A Picture's Worth
Copyright© 2026 by Evie Olivia Niven
Chapter 21: Another Good-Bye
The Wolfe house was about as crowded as Bea had ever seen it. Aislinn and Gabriel, their children, and their children’s significant others, all the cousins; even baby Odelia had been brought over for a visit. As if this place didn’t get noisy enough, Bea thought, wincing as the baby squalled loudly. Most of the time, it seemed, she would quiet when Alastair picked her up. She watched, fighting a grin, as he rocked her gently, humming beneath his breath and ignoring their amused stares.
“It’s wonderful, really,” Sada said, grinning broadly. “I only have to get out of bed in the middle of the night if it turns out that she’s hungry.”
“You’ve been taking care of her all day while I’m working,” Alastair reminded her, albeit a bit distracted. “The least I can do is take care of her when I’m home.”
Drake, who was sitting on the couch across from them, snorted. “Working? All I’ve seen you do lately is nap.”
Alastair didn’t respond to that. “I’m sure Sada will be dancing again before long,” Bea thought, glancing over at her. Although she already looks like she’s been back at it. Sada was one of those people who lost weight easily. And she didn’t much like sitting around doing nothing all the time. Still, something about her had changed since Odelia was born. Bea had never seen her quite this serene before. And from what she understood, Sada and Alastair hadn’t had an argument since the birth, either.
I’m going to miss them so much, Bea thought, looking around the living room. I know it’s just a month, but it will feel like forever. Ethan had been particularly silent. He sat next to her on the couch, an arm around her waist, seemingly content to sit quietly. It seemed everyone was vying for her attention tonight, too. Well, it is my going-away party, Bea thought. Still, I just ... She found Ethan’s hand with hers and gave his fingers a gentle squeeze. He rewarded her with a smile.
“Here, Bea, try this,” Chase said, from behind the couch.
Surprised, she half-turned and saw him holding a dish full of chocolate and covered in whipped cream. Curious, Bea took the fork from him and tried a bite of the mystery dessert. It turned out to be some kind of mixture of pudding and cake, the kind of treat that was light and delicious and yet still somehow decadent. Grinning, she licked stray whipped cream from her fingers.
“Who made that?” Bea asked, raising her eyebrows at Chase. “You?”
“Don’t look so surprised,” Chase grumbled, wrinkling his nose. “I like making desserts.”
“That’s because he likes to eat them,” Bailey put in, laughing.
Seizing upon the chance to learn a little more about him, Bea said, “So you like to bake? Is that what you do for a living?”
“Nope,” Chase said casually, tossing his hair back out of his eyes. “I do ... a little of this, a little of that.”
“Jack of all trades?” Bea inquired, grinning.
Chase just smiled back. They’re a new part of the family, Bea thought, and I’ve hardly gotten to know most of them. Chase was suddenly reticent, something odd for him, so she turned her attention to Gavin, who was always quiet. He sat a little away from the group, staring at an open notebook and chewing on the end of his pencil. He wore reading glasses that reminded her a bit of Quinn, but from what Bailey said, he didn’t actually need them. For a long moment, Gavin ignored her; finally, he looked up, and she saw that his eyes were a dark gray, like Ethan’s.
“Yes?” Gavin asked, blinking at her.
“Oh, come on, I’m leaving tomorrow,” Bea said, pouting. “You’ve hardly ever even talked to me!”
“She’s practically our sister-in-law, Gav,” Bailey said, grinning. “Be nice.”
Ethan glared at his sister, but the comment won a smile from Gavin. And, surprisingly enough, he did speak to her. He might have looked a lot like Quinn, and seemed like it at first, but Bea soon found that that was just the surface. His voice was rougher, for one thing, and as she sat there listening to him talk about rock-climbing with Chase, she was suffused with warmth. These people were her family. When I come back, Bea thought, I will spend more time getting to know all of them. They were the ones who were most important in Ethan’s life, after all.
She was enjoying herself so much that when she glanced at the clock and saw that it was ten o’clock already, she was surprised. The evening passed so quickly. And I have to be up at some ungodly hour of the morning to catch my plane, Bea thought, stretching. Oh well ... I’ll sleep most of the trip, anyhow. She settled back on the couch, prepared to continue talking, when Gabriel rose suddenly.
“Well, it’s getting late,” he said, looking at her. “And you have a plane to catch in the morning. It’s probably time to wrap this up.”
“But I can...” Bea began. She saw Gabriel’s dark eyes flicker, and realized he was glancing at Ethan. “Oh ... right. It is getting late.”
Somehow, even though she had accepted that she was leaving tomorrow, a part of her was convinced that Ethan would be with her. The two of them weren’t even allowed to help clean up; they were shuffled out the door and into the cool night air. A whole month, Bea thought, holding onto Ethan’s hand throughout the drive home. Can I really do this? Before she’d met him, the chance to get away from her life for a month would have been wonderful. This time, there was nothing she really wanted to leave.
Their apartment was dark but warm. Theirs. Bea hadn’t returned to hers since Ethan had told her that he loved her. All her things, what little she had, were now at his place. Usually, she thought of herself as someone who valued her personal space above all else, but there was something very unobtrusive about Ethan’s presence. And he seemed completely unbothered by her presence. More than anything else, though, Bea liked waking up and knowing she was somewhere where there was someone who cared for her. Her apartment had always been so empty and lonely.
“That was fun,” Bea said, reaching out and finding his hand. He hadn’t turned the light on. “I wish I could have time to get to know all your siblings better, though.”
“You can when you get back,” Ethan said softly. “Come with me...”
He still didn’t bother turning on the lights, and Bea stumbled a bit as he pulled her into the bedroom. Ethan didn’t let her fall, though. He closed his arms around her, bringing her up tight against him, and lowered his mouth to hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him, parting her lips beneath the insistence of his. I’m going to miss him so much, Bea thought, as Ethan lifted her easily and carried her to the bed. I wish I could bring him with me.
His fingers tangled in her hair, his hand cradling the back of her head, as he lowered her down onto the bed. The darkness of the room seemed oddly comforting, like having a blanket tucked tightly around oneself. Bea stretched out beneath Ethan, lifting her body up to press against his hands as he ran them down over her stomach. His fingers closed around the skirt of her dress, bunching it in his hands and pushing it up. It was dark, but not so dark that she couldn’t see his dark, intense eyes.
“This,” Ethan murmured, his breath hot against her neck, “is what you wore that time we went bowling.”
“I guess I was feeling nostalgic,” Bea said, swallowing a soft giggle. “I thought you liked this dress.”
Ethan chuckled. “You have no idea, Bea.”
There was something in the tone of his voice that made her blush. Ethan pushed her skirt up until it was gathered around her hips. The panties she was wearing had sides that tied, so he didn’t even have to worry about removing her boots to get them off. He’s the only person I know, Bea thought, reaching up to touch his face, that makes me feel so shy. Ethan turned his head and gently kissed her fingertips. She shivered as he sucked at the tip of her index finger; it reminded her of their first time together.
Ethan’s hair tickled her lower abdomen as he bent his head and nipped at the inside of her thigh. Bea laughed softly, tugging at a strand of his hair. His breath was warm against her skin, each exhale making her tingle, making goosebumps rise along her flesh. Her body tensed as his mouth moved slowly down her thigh. The first touch of his lips made her jump just a little. Bea sighed, lifting her hips up as he teased her clit with the tip of his tongue. She wound her fingers in his hair tightly and closed her eyes, savoring each slow caress.
He knew her too well now. As his mouth worked her to aching arousal, his hands traveled down along her legs. Ethan’s fingertips tickled the back of her knees, drawing a sound from her that was half moan, half startled giggle. Bea whimpered when he lifted his head and grinned down at her. He tickled her for real this time, behind the knees and along her sides, until she was kicking and squirming beneath him.
“Not fair!” Bea gasped, grabbing him around the neck. “Stop, Ethan!”
“But you have such a cute giggle,” Ethan teased, lowering his head until the tip of his nose touched the tip of hers. “In fact, you make an awful lot of really cute noises, Bea.”
She gasped again as he slid a hand between her thighs. “And you’re an insufferable tease!”