Vera

chapter 12

S O R E N
P R E S E N T D A Y

It had been almost a week since Lachlan's death. I've fallen into a routine here which is completely different from the one I've had staying back in Philly. I get out of bed at six, work out for two hours, eat breakfast with Beau and a couple of guards that I've become friends with. Donnelly and I have grown closer, while I helped him train for his first mission. At around eleven, I head over to the jungle gym and play with my daughter as Vera watched over us. Sometimes, Kohl, Beau and Donnelly would join.

Vera is still on guard every time I'm around. I don't blame her for it. I lost her trust, broke her all because I couldn't man up to protect the woman I love. I've been angry with myself for far too long but the anger won't disperse until I have her, until I'm able to love her the way she deserves to be loved.

I just wish I knew how I could fix this, it frustrates me not being able to know what to say to her unless it was about Emmy. Tristan hasn't messaged me once since I got here but we haven't been the same since he found out I was seeing Vera. My relationship with my brother had always been rocky so I didn't care enough to fix it. It is what it is.

I walked over to the playground, eyes falling onto my beautiful girls. Emmy sat on Vera's lap while they sat on the little pink picnic blanket laid out on top of the grass. Vera was holding out a book in front of her, while Emmy pointed her little finger onto a picture.

Tomorrow morning I would be leaving early to go find Natasha, Lachlan's girlfriend who has the fourth chip and bringing her back here. Kohl is gonna bring Vera in, acting like she's a prisoner to try and get information on where Natasha would hide the chip.

Emmy lifts her head as if she notices someone watching her. Her big green eyes lightened up with excitement, she jumps up from Vera's lap, butting her head into her mom's chin, and runs over to me.

"Hi, Ren! I missed you soooooo mach!" She jumps into my arms and I hugged her tiny body tightly. My sweet girl.

"I missed you soooooo much too princess." She kisses my jaw and I place a bunch of soft, longing kisses on her forehead and the cutest little chubby cheeks ever.

"Can you push me on the swing?" She asks excitedly. It's our favorite activity to do together, and we've been doing it every day since I started coming over.

"Of course." I carried her over to the swings, right after leaning down and placing a kiss on Vera's forehead.

The first time I did that, she swatted my face away but now she doesn't even try. I play with my daughter, catching her every time she trips over her own foot. Over the last times we've played, every time she has tripped or fallen, I get a small heart attack. Emmy is clumsy but every time she falls, she gets back up laughing. The more I spend time with her the more I see her personality evolve, even if I spent less than two weeks around her.

Emmy is full of light, the complete opposite of her mother and me. She enjoys every little thing she comes across, enjoys spending time with people around her, is always happy and cheering. Given, she's only a baby but it's a change seeing someone with pure innocence who hasn't been corrupted by the darkness of this kind of world we grew up in.

Next week, she was turning four years old and Vera is planning her birthday party while I pushed our daughter on the swings. Emmy knows about her birthday party, however, she didn't know the theme so anytime she asks me about it, I subtly change the subject.

"Ren, I heard Kohl say you have to go somewhere," Emmy says as we sit on the picnic blanket across from Vera. Emmy was sitting in between us, while Vera twirled Emmy's curly hair.