Chapter 565

Olivia

I wiped a bead of sweat from my brow, slowly turning to survey the progress that had been made in the park. The banners we had hung were a bold purple color, signifying our support of the women who had been affected by the trafficking ring.

I couldn’t help but smile a bit as I looked at our progress. With the press conference today, followed by a festival to help raise funds for the shelter we were building, the park was bustling with activity as our pack members worked hard to ensure its success.

A soft giggle drew my gaze, and my smile grew as I spotted Clarissa a few yards away, Elliot perched on her hip while Aurora played at her feet. As soon as Elliot saw me, he reached his grubby little hands out and cried out, “Mama!”

Crossing the short distance, I reached out to ruffle his downy hair before stooping down to pick up Aurora. “Thanks for keeping an eye on them,” I said. “I really appreciate it.”

Clarissa waved a dismissive hand. “Are you kidding? Getting to spend time with my grandchildren is a treat, not a chore.” Her gaze softened as she nuzzled Elliot’s cheek with her nose. “They’re my whole world.”

Grandchildren.

Hearing the word on her tongue was still foreign to me, and it still took me by surprise every time I heard it. It seemed as though she felt the same way, judging by the way her eyes widened ever so slightly.

“I’m sorry,” she blurted out. “I didn’t mean to—”

“They are your grandchildren,” I interrupted. “There’s no need to apologize. It’s just… new.”

My mother’s gaze softened, and a slight silence fell between us. It still felt so strange, navigating this relationship. I had thought she was dead for more than a decade, and she hadn’t even known I existed that whole time.

But we were getting there, one step at a time. Soon, I knew we would be laughing and talking together just like old times, and that I would be able to fill in the gaps in her memory with all of the stories I could muster.

“Still, I appreciate you being here,” I said, changing the subject. “With everything going on, it’s been a huge help.”

“Don’t even mention it, dear.” She cast an appraising look around the park. “It’s all starting to come together, isn’t it? You’ve worked so hard on this.”

I allowed myself a small, satisfied smile as I surveyed the neat rows of folding chairs and the podium standing front and center, microphones at the ready. “We all have. But it’ll be worth it to finally get this project off the ground.”

Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps drew my attention, and I turned to see Angela making her way towards us in her nurse’s scrubs. Normally, I would have beamed at her approach—but instead, I felt my smile falter as I took in the slump of her shoulders, the weariness etched into the lines around her eyes. She looked upset.

Clarissa must have noticed too, because she immediately gathered Elliot and Aurora and murmured, “I’ll give you two a minute,” before heading off to join Dianna by the benches.

Once she was out of earshot, I closed the distance between Angela and myself, resting a hand on her arm. “You okay?” I asked softly. “You don’t look so good.”

She mustered up a weak smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Yeah, I’m… I’m fine.”

I arched an eyebrow. I knew her too well; I could see right through her. Gripping her elbow, I steered her over to one of the chairs by the podium and urged her to take a seat.

“Spill it,” I said once we were settled. “What’s going on?”

Angela chewed her bottom lip, her gaze fixed on her hands where they fiddled restlessly in her lap. When she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper. “I, um… I had a doctor’s appointment this morning.”

My stomach clenched with a knot of foreboding, but I kept my expression neutral. “Oh? What did they say?”

A sigh escaped her lips. “Well… they did some tests, and…” Her words trailed off, and she shook her head. “God, I don’t know how to even say this out loud.”

Sliding closer, I draped an arm around her shoulders and gave her an encouraging squeeze in an attempt to show support despite the fact that my heart had just begun pounding. “Hey, it’s just me here. You can tell me anything, you know that.”

Angela’s eyes glistened with unshed tears as she lifted her head to meet my gaze head-on. “They said I might have trouble conceiving. That… that I could have fertility issues.”

The words hung heavy in the air between us, and I felt like all the breath had been punched from my lungs. Of course, I had suspected it was something serious when she had seemed so upset, but hearing it laid out so bluntly still made my chest clench.

“Angie…” I pulled her into a tight hug, feeling her body tremble with muffled sobs against my shoulder. We stayed like that for several long moments, her pain seeping into me through the tears that soaked my shirt.

When she finally leaned back, swiping at the dampness on her cheeks, I held her at arm’s length and met her gaze. “Listen to me—you’re going to get through this, you hear me? We’re going to get through this together.”

“But what if… what if the treatments don’t work, though? What if I can’t… I really wanted to have kids soon, so they could be around the twins’ age, you know? And I’m almost thirty…”

“There are other options,” I insisted. “Other paths. You know just as well as I do that blood only matters so much when it comes to family.”

Her chin trembled, but she gave a tiny nod. “I know. It just sucks that it can’t be simple.”

I let out a soft sigh. “It does suck. But I’m here for you, Angie. Whatever you need, I’m here.”

She let out a watery chuckle. “I know you are. What would I do without you, Liv?”

“Hopefully you’ll never have to find out.” After pressing a kiss to her forehead, I pulled back and cupped her damp cheek in my hand. “You’re my best friend. Just say the word, and I’m here to help.”

“I will.”

Suddenly, a loud sound from the street caught our attention and caused us both to turn. We looked up to see two vans approaching, news vans from two different stations. I let out a soft sigh, and a curse under my breath.

They were early. But there was no better time than the present, and the press conference couldn’t wait any longer.