The Road Ahead (A Hunter Hayes Fanfiction, Book 4 of The Hardships Saga)

Chapter Seven

When they got home, Hunter was surprised to hear laughter. The kids all ran off to play a game, and he made his way to the kitchen, slightly cautious.

"Oh, you look fantastic."

"Shh, I'm a warrior now!"

Ryan laughed. "Very nice. Though I think your camouflage is a bit messy."

"Don't be ridiculous, I'm perfectly camouflaged! You can't see me!" She laughed, and Hunter looked through into the kitchen. Elle's hair was tied up into a bun, and she was laughing hysterically with Ryan. After her moodiness the past few years, it was strange to see her genuinely happy.

He walked into the kitchen, and Ryan smiled at Hunter, sighing. "Hey, love. Ellie and I were just messing around with the flour." She and Elle both had battle streaks of flour on their faces, and Elle was flushed red from laughing.

"I can see that," he said. "How was your day?"

"I might actually scrape a B this time, Pa," said Elle, sounding proud. "Ma helped me so much."

"That's amazing!" said Hunter. "I'm glad. But you know, you only need to try your best. Don't worry about the grades, you know I don't mind."

"Yeah, I do."

Hunter glanced at Ryan with a confused look. Why was Elle so happy? She just smiled silently and winked. "Wanna help us with the pizza?"

"Yeah... sure..."

The pizza was soon finished, and Elle left eventually to finish her studies. Hunter just looked at Ryan, and she glanced up from the dishes she was washing. "What?"

"What did you say to her?"

"I explained what she wanted to know."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Don't worry," she said gently, reaching up on her toes and framing his face, kissing his nose. "She's happy. I explained to her what she didn't understand, and now she's happy."

"I don't know how you do it," he mumbled, kissing her deeply. "Thank you."

"I'm just glad that she'll trust someone," said Ryan softly. "Even if it's just me."

"I'm glad she trusts you, then. What does it matter if it's just you? At least she won't be so bottled up anymore."

"It's something, at least," she agreed. "She seems happy with me again."

"Ain't that something," he said softly.

They stood there for a while, saying nothing and holding each other. They felt warm, and the snow fell softly outside. He kissed her forehead gently. "I missed you so much, my dove."

"I've missed you, too."

"I love you so much, darling."

"I love you more."

He smiled slightly. "Excited for Christmas?"

"Of course. It'll be nice to have you guys around for once." She sighed slightly. "I've been getting nervous about the exams, though."

"Oh, don't be nervous. I know you'll do spectacularly."

"That's very sweet, but I should likely be studying."

"I'll do the rest, I know how to put the toppings and stuff on pizza. It's how many degrees in the oven?"

"A hundred and eighty degrees should do."

He blinked. "Uh... just a hundred and eighty? Don't you usually put it in at like, three hundred and fifty? One hundred and eighty is... kinda cold, honestly."