Free Fractured Affections (The Affections Series Book 1) by Elizabeth Wills Page B

boys will like it. The younger ones may have to ride with someone, but it should still be fun. They have batting cages and ice cream, too.”
    “Uh, yeah, that’s fine, I will try to make an early dinner, so we can be ready. What time would you like to go? We just need to be back by eight, so the boys can get ready for bed because it’s a school night.”
    “Is five or five thirty good?”
    “Perfect, I’ll see you at the house later then.” I can’t believe I agreed to this. My rattled brain was not paying attention when he asked to take us out. I slide into the driver’s seat of my car, lean my head back, and close my eyes.
    What am I so afraid of? So, Striker is going to spend time with the boys. It’s no big deal. Right? It might be easier on me to think of the boys spending time with him, if every conversation we have did not end in disaster. Hopefully, we can pull it together and not argue in front of the kids.
    Once I arrive home, I head into the office, trailed by my two dogs. The leather chair squeaks as I settle in at my desk. Things are organized differently now that Dalton is gone, and it’s actually easier on me to get everything finished.  Shuffling through my stack of papers, I realize Dalton has not sent me one thing from the job he’s on. I don’t know what’s going on with him down there, but he’s really behind with sending me the things I need so that I can do my end of the work.
    I never did hear from him last night, except for a text saying he would try to call me today. It worries me if he’s too tired to call. He doesn’t ever skip out on talking to us. The man works entirely too much. Which will lead to skipped meals and complete exhaustion, and he doesn’t realize it, until it’s taken a toll on him physically.
    I just need to get this last entry in, and I’m done for the day. I feel closer to Dalton in here. I look around at the dark gray walls, where shelves are hung to hold pictures of our family; ones with Dalton and the boys from over the years, either fishing or at their sports events. I can’t help but smile. He is an awesome father considering how busy he is.
    There’s more of Dalton and myself, but my favorite sits on his desk. It was taken years ago, after I finally faced my problems and depression and I could be whole again. It was the day that I finally gave him my heart.
    I pick the picture up and look at it closely. I can’t even remember who caught this moment, but it is a perfect shot. We are facing each other with our noses touching. Dalton is staring down into my eyes with the brightest smile on his face, while holding my face between his strong hands. I have tears rolling down my cheeks, but the best part is that these tears were the first happy tears that I had cried since before Striker left. This picture represents my freedom from all the pain and my acceptance of the passion that Dalton and I could share. This was the day that I finally felt at home.
    I smile to myself as I take the picture in. I can remember how it felt the first time he kissed me after that. The softness of his lips pressed firmly to mine, and even though, the kiss did not turn into anything overly erotic, it was one of the best kisses of my life. I finally let myself feel the love that Dalton had for me. I felt it in the deepest part of my soul. Even after the love I shared with Striker, I had never felt a love so deep and so true. I clung to that love with everything I had and let it heal me.
    I’ve had some trouble with depression over the years, but never let myself fall so deeply into that hole again. I have to be stronger than that. Life can change any minute and we have no control. I became strong for my children. They deserve a mother that is whole and full of life. Not the person that I was for so long, after Striker left. Maybe that’s why I was so angry with him for so many years. I put my depression issues in his hands, made them his fault, and that’s not fair. I hold my