He exhaled, slow and heavy.
“I wanted the best for you, Lucian. And Mara was the best. I don’t regret it. I’ve never seen you this happy before.”
There was a pause, then a confession that dug deeper.
“I first spoke to the Thornridges about it when she was seventeen. Aiden said no. But I waited. Watched. I hated every second she spent with Darian. I thought she’d go down the same path as those other girls… but she didn’t. She held on to herself. She’s loyal. She’s strong. And you’re better with her.”
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“Yes, she challenges me. Sometimes she’s blunt. Disrespectful even. But I see the way she looks at you. I see how you are with her. And I love you enough to be glad, even when I disagree.”
I looked at him for a moment, then asked the questi
