agile than others, so they keep a separate record for us.”
“Who did you steal the record from?” Layla asked.
“Your dad.”
Layla’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“Yep, and he stole it from your mom.”
“Crazy,” Layla whispered, reveling in the connection to her parents. Then she cleared her throat and leaned forward. “How are you feeling, Kemble?”
“Lucky,” he answered, and not in an I dodged a bullet kind of way, but in an I have an amazing life kind of way.
Now she knew where Quin’s optimism sprang from.
“How about you?” Kemble returned. “Did Quinlan fix you up?”
“Yes. I can barely feel my injuries now.”
“Good,” he approved, squeezing his son’s shoulder.
Quin raised his eyebrows at Layla and pointed his fork at her plate. “As impressed as you were with the food, you barely filled your plate. Do you always eat tiny portions?”
Layla looked from her food to his. “I guess. Mom and I didn’t like to cook, so we grazed on snacks. Our main energy source was coffee. And chocolate. It’s one of my weaknesses, and she spoiled me with it.”
“The two of you didn't sit down for dinner?” Morrigan asked.
Layla laughed as she shook her head. “Mom lived life like she was working on a bucket list, so it was always go, go, go.”
“What kind of stuff did you do?” Daleen pressed.
Layla looked over, finding all four of her grandparents hanging on every word; and Morrigan’s apricot gaze was unmoving, shiny like the peach curls flowing down her back.
“Lots of things,” Layla elaborated. “We’d shop, fish or swim, or go on day trips to zoos and museums.”
“Do you like to fish?” Morrigan asked.
“No,” Layla answered. “I don't have the patience for it and I don't eat fish, but it's the thing to do in rural Oklahoma, so we’d take fishing poles and pretend to fish while we played in the mud.”
“That sounds fun,” Daleen approved.
“Mom made everything fun,” Layla confirmed. “She was more childish than me half the time. I miss her every day.”
“I’m sure,” Morrigan sympathized, twisting one of Layla’s curls around her finger.
“Aedan was confident in Katherine,” Serafin noted. “It’s a relief his theories held.”
“It wasn't theories,” Layla corrected. “Mom and dad loved Katherine, and she loved them. I got to see that in their memories.”
“Good,” Serafin whispered, wrapping his arm around Daleen, who cleared her throat and smiled at Layla.
“What else did you do in Oklahoma, darling?”
Quin laughed. “Layla's an overachiever.”
“Am not,” she objected.
Quin held up a hand and counted her extracurricular activities. “Various sports, dance, choir, theater, student council, and I’m sure the list goes on.”
She looked down, feeling like a nerd. “I spent one weekend a month volunteering at an animal shelter.”
“That’s an amazing list of accomplishments,” Serafin commended.
“Yes it is,” Caitrin agreed. “What position did you hold on the student council?”
Layla’s face warmed as she chewed and swallowed her food. “President, but that's not as special as it sounds. I was one of only two candidates. My graduating class had less than thirty people in it.”
“Let me guess,” Quin smirked, “you were valedictorian.”
She sighed as her cheeks caught fire. “Thirty people, Quin. It’s not like it was a grand challenge.”
“Nevertheless,” Caitrin interjected, “those accomplishments require dedication. Take pride in them. And don’t let Quinlan give you a hard time. If he’d put forth the effort, he would have graduated top in his class.”
“Ha,” Cordelia laughed. “Just getting him to go was a chore.”
“I needed a grand challenge,” Quin explained, giving Layla a wink.
“So did you ever stop working long enough to have fun?” Morrigan asked, pulling Layla’s attention around.
“I had a lot of fun,” Layla answered. “Mom made sure of it. You know,” she
“Who did you steal the record from?” Layla asked.
“Your dad.”
Layla’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“Yep, and he stole it from your mom.”
“Crazy,” Layla whispered, reveling in the connection to her parents. Then she cleared her throat and leaned forward. “How are you feeling, Kemble?”
“Lucky,” he answered, and not in an I dodged a bullet kind of way, but in an I have an amazing life kind of way.
Now she knew where Quin’s optimism sprang from.
“How about you?” Kemble returned. “Did Quinlan fix you up?”
“Yes. I can barely feel my injuries now.”
“Good,” he approved, squeezing his son’s shoulder.
Quin raised his eyebrows at Layla and pointed his fork at her plate. “As impressed as you were with the food, you barely filled your plate. Do you always eat tiny portions?”
Layla looked from her food to his. “I guess. Mom and I didn’t like to cook, so we grazed on snacks. Our main energy source was coffee. And chocolate. It’s one of my weaknesses, and she spoiled me with it.”
“The two of you didn't sit down for dinner?” Morrigan asked.
Layla laughed as she shook her head. “Mom lived life like she was working on a bucket list, so it was always go, go, go.”
“What kind of stuff did you do?” Daleen pressed.
Layla looked over, finding all four of her grandparents hanging on every word; and Morrigan’s apricot gaze was unmoving, shiny like the peach curls flowing down her back.
“Lots of things,” Layla elaborated. “We’d shop, fish or swim, or go on day trips to zoos and museums.”
“Do you like to fish?” Morrigan asked.
“No,” Layla answered. “I don't have the patience for it and I don't eat fish, but it's the thing to do in rural Oklahoma, so we’d take fishing poles and pretend to fish while we played in the mud.”
“That sounds fun,” Daleen approved.
“Mom made everything fun,” Layla confirmed. “She was more childish than me half the time. I miss her every day.”
“I’m sure,” Morrigan sympathized, twisting one of Layla’s curls around her finger.
“Aedan was confident in Katherine,” Serafin noted. “It’s a relief his theories held.”
“It wasn't theories,” Layla corrected. “Mom and dad loved Katherine, and she loved them. I got to see that in their memories.”
“Good,” Serafin whispered, wrapping his arm around Daleen, who cleared her throat and smiled at Layla.
“What else did you do in Oklahoma, darling?”
Quin laughed. “Layla's an overachiever.”
“Am not,” she objected.
Quin held up a hand and counted her extracurricular activities. “Various sports, dance, choir, theater, student council, and I’m sure the list goes on.”
She looked down, feeling like a nerd. “I spent one weekend a month volunteering at an animal shelter.”
“That’s an amazing list of accomplishments,” Serafin commended.
“Yes it is,” Caitrin agreed. “What position did you hold on the student council?”
Layla’s face warmed as she chewed and swallowed her food. “President, but that's not as special as it sounds. I was one of only two candidates. My graduating class had less than thirty people in it.”
“Let me guess,” Quin smirked, “you were valedictorian.”
She sighed as her cheeks caught fire. “Thirty people, Quin. It’s not like it was a grand challenge.”
“Nevertheless,” Caitrin interjected, “those accomplishments require dedication. Take pride in them. And don’t let Quinlan give you a hard time. If he’d put forth the effort, he would have graduated top in his class.”
“Ha,” Cordelia laughed. “Just getting him to go was a chore.”
“I needed a grand challenge,” Quin explained, giving Layla a wink.
“So did you ever stop working long enough to have fun?” Morrigan asked, pulling Layla’s attention around.
“I had a lot of fun,” Layla answered. “Mom made sure of it. You know,” she
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