Chapter 0932

Marigold studies me for a long moment and I feel Jackson step close, feel him settle down on the ground behind me. The little girl flicks her eyes to him and then back to me.

"Ariel,” she whispers, and my name said in her tiny voice makes my heart seize. I smile at her – a big, rich smile – even as tears slip out of the corners of my eyes. I wipe them hastily away, not wanting her to think that I'm sad.

"Yup, that's right," I say, laughing a little and shifting my eyes to my mom - who, of course, is also crying.

Marigold shifts her eyes to Jackson, a clear question on her face as she tries to figure out what his name is. She knows the rest of us by name, after all, except him. His name - the name of the most important person in the room to her right now. The person with whom she has a bond, whom she already knows to be attached to her.

"Um," Jackson says, working hard to keep his voice casual and steady. "I guess you can just call me...dad. If that's okay with you."

Marigold stares at him for a long moment and then nods once, turning her eyes back to the book in mom's hands, clearly wanting more of that.

But mom, I laugh to see, is crying too hard now to continue reading. She laughs along with me - we all do - as she sets the book down in Marigold's lap and wipes at her cheeks with her palms.

"They're all messy, Marigold," Rafe says on a sigh, laughing and picking up the book as the little girl turns to him. "Here, let me continue this, though I'm not going to be as good at the voices as she was."

We all curl up then, quite quiet and cozy, and listen as Rafe reads the story. Jesse comes down from the bed to stretch out next to me and Mark comes in too, bringing a bunch of child clothes - where on earth did he get those? - and continuing to fold them as he listens.

keep my

Jackson's little girl.

an hour passes, her eyes fastened steadily on the page as my brother

I smile, just slightly,

mean, because I think it's all going

team at our backs? It's

until Marigold's eyes start to droop, until she slumps down against

she pulls the blankets up around Marigold's chin. "Why don't you big boys clear out of

the story was very

Mark ducks into the closet quickly to put away all

"Hey," Jesse whispers, bending

to put a hand on my

at him in surprise as he

head towards the door. "Why don't you come out with us for a second. Let me buy you

in shock at

grinning at me. "You look like

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