the chairs they were sitting in, pouting like a bunch of toddlers.

Indya gives me the look, the one that says let's tell them now, because I want to touch you and kiss you and fuck you. Well, it probably just says let's tell them now, the rest was all me. I give her a nod. Instead of her doing her little speech she told me about, she starts walking over to me, with a big ass brownie on a plate. Van and Lyra groan and moan, saying something is so unfair, but I ignore them.

She sits the brownie in front of me and says, "It's your favorite, but mine is something different."

I am a little confused, because she knows brownies are definitely not my favorite, they're hers. Everyone has eyes on us, I can feel it. Haven has taken it upon herself to have some of the brownie. For some reason, every time she breaks a piece off, she makes a dramatic facial expression, eating it slow as hell, looking directly at my brother and sister. What the hell is going on?

Then as if waiting for the right moment, Indya says, " You are my favorite." Then she is kissing the hell out of me. In front of everyone, with her daughter on my lap, to keep me in check.

I grab the back of her head, deepening the kiss, while in the background that seems to sound far away, are all cheering.

"I thought you were giving them a speech, Indy?" I question, while Haven is still clapping in between her bites of brownie.

"I decided to wing it. You like the revision?"

I don't respond, just grabbing the back of her neck and bringing her in for some more sweet, sweet, love.

Hours later, the house is almost empty, all of my teammates have left except for Bailey, Simms, and Zander. Indya's siblings are still here, Emerson and Asia helping Indya put stuff in containers for people to take home. She sent everyone that has already left with no less than three containers. One with appetizers, real food, and dessert. I am definitely going to have to ask her what the deal is with "real food" because I am still confused about all of that.

Haven is sleeping in my arms, and when someone doesn't need my attention, I just stare at her.

"You want me to take her and put her in her bed?" Zander asks, he is soaking in all that innocence that only a child can produce.

"The fuck you mean her bed? Why does she have a room here?" I growl, getting pissed off over the things he has not only done for her, but what he has done for her, that I had to miss out on.

"Relax, Atlas. I just meant one of the rooms here, so she can stretch out. I don't want her to have a crick in her neck and be uncomfortable at the game tomorrow evenin," he whispers, looking around to make sure no one is paying attention to us.

My eyes go wide, I realize I just about gave it away, that he owned the house. Fuck, the jealousy of his and Haven's relationship has been eating me alive for the past few months. I have had her in my arms since we reconnected. I guess it is only fair to let him put her in a bed.

I give a nod, stressing to him to be careful with her, and he looks at me like I have lost my mind. I can't help it. Those words just came out on their own.

Indya steps out of the kitchen onto the patio, carrying two pans that look as though they could each hold a large turkey. Holy shit, they are roaster pans, the aluminum ones that you just throw away when you're done with it. What the hell does she have in those things?

Indya stops in between Van and Lyra, who have been giving her space, since they were scolded like children in front of everyone. The both look at her at the same time.

"Did you both learn anything today?" she asks them.

"Don't fuck with you is what I learned," Lyra defends.

"You can't have dessert until you eat real food first and no fighting in front of the food and guests," Van says, surprising us all with his response.

Indya sets a pan in front of each of them, there is foil covering the top, and she has written them both a little note on the foil in permanent marker.

"Mistakes are proof that you are trying," Van says, reading his aloud.

"Confucius once said, ‘Wherever you go, go with all your heart'," Lyra reads hers, then looks at Indya like she knows a deep dark secret she shouldn't know.

"Van, I got your quote off Pinterest, I thought it fit you well, so I apologize it is not as cool as Confucius. You may both lift the foil to see the surprise inside," Indya tells them, as she steps away, making her way to me, sitting in my lap.

Yeah, I definitely missed this.

My head jerks to the side, as Lyra squeals, well Van and Lyra squeals. Indya made them their own Bacon Caramel Toffee brownies. They look at Indya like she just discovered electricity, single handedly. They run around the table hugging her and thanking her. I just shake my head.

"Don't worry, Atlas, I made you two, since you will more than likely have to share with Haven. I have never seen her go to town on a brownie like that," she laughs, apparently missing the part where Haven was gloating in front of Van and Lyra.

I kiss her cheek and tuck my nose into the side of her neck, inhaling her sweetness. Zander, me, Haven, and Indya are all staying here tonight, and once the rest of these lunatics are gone, I am taking my woman to bed.