A Peace Offering.

A Peace Offering.
Alina

I woke up to the warmth of soft lips against my shoulder, another set brushing my neck and hands gliding up and down my sides like they couldn’t decide where to touch first.
“Mmm,” I murmured, cracking one eye open to find two very smug faces hovering over me. “If this is a dream, don’t you dare wake me up.”
Hunter chuckled, his breath warm against my skin as he kissed a path to my collarbone. “Not a dream, kitten.”
Kaiden’s hand slipped around my waist, pulling me closer. “We’re very real. And we come bearing gifts.”
I blinked, still groggy. “Gifts?”
Hunter grinned and kissed my cheek. “Breakfast. Outside on the porch.”
That got my attention. “Breakfast?”
“Yup.” Kaiden brushed a thumb under my chin, tilting my head so he could kiss me properly. “Pancakes and coffee. The works. You’ve got about five minutes to get your gorgeous ass out of bed before it gets cold.”
I laughed, still half tangled in the sheets. “Since when do we do breakfast outside?”
Hunter’s eyes gleamed. “We have company.”
“Company?”
Before they could answer, I caught a faint noise outside. Voices, and one of them sounded suspiciously like Isla’s.
I frowned. “Who’s here?”
Kaiden groaned softly, like he’d been hoping to ease into this conversation a little more gently. “Well… your sister-in-law’s back. With reinforcements.”
“What kind of reinforcements?”
“The kind with paint rollers,” Hunter said, trying to look innocent and failing miserably.
I sat up, the covers pooling at my waist. “You’re joking.”
“Nope,” Kaiden said, grinning. “Nico and Mason are downstairs. Isla’s directing them like she’s running a construction crew.”
Hunter added, “Which means we have about two minutes before she kicks down the bedroom door, demanding to start painting.”
I stared at them both, then burst out laughing. “You two let her back in the house? After last night?”
Hunter smirked. “She came bearing peace offerings.”
That did sound like Isla’s version of an apology. I rubbed my temples, smiling despite myself. “And why are we having breakfast outside again?”
Kaiden leaned in, his voice soft but teasing. “Because Nico’s about to paint the nursery, and we don’t need Bean getting high off the fumes.”
“Oh, for god’s sake.” I groaned, burying my face in my hands. “You’re serious?”
Hunter laughed, tugging me gently out of bed. “Dead serious. Come on, kitten. Fresh air, good food, and absolutely no paint fumes for Bean.”

Kaiden tossed one of his shirts my way. It hit me in the face, earning him a glare and a grin. “Get dressed, sweetheart. The crew downstairs’s already at work, and I’d rather not explain to Mason why you’re wandering around naked.”
I slipped into the shirt, the hem brushing my thighs, and followed them to the porch, still shaking my head.
Through the open window, I could hear Isla barking orders at poor Nico and Mason laughing.
When we got to the deck, Hunter pulled out a chair for me, and Kaiden set a plate in front of me. Between the smell of breakfast and the sound of my chaotic new family working together, I couldn’t help but smile.
“See?” Kaiden said, leaning over to kiss the top of my head. “Told you it’d be a good morning.”
“Yeah,” I murmured, rubbing a hand over my stomach with a small smile. “A weird one, but good.”

I was halfway through my second cup of coffee when Isla’s voice called from inside. She stepped out onto the porch, wiping her hands on a rag that had a splash of green paint across it. Her hair was tied up, a few loose curls sticking to her forehead, and in her hand was a small white gift bag with a tissue paper bow.
She didn’t meet my eyes right away as she set it down in front of me. “I, uh… wanted to give you something.”
Kaiden and Hunter both glanced up from where they were arguing about who made the better coffee, but neither said a word. I could feel them watching, though.
Isla took a breath. “I also wanted to say I’m sorry.” Her voice wavered, but she pushed through it. “For how I acted. For what I said. For… all of it. I’ve been sitting with it since last night and… Maia wouldn’t have wanted me to be such a bitch.”
I blinked, surprised by the honesty and the awkward rawness of it.
She went on, biting her lip. “She’d want me to be happy for my brothers and for you. And she’d want me to love my little niece or nephew.”
My heart twisted slightly, softening as she nudged the gift bag closer. “I thankfully know where Mia bought most of her baby things from, so… I replaced what I could.”
I swallowed hard. “You didn’t have to...”
“I wanted to.” She cut me off gently.

Curiosity got the better of me. I reached into the bag and pulled out a small black bottle that read, "BLOOM-ORGANIC HAIR VITALITY OIL" and then at the bottom, "Nila Botanics". I tilted my head, turning it in my hands. “What’s this?”
Isla’s lips curved into a faint smile. “It’s hair oil. For when the pregnancy hormones and stuff start making it thin out a little.”
I raised a brow, instinctively touching a strand of my hair.
She laughed softly. “Yeah, it happens. Mia always talked about it. When I was pregnant with Rosa, she insisted I use it once a week, every week. Drove me nuts at the time, but… she was right. It helped a lot. Made my hair soft, full and long, and it smells really good.” She shrugged, eyes flicking up to mine. “You know, girly stuff for us lazy girls who don't know how to keep a full beauty routine.”
For a second, all I could do was stare at her. This woman, who’d been a storm the night before, is now standing here offering something small and tender. A piece of the sister she’d lost passed quietly into my hands.
“Thank you,” I said softly.
Her smile trembled, but it stayed. “You’re welcome...and if you like it, I hear their skin oil is excellent too. Maybe we could try it out together."
Behind me, Kaiden leaned forward and whispered in my ear, “Told you she’d come around.”
Hunter smirked over the rim of his mug. “Yeah, and she brought presents. You're definitely making friends.”
I laughed under my breath, shaking my head at both of them before turning back to Isla.
“You know,” I said, holding up the little bottle, “if this stuff really works, I might actually forgive you for calling me a home-wrecking whore.”
Isla’s mouth dropped open, and then she burst out laughing. “Looks like I'll be getting that forgiveness then.”