Captivated Desires

57

A year later, Reign and I were in the backyard with Azar's family. The laughter and chatter of the group filled the air, the atmosphere warm and lighthearted. Olympia was cradling little Blaze, cooing softly to him and making faces that made the infant giggle.

Azar was a few feet away, watching his family with a soft smile on his face. He still carried the air of a dangerous man, but there was an undeniable sense of contentment as he looked at his wife and son.

Reign was sitting a short distance away, his gaze fixed on the happy family. A small smile played on his lips, and something tugged at his heart as he watched Azar with his loved ones. 

Reign let out a surprised yelp as the water balloons hit him, cold water splashing against his skin. He quickly realized who the culprits were and gave them a mock glare, shaking his head at their antics.

"You little troublemakers," Reign chuckled, trying to sound stern but failing as his lips twitched into a smile. The children giggled, clearly enjoying the fact that they had successfully managed to soak their father.

"You think this is funny, huh?" Reign said, standing up and pretending to stalk towards them menacingly. The children shrieked with laughter, darting away from him as fast as their little legs would carry them.

Reign followed them, exaggerating his movements and making exaggeratedly threatening noises as he tried to catch them. The children were enjoying themselves immensely, zigzagging around the yard as they tried to evade their "angry" father.

They ran around in circles, the kids shrieking with laughter and Reign playing up the role of a menacing father trying to catch his wayward children. Eventually, he managed to corner them by the fence, the children gasping for breath but still laughing as they looked up at him with innocent looks on their faces.

Reign noticed the change in my expression, the way my shoulders slumped slightly as I looked down at my phone. He knew that look all too well, the one that meant I was missing Josh. He walked over to me and sat down beside me, leaning back on his elbows in the grass. He didn't say anything at first, just let me have my moment of melancholy.

After a few moments, he spoke up softly, his voice low and gentle. "Thinking about Josh again?" 

I nodded slowly. Reign nodded sympathetically, understanding exactly how I was feeling. He knew better than anyone how painful it could be to miss someone who wasn't there, to feel that aching void in my heart where they used to be.

"He should be alive baby," I said quietly. Reign reached out, taking my hand in his and giving it a gentle squeeze. "I know, love," he said softly, his voice laced with sympathy. "But sometimes life just doesn't go the way we want it to." He drew me closer, wrapping his arms around me to hold me close. His touch was warm and comforting, a small gesture that said more than words ever could.

Willow, the youngest of our children, skipped over to me and Reign, her small feet pattering against the grass. Her face was flushed and her hair was messy, a testament to the fun she'd been having playing with her siblings.

"Mommy, Daddy, look what I found!" She called out enthusiastically, holding up a handful of brightly coloured wildflowers. Reign chuckled, his expression softening as he looked at Willow's excited face. "Wow, those are beautiful," he said, reaching out to take one of the flowers from her and admiring it.

"They are so pretty baby girl," I responded, putting some of her hair behind her ear. "Can we put them in a vase?" Willow asked, her eyes wide and pleading. She had a way of getting what she wanted using her cute little face, and she knew it.

Reign chuckled at her request, his heart melting at her adorable expression. "Of course, sweetheart. We'll find a vase for them when we go back inside, alright?"

Willow's face lit up with a wide grin, her small hands clutching the flowers tightly. "Yay! Thank you, Daddy!" she exclaimed, before turning and running back to join her siblings in their water balloon fight.

Reign watched her go, a fond smile still on his face. "She's such a little charmer," he said, turning back to me. "Just like her mother."

I smiled slightly "Yeah,". Reign moved closer to me shifting his body so that he was facing me fully. He could see the sadness in my eyes, the pain that the memory of Josh still caused me. He wanted to do something, anything to make that pain go away, even just for a little while.

"Hey," he said, his voice tender as he reached out to gently take my chin in his palm. He tilted my face up to meet his gaze, his eyes searching mine. "Talk to me. Tell me what's going through your head."

"He should be here, I know he was just a bodyguard but he didn't deserve to be killed," I said quietly. Reign nodded understandingly, his expression solemn as he listened to my words. He knew how hard I had taken Josh's death, how much it had hurt me to lose someone who had been my friend and protector for so long.

"I know," he said softly, his hand still holding my chin gently. "He didn't deserve what happened to him. But you can't blame yourself for what happened, alright? There was nothing you could have done to prevent it."

He pulled me closer, wrapping his arms around me and holding me against his chest. He could feel my body trembling slightly, the sorrow and guilt weighing heavily on my shoulders. The children were having a blast, running around and playing together as Valerie and Darius joined in their games. It was a beautiful sight, seeing them all so carefree and happy, their laughter and chatter filling the air.

Azar and Olympia stood nearby, watching over the kids with fond smiles on their faces. They would intervene if the kids got too rowdy or if anyone got hurt, but for the most part, they allowed the children to let off steam and just be kids.