Inferno

~45~ Flourishing

Luke's POV

After Emma leaves, everyone is silent for a minute. Mom silently wipes the tears that have fallen off of her cheek. Dad comes over silently and wraps her up in a huge hug and kisses her hair.

She pulls away from him after a minute. "It's Jake. She's flourishing because of him" she says, still crying.

"I've noticed it too. They really click."

"I can't get over how she got that beach wave. I've tried to do that look for four years" Sasha says, a little annoyed. Mom just chuckles. "I can show you if you want, Sasha" she says, shaking her head.

"You can do it too?" She asks, even more annoyed.

"I'm the one who taught her. I may be old, but I'm still cool, young lady" she says, putting her hands on her hips.

"If that's what you gotta keep telling yourself, momma" she says with a teasing grin. Mom smacks her lightly on the butt.

"Watch yourself" she says, smiling gently.

"Can you curl my hair like that grandma?" Savannah asks, going over to her.

"Sure. Go in my bathroom and grab the curling iron. You know where it is" she says, giving her a kiss.

"You've got a beautiful family, my friend" Wes says,
speaking for the first time.

"I'm pretty proud of them all" Dad says quietly.

Trace is just standing there, saying nothing.

"You ok?" I ask him as we go back to the living room.

"I'm good" he says simply as he grabs the controller again.

"What's up?" I ask him. He's closer than a brother to me. I know when he's lying.

"Nothing, man" he says quietly.

Mom and Savannah come into the room, and mom sits on the window sill seat. Mom moves some of the decorative pillows onto the floor so Sasha can sit next to her.

They spend the next 15 minutes curling Savannah's hair, while mom explains how to do it the way Emma did. Sasha does a few at the end.

"Yup! Perfect" mom says.

"All these years. You've known how to do it all of these years? That's annoying" she says, huffing and going back into the kitchen.

"All you had to do was ask" mom says as she puts the curling iron back in her room.

"What do you think?" Savannah asks, proud of her bouncy curls.

"You look beautiful" I say with a smile.

"Trace?" She asks, annoyed that he hasn't said anything.

"You look great, kiddo" Trace says, chuckling.

"Daddy!" She yells as she waits for Liam to come in. Once he does, she does a twirl.

"Wow! Who is this little girl? What did you do to Savannah?" He asks, smiling at her.

"Aren't I pretty?" She asks with a smile.

"Yup! But you're always pretty" he says, scooping her up and kissing her.

"Grandpa! Am I as pretty as Emma?" She asks, running into dad's arms.

Wes chuckles. Having dad being called grandpa sounds weird.

"I don't know how I got so lucky to have four such beautiful girls living under one roof, but I did" he says, kissing her.

She beams as she snuggles into his chest.