Hostile Resolve - BK3 TPBS 1st Draft Complete

-37-

Not edited. As you can see, although I may not have been posting, I have been writing.
Now I know some of my little pricelings get emotional so I will warn that you may need a tissue or two xxxxxxx

The next three weeks flew by so fast that it was unbelievable that they'd be returning to Australia tomorrow. Leaving behind his mother and step father would be more difficult than he imagined.

He and his mother had many conversations that had both of them in tears and with some of the memories there was laughter. Each day blessed them with more and more chances to be at ease with one another though nothing would ever take away the empty feeling left inside him at the betrayal of his father.

He knew that his fathers' other family had suffered and when his mother asked he told her honestly that he'd spoken to Donovan and hoped to speak with his other siblings. They were his family.

His mother had been excited for them all and with skype sessions she, Grayson, Maxon, Damon and Lucas had been to talk freely about the man who had almost successfully destroyed them all.

Even Lucas came to understand some of his mothers behaviour when he was a child. When he and Julia would argue over the smallest of things his mother had gone blank. She'd shut down her ability to cope with arguments at all. They in turn, Lucas admitted, had played on it until the day when their father had pointed out that their mother was crying and explained that her life before wasn't good. If anything it had been horrible because of the arguments used to make sure she did everything her first husband wanted. They hadn't really understood what their father was saying but it was enough to push them into action.

He and Julia had run to the bedroom and sure enough their mother was on the bed literally sobbing her heart out. From that day on, at the age of nine, they'd made a pact to talk calmly about whatever was bothering them. Their mother had been through some sad times in her life and they weren't going to make her sadder by making her remember.

Now there were moments of silent tears that none of them could take from her. She needed them to help close the door to the past finally. Her dream, her greatest dream of seeing and talking with Grayson had come true and that was a dream that no one would ever take from her again.

The healing process though it seemed slow had been faster than any of them imagined. They'd opened doors and windows with complete honesty and relationships were being mended bit by bit, step by step.

Josie walked into the room to see Grayson sitting in his mothers old rocking chair and her heart constricted. With a gentle him he rocked and settled their upset son. He looked like he'd finally found his place, his peace. Whether that was true was something she'd see in time to come.

"Mum used to rock us in this very chair."

Grayson spoke in hushed tones not wanting to wake the now sleeping Nicholas.

"It's a great memory Grayson" she replied as she walked to sit nearby on the edge of the bed.

He nodded with a soft smile.

"It is. I nearly forgot about it until Mum suggested the chair to settle this little guy."

He looked at their son and with a wistful heart he wished that he'd been there to see him born into this world. There wouldn't be another day when their son didn't hear the words 'I love you' from his father.

Their son, his son, would be brought up to respect and honour everyone and everything around him. He'd be taught that no matter what his father loved his mother with a heart that she'd repaired with the love that she'd felt even when his father tried to destroy it.

He'd know that he was born through love that may have been once tainted, it soon became the purest of feelings.

He'd be taught that it was ok to cry, to have feelings that he didn't understand. Their son would forever know that he was loved and whatever he chose to do with his life they would love him with everything inside them. He'd know that just by being himself... they'd be proud.

"You know... we did well with this little guy."

Josie smiled.

Her heart filled with so much emotion that she wasn't sure that Grayson wouldn't be able to feel and see the intensity of it. This man that sat so easily in an old rocking chair with their son was the love of her life.  He'd been her reason for living for many years but now they had something she never thought she'd have with him... a family.

Whatever the future they had together would be there was one thing that she knew above everything else. She loved him.

Grayson sat quiet as he looked over at Josie whose eyes had dropped to look at Nicholas. She'd always been the perfect woman. The perfect partner. And now... now she was the perfect mother. She would always be the reason his heart beat faster than normal. She was the woman who had and always would own his heart.

"Marry me."

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Ok so it may be a little short but hey, this is how things go. ONE more chapter left and then the epilogue.

I'm taking a day or two before I post the next chapter... Going into hiding again now :D

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