"Yeah," Killian nodded.
"Should I sit down?" Kiara looked over at the small armchair by the window.
"If you want to," Killian said.
He followed her over to the hair and waited as she sat down and held up her arms. Kiara couldn't stop the smile on her lips from spreading as she watched Killian gather Lila up in her blanket and placed her into her arms. She didn't dare move as the little baby moved her head and nestled closer. Her heart hammered against her chest and she feared Lila could feel it. When she caught Killian taking a step back from the corner of her eyes, her head snapped up and she called out.
"No!" she said, ready to jump up from the chair. "Don't leave."
"I'm not leaving," Killian stopped.
"I don't know what to do with a baby," Kiara confessed. "Don't go....if she starts crying...."
"I'm not going anywhere," Killian said once more.
He moved the small ottoman over and placed it in front of Kiara. She watched him as he sank down and reached for the small bottle on the table.
"Thank you," she smiled.
"You're welcome," Killian nodded.
"Is she....." Kiara looked down at Lila and then back up at Killian, "Is she your daughter?"
Killian nodded, "Yes."
Kiara smiled, "She has your eyes."
"No," Killian shook his head, not meeting Kiara's gaze. "She has her mother's eyes."
Something in Kiara's chest twisted, "Her mother?"
Killian's eyes snapped up.
"Where is her mother?" Kiara asked.
That broken and hopeless look began to return to Killian's eyes. He looked away and focused on the small bottle in his hands.
"She's not here," he said.
"What happened to her?"
"She....left," Killian's knee began to bounce. As Kiara watched he ran a hand through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Why?" Kiara adjusted Lila in her arms. "She just left?"
"It's a little more complicated than that."
A deep frown began to form on Kiara's face. She looked down at Lila as the baby fluttered her eyes shut and drifted off to sleep.
"How can someone leave you?" Kiara spoke to Lila as she bought her closer.
"She didn't want to," Killian watched the girl in front of him. "We gave her no choice...."
"What do you mean?" Kiara didn't look away from Lila.
"We drove her away," Killian couldn't take his eyes away from Kiara.
The sun had set in the sky behind them. The nursery was dark except for the soft glow of the lamp beside the armchair where Kiara sat with Lila. Killian would give anything to spend his whole life in that moment.
"Who's we?" Kiara shivered.
"Me...." Killian ran his hand through his hair once more. "Her family...her friends...everyone she ever loved."
"Why?" Kiara frowned. "What did she do?"
"Nothing," Killian's head dropped in his hands as if he had a headache. "She did nothing."
Ch.36 Heart to heart
Start from the beginning
