Chapter Thirty-Nine
Roy – Six months later
“Is this the last box?” I asked June wearily. “I don’t think that my truck can handle anymore.” I was honestly amazed that she’d managed to fit so much stuff into such a small apartment. Luckily, she was taking it all to my place now, and I had plenty of space that needed to be filled.
“You should have known that this was going to happen when you asked me to move in with you!” she exclaimed, tapping my nose in a sweet, playful gesture. “But yes, that is the last one.”
She turned back to glance at her home with a wistful look in her eyes, probably thinking over all the memories that she’d made there; the best ones being with me, of course. I didn’t say anything. I simply walked behind her and held her around the waist. As she fell back against my chest, I hoped that my message would be clear, that I was there for her no matter what, that I would always be her rock.
“Are you going to miss it?” I eventually asked.
“In a way, yes, but I feel like it fits into my old life now, the old me that I’m not anymore. It’s like looking back a whole different lifetime…it’s strange.” With that, she spun around to face me, and wrapped her arms around my neck. “Plus, I’m super excited to be moving in with you anyway. Not that it’ll feel too much different… I’m always there.”
As she pressed her lips up against mine, I felt complete all over again. We’d been through a chaotic few months, so this felt like the best way to bring us closer when we were both so busy in the rest of our lives.
I had the business, which I’d managed to bring back up to where it used to be, whilst training up Fredrick to eventually take over when I decided to retire again (at least I knew that he could definitely be trusted, he’d proven himself to me over and over again). Then, of course, there were the horrors of the trial, which had taken me to hell and back again. Preparing for it had been very traumatic for me, but then at the last minute, on his lawyer’s advice I imagine, Lewis had plead guilty, making my witness statement obsolete.
I still hoped that jail would be good for him, and that he would come out of it a better man, but it didn’t plague me in the way that it used to. He was his own man, responsible for himself. I had my own worries.
June was making a real success of herself at the Hangout, with tutoring sessions that had been life changing for some kids. She was listening to them, helping them, giving them a chance when no one else would, and that was impressive.
On top of that, she had her first book in the Boy’s and Girl’s Club series written, and I’d read it. It truly was incredible, showing off a writing talent that her journalism never would have, and it made me super proud. I wasn’t even being biased because I loved her; it truly was wonderful. She would get it published soon enough: I was sure of it.
Of course, on top of all of that, we’d been through a very grueling adoption process, one that could have broken us more than once. We’d received the outcome this morning, but I’d been waiting for the opportune moment to tell June what it was.
“Actually, it will feel a bit different,” I told her honestly, pulling the letter out of my pocket. “The adoption company got back to us today.”
“They did,” she jumped in, snatching the paper from my hand. “And we passed everything!” she screamed, jumping up and down in excitement. “We really did it. Ali will be coming to live with us soon.”
“As soon as you are settled in,” I nodded. “Have you told her yet?”
“I haven’t said anything because I didn’t want to get her hopes up, just to have to let her down, but I will first thing on Monday morning. She is going to freak!”
As she danced on the sidewalk as if she were locked away in her bedroom, I grinned to myself. This moment had gone better than I’d even imagined. I was finally getting the family that I’d always held out hope for. Things were finally coming together in the best way possible.
“Come on then,” I chuckled, pulling her from her moment. “Let’s get these boxes to my place. The sooner that we get them unpacked, the sooner Ali can come and live with us.”
As we got in the truck and headed towards our brand-new life, I watched Tank climb up onto June’s lap, which had become his new favorite place in the whole wide world. In fact, sometimes he was so protective of June that he hated it when I went anywhere near her. It drove me crazy, but June loved it, so I had to just leave them to it.
“What are we going to do about Ali’s bedroom?” June turned to me in a panic, as if the practicalities of this had just occurred to her. “She’s going to need so much stuff.”
“Actually,” I admitted. “I’ve been getting stuff for months: a bed, bedding, curtains, some clothing.”
“You have?” she exclaimed in shock. “But you could have jinxed things.”
“I know, but I just couldn’t resist. It doesn’t matter anyway now…it didn’t jinx anything. She’s coming whether we like it or not!” I joked, wanting her to forgive me. She didn’t seem genuinely mad, but I wanted to lighten the mood just in case.
“Yeah, that’s true,” she finally conceded to me. “And I suppose that does make things easier. Plus, she can always change things if she isn’t happy.”
“And the best thing about coming to live with us is the fact that she’ll still get to go to the Hangout all the time with you.” Ever since meeting June, Ali had slowly started to come out of her shell. She had a nice group of friends now, people that it would be a shame for her to lose out on.
“Yeah, she loves all the new equipment you brought: the slide and swings, the basketball hoop, the soft play area.” I’d gotten a whole load of education stuff as well, plus allowed them to hire the extra therapists that they needed. They even had a part-time speech therapist coming on board for the children who needed it. I was proud of myself for doing so much good.
The next thing I wanted to work with Hailey was food. They ate nutritional meals at the Hangout, but I wanted to help them to grow their own fruit and vegetables, to help them see where food came from. I was hoping to hire an onsite chef, too. “So she would be disappointed to miss out on all of that.”
I held her hand in mine for a moment, pleased with the way that we had seemed to bring out the best in one another. In a way, when we first met, we were both lost souls. Now, we had a positive contribution to the world, a purpose to keep on going.
“You really are going to give Ali the best life,” I told her honestly. “She is so lucky to have you as a mom.”
“You, too,” she insisted happily. “She’ll be lucky to have such an awesome dad. We’re going to give her the best family possible.”
Over the last few weeks, because of the possibility of adoption, June had been doing her best to heal the rift with her own parents. They hadn't exactly fallen out or anything, but as she centered her mind in on her end goal of becoming a journalist, I got the impression that she’d forgotten them somewhat. Seeing the kids and seeing me, I got the idea that she felt compelled to fix that because she was one of the lucky ones.
“You will have to invite your mom and dad to come and stay with us soon,” I told her as the idea popped into my mind. “It’ll probably be a good idea for them to meet me, but more importantly, they will want to get to know their granddaughter.”
She remained silent for a few moments, but I could see tears filling her eyes. “You’re right,” she eventually whispered. “And, they’ll love her, too. Then, Ali will be gaining grandparents, as well as parents. She definitely deserves that.”
“Well then, once we’re all settled, give them a call and set it up. It’ll be amazing, I’m sure.” It gave me a pang in my heart that I didn’t have any parents to share with Ali, but this moment wasn’t about me.
What had happened to me had happened; there was nothing that I could do to change that. All I could do was make things better for the future. My mom would have loved Ali, but I just had to hope that she would be watching over us all. I would eventually tell Ali all about everyone else in my life anyway…when the time was right.
***
“Well, it’s official,” I told her, whilst throwing my arm around shoulder. “You’re in.”
“I don’t think that just having the boxes indoors counts as in,” she replied wryly, looking at the massive tower. “But it’ll certainly do for now. I’m far too tired to do anymore now!”
“At least, you know what is in each box, so we won’t spend hours scrabbling around…right?” I asked her as her expression turned somewhat guilty.
“Well, I had all good intentions, but it didn’t quite pan out that way in the end. Moving takes up so much time. I don’t think that you understand!”
I chuckled agreeably with her. I didn’t because I’d never had to move; I’d just gone on to expand and have renovations done on the house, so maybe I really didn’t get it. “Okay, fair enough. Let’s forget all about it now and get something to eat. I think that we should maybe order a takeout and have a glass of wine.”
“Celebrate the first day of the rest of our lives,” she interjected happily. “I can’t believe we have made it this far, it’s incredible.” She looked at me with such love in her eyes that it almost had me falling apart right there and then. “Just think, once upon a time you crashed into my car—”
“That was your fault,” I felt compelled to remind her. “You were the one on the wrong side of the road, remember?”
“And now,” she continued, totally ignoring my very rational point. “We’re about to become parents. We are in love, happy, with careers that surprisingly suit us both, adopting a beautiful little girl – it’s absolutely crazy.”
“And all because you were sent by your newspaper to interview me,” I replied, causing her to spin around in shock. “Oh, come on. I knew that’s why you were coming all along, the second you mentioned your job. Why else would you have been all the way out here? I offered because I wanted to help you…but I knew what you were doing all along.” I moved closer to her and wrapped my arms around her. “Lucky for you, I think you’re very cute, or maybe I would have sent you away.”
“Well, it’s a good job you didn’t,” she replied, returning right back to that bold as brass personality that I so adored. “Or you never would have had any of this.”
“I love you,” I told her, kissing her fiercely. “And, I’m glad I didn’t, either.”
If I had, I would have thrown away the best future I could have ever hoped for. June was the right girl at the right moment, and I would always be happy to have found her.