“Joy.” Colleen drew near, her smile gentle as her hand smoothed the child’s hair. “Good morning, sweetheart.”

She gestured toward Zane with obvious affection. “This is my cousin. You can call him Uncle Zane, or maybe just Zane. You fell asleep, and he’s been keeping you safe in his arms. Don’t you think you should thank him?”

Joy’s sharp little mind grasped the hint immediately. “Uncle Zane, thank you.”

Zane’s smile deepened with genuine warmth. “You’re very welcome. You’re such a sweet little one—I enjoyed having you in my arms.”

Joy giggled shyly before burrowing deeper into Zane’s protective embrace.

“Locke, slow down!”

“Joy! Joy!” Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n find·novel·net

Across the cemetery grounds, Locke bounded toward them with Eric trailing behind.

Ernest and Brady stood supervising the burial proceedings while Elissa remained close to Hadley’s side.

Eric found himself in an uncomfortable position—unable to participate directly, he had assumed the role of Locke’s guardian.

From the moment Locke opened his eyes, he had been desperate to reach Joy. Eric harbored the same desire to see her, making their joint arrival inevitable.

They arrived to find Joy engaged in sweet conversation with Zane.

“Joy!” Locke’s legs carried him swiftly toward her.

Joy turned at the sound, and the first person she saw was Eric.

“Joy…” Eric’s face lit up with an eager, warm smile.

“Humph!”

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Joy made a huffy sound and twisted away, giving Eric nothing but the back of her head. She wanted no part in acknowledging him.

A look of surprise flashed across Eric’s face. His cheerful grin vanished instantly.

No doubt about it—she was still sulking.

Zane looked down at the girl in his arms, confusion creasing his brow. “Is something wrong, Joy? You seem upset.”

“Uncle Zane, I want something to eat,” Joy said, her voice small and sweet.

“Joy, I brought you snacks. There’s blueberry cake and strawberry milk.” Right then, Locke hurried over, nearly bouncing in place as he reached them. Those treats always cheered her up.

Upon dropping her gaze, Joy’s lashes trembled, and her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “Thank you, Locke,” she replied softly, her voice shaky.

A furrow appeared on Eric’s forehead. Regret gnawed at him for putting her in this mood. He could hardly forgive himself for it.

“No worries.” Locke tried to lighten the mood and held out his hand. “Come on, Joy. Let’s go eat together.”

Joy replied with a quiet, “Alright.”

Zane leaned in, gently set her down, and gave her hair a soft tousle. “You go along with Locke now.”

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