Epilogue
Rachel
Nell and I were lying in bed while James went into the kitchen. That day marked our first anniversary.
Nell was all snuggled up next to me when she said, “Rachel?”
“Yes, Nell?”
“I’m so happy that you married my dad.”
“Aw. That means a lot to me. I’m very glad I married your dad too. Do you know why?” I asked her.
“Why? Don’t tell me it’s because you get to kiss him?” she asked making a grossed-out face.
“Well, that and because I got you,” I said, poking her little nose.
“I just like that I get to call you Mommy. It’s all I ever wanted,” she said.
Tears filled my eyes. I loved Nell more than anything in the entire world, and I couldn’t picture not having her by my side. They were my entire world now, and over the last couple years, I had completely changed. I was no longer the person that I used to be: the sad girl trapped on the couch and crying every day. I had never been so happy in my life as I was being with these two.
The last couple years had been craziness. The day after we went to the Space Needle, James had proposed to me. It had been so quick, but we knew it was right. We both felt that it was totally right. We started planning our wedding right away and were married one year ago today.
I remember thinking that there was no way I was ever going to be any happier than I was at that moment. I spent the entire day of our wedding smiling from ear to ear, and even my face hurt by the end of the day. In the pictures, I wasn’t forcing it like I’d seen in so many wedding photos. I was truly, truly happy. We both were.
“Are you ready?” I asked her.
“Yes, I am,” Nell said.
I heard James walk down the hallway and I gave Nell the signal. She got up, and as soon as the door opened, she ran out of the room. She was laughing and smiling from ear to ear. She looked so happy.
“Where is she going?” James asked, pointing her direction. He was holding a tray with orange juice, pancakes, and bacon for the three of us to eat while we watched a movie in bed.
I shrugged. I knew exactly where she was headed, but I didn’t want to tell James that. I wanted to keep it to myself. It was a surprise, after all.
“I can’t believe it’s been one year,” James said and sat down next to me. He handed me a champagne glass that was filled with what I assumed was a mimosa.
I clinked his glass, but before I took a sip, I set it down. I grabbed his face with both hands and gave him a big kiss.
“I love you so much. I have no idea where I would be today without you. I am more thankful for you every single day. I can’t wait to see where our life goes from here,” I said to him.
“Those were your vows,” he said to me.
“Good job,” I said. I had been testing him and hoped that he would get that right. But I’d been a little nervous. It had been a year after all, and if he didn’t remember them, I wouldn’t have blamed him. That wouldn’t have been his fault. It’s been too long. I did remember his vows though.
“I love you so much, Rachel,” James said, and reached behind him. When he brought his hand around, he was holding something wrapped in paper.
He handed me the box, “For me?” I asked him.
He laughed, “Yes, of course, it’s for you,” he said.
Carefully, I started to undo the wrapping paper. I peeled off one layer and then a second layer. And when I got down to what it was, I found that it was a jewelry box. A black velvet box. I knew it came from a jewelry store, and from the looks of it, a nice one.
I flipped open the lid and before me was the most beautiful diamond necklace I’d ever seen in my life.
“I know that the first anniversary is supposed to be paper or whatever. But you’re worth so much more to me than that, and I wanted to show you how much I really love you,” he said, as he helped me put it on.
“James, you didn’t have to buy me this. I’m a simple girl, you know.”
“I know. But I just really wanted to buy this for you,” he said.
I smiled at him, and we kissed. I love this man more than anything the world. He meant everything to me, and I was so glad that I’d found him. I had to owe it all to Sadie. She was the one that had convinced me to go apply for a job the first place. If I hadn’t done that, I would’ve never got the job. I would never have met Nell or James. My life would never have changed for the better. I didn’t like going down that road because I didn’t really know where I would have ended up, and when I thought about it, it always just seemed like it would have gone badly.
“I have a gift for you,” I said to him.
“Oh really?” he said, raising an eyebrow.
“Nell! Come in here, now, please!” I could hear giggling as she made her way down the hallway.
She stood in front of her dad holding his gift behind her back so that he couldn’t see. He tried to look around, but she would let him. She looked at me, and I nodded my head so she knew she could give it to him. Then she handed him the box. I hadn’t spent any time wrapping it, so I appreciated that he spent time wrapping mine.
“A pair of shoes?” he asked.
I shrugged, “Open it and find out,” I said to him.
I watched as he flipped open the lid. And then he stared down at what was inside. He looked at me, then cocked his head to the side and gave me a funny look.
“These are bit small,” he said.
“I know. They aren’t for you,” I said.
“What? Are you?” he asked, getting excited.
“Yes!” I nodded my head. I’d been waiting almost a week to tell him this news, and it had been absolutely killing me. I had told Nell the day before, and she had practically screamed and burst into tears. I had to bribe her to keep her from telling her dad about it. I didn’t want him to know because I wanted to surprise him in a special way on our anniversary.
“Are you serious?” he asked.
“I would never joke about this,” I said, with a smile.
There were tears running out of his eyes as he grabbed me and wrapped his arms around me.
“You just made me happier than I’ve ever been, and you already made me super happy. I didn’t think any more was possible,” he said.
“You’re excited?” I asked him.
“Of course, I am. I’ve wanted to have a baby with you for a while,” he said.
I laughed, and then the three of us hugged and cried. At that moment, I realized that I had everything I’d ever wanted. I had an amazing husband that meant the world to me, and an amazing daughter. And, in about nine months, I was going to have another child.
“I want a sister,” Nell said.
“Well, we can’t really decide that,” James said, with a laugh. “When did you find out?” he asked me.
“Last week when you were at the grocery store,” I said to him. “I kinda thought I was for a little while, but I waited to take the test. Then I knew I wanted to surprise you in some way, and with our anniversary only being week away, I wanted to wait until then,” I explained to him. It nearly killed me though.
“You knew about this?” he asked Nell.
“She just told me yesterday,” Nell said matter-of-factly. “She needed help with the surprise. I’m so freaking excited!” she yelled out.
The three of us laughed and then turned our attention toward the tray of food that James had prepared, and the three of us started digging in.
“Does any of this bother you? Like, do you have morning sickness?” James asked me, his voice full of concern.
I shook my head, “Not really, not yet anyway,” I said to him.
“Okay, just make sure you let me know if you need anything,” he said.
I told him I would, and then the three of us watched a movie that Nell picked out. We ate our breakfast and afterward we went to one of the local parks. My favorite days were those when we went to a park. The three of us running around and playing together. I felt a childlike sense overwhelm me, and I loved the playgrounds as well. I loved being around children, and I was so excited for new little boy or girl.
“What do you want?” he asked me.
“I don’t care if it’s a boy and I don’t care if it’s a girl. Just as long it’s healthy, that’s all I care about,” I said to him.
“I would like a boy,” he said. It was such a manly thing to say that I had to giggle at it.
“So, we can still, uh, you know?” he asked, making hand gestures. I slapped his hand away because it was inappropriate for the children, but I knew that none of them had seen.
“Yes, of course, we can. It feels so much better when pregnant,” I said.
James wiggled his eyebrows at me, and I let out another laugh. Just then, Nell ran up and grabbed us for another round of tag. It was her favorite game to play at the park, and I loved playing it with her. She was so much fun and was really good at playing tag, even though she cheated sometimes.
As I played with James and Nell, I couldn’t help but wonder what this new baby was going to look like. Was the baby going to take after Nell? Or was he or she going to look just like James. Or me? It was all very strange to consider.
After we were done at the park, we headed back to the house where James set up a candlelight dinner for the three of us. I thought it was so sweet that he wanted to include Nell in all of our adventures today. I wanted to include her as well. She was my daughter, and had officially been my daughter for one year, as I had adopted her day we got married.
“Mommy, can I help you pick out the names?” Nell asked me.
I thought it was so sweet that she was already thinking about that. I knew she was going to be a wonderful big sister because she was such a caring child as it was. I knew she would help me out with the baby if I asked her to as well. I knew she wasn’t going to be jealous either. I loved her so much and worked hard to make sure she knew it.
“Yes, I think when I get a little further along, the three of us can sit down to start picking out name ideas,” I explained to her.
That night, James and I put Nell to bed and then went into our own room. We lay down in the bed together and talked about our first year of marriage. We also talked about the baby.
“I can’t wait to meet him or her,” he said.
“Me either.”
“You’re already an amazing mother, Rachel.”
“Yeah? You’re no slouch yourself,” I said back to him. I snuggled deeper into his arms, and I felt him pull me closer. I looked up at him, and we shared a sweet kiss.
I knew that as long as I had my family, I would grow old and die happy. I loved the life we had together, and I couldn’t wait to see what the future held for us.
DADDY NEXT DOOR
By Claire Adams
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2017 Claire Adams
Chapter One
Vivie
I switched the station when the opening riff of Guns 'n' Roses' Sweet Child O' Mine hit my ears. It had always been one of Dad's favorite tunes — one he played on guitar a lot and one he'd sang to me as a kid. It didn’t matter that he'd been gone for four years; not a day went by that I didn't miss him or think of him. And something like that song reminding me of everything he’d been as a dad and how he loved me; it was just too much to take after the day I’d had. Not to mention, I sure as hell didn't want to break down and start crying in the middle of five o' clock traffic.
I kept one hand on the steering wheel as I flipped between stations, stopping on a local talk show where the radio host, Arthur Valley, was interviewing a local detective. I pricked my ears and fine-tuned the radio so I could hear more clearly; crime stories always fascinated me, and it sure wasn't as if we had many crime sprees here in Irvine. So, my interest was piqued.
“Good afternoon, and welcome to the show, Sam,” Arthur said. “I want to point out to our listeners that 'Sam' isn't our detective's real name; he needs to remain anonymous since he is working undercover, and if his identity is discovered, that would put Sam in serious danger.”
“That's true, Arthur,” said the man. “I deal with some very unsavory people on a daily basis.”
“And that, ladies and gents, is why we've also put a filter on Sam's voice. He doesn't actually sound like Darth Vader in real life.”
I chuckled at that. The guy did sound a lot like Darth Vader was coming through my speakers.
“Unfortunately, no, I don't,” Sam commented with a laugh. “But how cool would it be if I did?”
“Well, why don't we get started? First of all, thanks for coming on the show today, we really appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to be here with us.”
“Not at all, Arthur. The residents of Irvine need to know what's happening behind closed doors in this town, and some of it ain't pretty… it ain't pretty at all.”
“What exactly is going on here in Irvine that's got you working undercover?”
“I’m afraid we've got a problem here, Arthur. No, not just a problem: a crisis. And I'm not exaggerating when I say that. We have a serious, serious problem affecting our youth,” Sam said.
“What is this problem?” Arthur asked.
“Drugs. Local high schools – and middle schools as well – are riddled with a new drug that's been sweeping across Southern California.”
“What are we talking here, Sam? Simple pot, or cocaine, or is it something as bad as meth or heroin?” the talk show host questioned.
“While those remain problem drugs not only here but across the entire United States, what we've got here is something entirely new. The kids are calling it Rocket because it gets you very high very quickly. We're fairly confident it's being cooked up in a mobile lab out in the desert or perhaps up in the mountains, as distribution seems to be limited to Southern California. Although, it's starting to spread to other parts of California, and it won't be long before it crosses state lines and makes its way into other states.”
“Tell us more about the drug itself,” Arthur urged. “What does it look like? What effect does it have? Who's using it? What are the dangers?”
“Well, Arthur. It's a blue powder, and what makes it dangerous is how quickly it's absorbed by the body – hence the name Rocket. You don't have to snort it; you can ingest it in all sorts of ways. It's tasteless, so it can just be mixed into soda and drank. The effects, which kick in within a minute or two, are feelings of euphoria, extremely lowered inhibitions, mild hallucinations and slowed reflexes and motor skills. The side effects are terrible, though. Not only does it create intense cravings for more – which, of course, leads to addiction – it physically eats away the insides of the user. It's highly acidic in nature, and contains a number of extremely harmful substances that should not, under any circumstances, be inside the human body.”
“Gosh, that sounds terrifying! How widespread is the use and distribution of this drug?”
“Like I said, it's worming its way into all of the local high schools, and—”
I switched stations. Teenage drug use was far too depressing to think about. With kids as young as junior high students getting into this sort of stuff, I couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with the world. I couldn't bear to think of the kids at my daycare getting into this sort of stuff in a few years when some of them headed to middle school. I'd always had a great fondness for kids, and I really loved the little tykes at my daycare, even if they could be something of a handful sometimes.
I pulled into the parking lot of the local grocer and went in to pick up a few items I needed. After a quick trip down the aisles, I went and stood in line at a register. It appeared that only two checkout counters were working. I took out my phone to check up on Facebook, but before I could, a familiar voice interrupted me.
“Vivienne Andrews, how lovely to see you!”
I knew the voice at once. My neighbor, Mrs. Joan Dobbins — a sweet older lady who did little else but sit on her porch with her Maltese poodle, Fluffy, and observe the comings and goings of our neighborhood from sunrise to sunset and often beyond.
“Hi, Mrs. Dobbins,” I said with a smile. “It's nice to see you, too.”
“I love what you've done with your hair. It's still nice and long, but it looks so stylish now! And you've always had the loveliest blonde hair.”
“Thank you,” I said with an appreciative smile. “I just had it layered and textured a little. I've always liked this length, just down around my shoulder blades.”
“It really does suit you. I couldn't stand having long hair myself, but my old Frank, bless his heart, he loved my long hair when I was young, so I kept it long for him. When he passed 22 years ago, though, the first thing I did was cut it, and it's been short ever since!”
I laughed politely – it wasn't the first time I'd heard that story.
“I don't think I'll cut mine anytime soon,” I said, hoping that the line would move a little faster. Mrs. Dobbins was nice enough, but she could talk until she was blue in the face and you were too.
“You shouldn't cut it, dear; you look absolutely stunning. Why, I don't know why some man hasn't come and swept you off your feet yet. They must be beating down your door.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” I mumbled, not wanting to get on the topic with her. Like her story, it wasn’t the first time. “I'm just so busy with the daycare, and I've got those repairs to take care of around the house—”
She cut me off. “And that's why you need a good man by your side, Vivienne!”
I chuckled, somewhat uncomfortably. “I guess so,” I mumbled. Why wasn't this line moving?
“Speaking of men, there's a new fellow that moved in across the road from us this past weekend while you were out of town.”
That piqued my interest. The house across the street had been empty for months.
“Really? The Sanchez place?”
“That's right – someone's finally bought it. And I tell you what, between you and me, he's quite a looker! You should go say hello to him. Maybe bake him a pie. You know, offer a good neighborly welcome,” she said with a wink and a smile.
I laughed. “I thought you said you wanted me to welcome him to the neighborhood. You’ve obviously never eaten any pie I’ve tried to bake,” I smiled at her.
“Well, how about I bake the pie for you, and then you go across the street and give it to him?”
I laughed. “We'll see about that. So, I know you have the scoop. What’s his story?”
“He's the new principal of that high school three blocks away, what's it called again?” she asked.
“JFK High.”
“Ah, yes.”
I felt somewhat disappointed; if he was the principal, that meant he'd be a good bit older than me. Most likely in his 40s or 50s. Not that I was interested or anything, but it might be nice to have someone close to my own age move in near me. I'd been in Irvine for two years now, but still only had a handful of friends, none of whom lived in my neighborhood.
“Well, I actually thought he was just a teacher until I spoke to him. He's so young for a principal,” Mrs. Dobbins said, rummaging around in her purse for something.
My interest was officially piqued again.
“Really? And just how old is he?” I asked, trying not to sound too interested. If I seemed too interested, Mrs. Dobbins would make it her mission to bake me a pie a week until she was satisfied we were either going to get married, or one of us was batting for the other team.
“He's only 32. Would you believe it, just 32 years old and already the principal of a high school?”
“That is surprising,” I remarked. “I guess he knows his stuff.”
“I guess he does. And like I said, he's a right handsome fella, too. And he seems like such a nice, polite young man. I'm more than happy to bake a nice blueberry pie if you'd like to take it over to him. And I promise that your secret will be safe with me. He'll never find out that it wasn't you who baked the pie!”
I laughed. “Maybe I'll take you up on that offer, Mrs. Dobbins, but not right away.”
The line had finally moved, and I was able to start loading my items up onto the checkout counter while the person in front of me was busy getting their total added up.
“Well, looks like I've gotta sort this out now, Mrs. Dobbins,” I said to her. “It's been nice chatting with you. I'll see you later, I imagine. I have some stuff to do in my yard.”
“And I'll be on the porch with Fluffy, enjoying a nice iced tea. Would you like me to make extra for you if you're going to be out in your yard in this heat? There's nothing like a good iced tea on a warm summer evening.”
“If you've got any to spare, I might take you up on that offer later,” I said with a smile. “Thanks, Mrs. Dobbins. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
“I will, Vivienne, dear. See you later.”
The clerk turned to me as she passed the last of my items over the scanner.
Ten minutes later, I turned onto my street and slowed down as I neared my house. I saw, from a distance, someone in the front yard of the house across the street from mine – the house that had formerly belonged to the Sanchez family, the house Mrs. Dobbins and I had been talking about.
As I drew closer, my eyes widened as I got a clearer view of the man in the yard mowing the lawn. A mundane task, yeah, but he was doing it clad only in a pair of gym shorts and running shoes. I had to make myself look back at the road so I didn’t hit a neighbor’s mailbox. One thing was certain; he didn't look like any school principal I'd ever seen. I might have wanted to go to school if my principal had been blessed with an Adonis-like physique and surfer's tan. I couldn't take my eyes off my new neighbor. The man was ripped.
Mrs. Dobbins had not been exaggerating; he was ridiculously attractive with his strong jaw covered with a five o' clock shadow and stylish black hair that was just long enough my fingers were itching to run through it just looking at him from the road. It’s a good thing the speed limit in our neighborhood was only 10 miles per hour. Otherwise, my gawking would have been obvious.
I pulled into my driveway and parked the car, hoping that he hadn't noticed my staring when I had driven slowly past him. Thankfully, he seemed too absorbed in his task to notice, so I got out the car and took a few more good, long looks at him as inconspicuously as possible while unpacking my groceries.
Things around the neighborhood had just taken an intriguing turn. The really attractive man mowing the lawn shirtless just across the road from me was proof. Not that I wanted to get into anything, but I sure couldn't complain about the view.
Out of habit, I wondered if he was single. But someone that looked like him couldn't possibly be – not unless he was a player. Although, someone in a position of responsibility with such a public persona as a high school principal was probably unlikely to be a player. His job and reputation would depend on him not being one. Or at least being very good at keeping a low profile at it. But in a town like ours, someone would find out.
I shook my head and turned my focus to my groceries. “Doesn’t matter what he does in his free time, Vivienne,” I mumbled to myself. I was not ready to get into anything with a man, not yet, not after Simon. Just the thought of that man sent shivers of revulsion and disgust down my spine. It had been three years, and while I had mostly been able to put my life back together, some things just took time to fix. Longer than I would have ever imagined. So, no, I definitely wasn't ready to let another guy into my life, not in any sort of intimate way.
I carried my groceries inside and couldn't help but throw one last glance over my shoulder at the hot new neighbor as he pushed his mower around the lawn. He looked up just as I looked at him and our eyes met for a second. A jolt of embarrassment rippled through me, and a red heat flushed through my cheeks. He raised a hand and waved at me. I waved back awkwardly and hurried inside, closing the door quickly behind me.
I set my groceries down on the kitchen counter and let out a sigh of relief. That was close! He'd almost caught me ogling him. I started to unpack the eggs and almost dropped them when a knock at my door broke the silence. My heart practically jumped into my throat. I took a few steps back to the door, my heart pounding, and peered through the peephole. My jaw dropped. Standing there in all his shirtless, sweat-glistening glory was my new neighbor.