CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Carly

I stare into the eyes of my nightmare. The man who from the day we returned from our honeymoon told me I was worthless. Told me I was damaged, a slut. Told me he couldn’t look me in the eye after he knew the things I would do sexually. The eyes of the man who wouldn’t allow me to have friendships, who controlled every aspect of my life, dictated every piece of clothing I put on my body, every brush of makeup I swiped on my face.

These are the eyes of a man who once told me I was beautiful then within days turned around and made me feel like I was filthy. This man. This man once made me feel like I was the only woman in the world. Like I was wanted. Needed.

This man lied.

“Vince…” A name I never expected to say again, at least to his face.

“Miss me?”

“Wha — what are you doing here?”

“I missed you. Haven’t seen you in… well, let’s see. How long has it been? When was it again, that you decided to leave with my son? Kidnap him and, I’m sure, spread all sorts of lies.”

“I think you were the one who made that decision for me, Vince. The moment you put your hands on me in anger, with no sign of love to be found. The moment our son had to save me from your hands, when he was only thirteen years old.”

His eyes flash in anger, probably wondering where my voice was coming from. Little does he know, what he did to me that day didn’t make me weaker. It gave me strength. He actually did me a favor when he threw me through the house in front of Jack. He did us both a favor. His actions provided what I needed to move forward. To get out.

“I see you’re still the same nagging bitch you always were,” he sneers, pushing me aside with his shoulder and taking a step into my home.

“You’re not welcome here, Vince.”

“Like hell I’m not. I’m here to get my kid. You know, I may have signed the divorce papers, finally being rid of you. But I didn’t abandon my son. You took away that choice for me.”

Is he out of his mind?

“I took away that choice?!” I scoffed. “Me?”

“Am I fucking stuttering, woman?”

“Oh no. You’re plenty clear. You’re just speaking like a delusional asshole.”

“What the hell did you just call me?” he asks, voice loud and booming in my small home.

Before I can react, he advances toward me and grabs me by the arms, pinching so tightly I know I’ll have bruises in the morning. I try in vain to yank free, my butt bumping into the end table, knocking off the lamp. It lands on the floor with a crash.

His grip is unrelenting. His eyes are glazed over, the anger coming off him in waves.

“Let me go,” I demand, my voice coming out as a cry.

“No, I think I’ll hang on. See, the last time I let go of my wife, she disappeared on me for three years, took my son with her. So no. I’ll not let go again any time soon.”

I wrench my arm away and shove him. “Vince, you weren’t the one who let go. I left. Remember that? Your true nature shined through and rather than sticking around to let it come down on me or turn on Jack, I left.”

He barks out a sinister laugh as he advances toward me again. “You think you can take a few classes at some gym and suddenly…”

Before he realizes what is about to happen, I reach out and swing, hitting him square in the nose. I stand back, arms still up, ready to fight, ready to dish out all that I’ve learned in the last few years. I resist the urge to hold my hand against my chest because damn it all, that hurt way more than I expected it to. It felt amazing, though. “What? Fight back? Hit you like you did me? Strangle you? Throw you across the room?”

“You bitch!” he roars, holding his bloody nose.

“What? You don’t want someone who can defend herself? Let me remind you again. I left you, Vince. Now I suggest you do the same.”

“Or what?” He advances as if he’s about to attack me, but I don’t flinch. I may once have been weak, but the years away from him built up my confidence, made me realize that I am more than what he tried to make me.

“Or you’ll have to deal with me.” I hear Jack’s deep voice cut in.

In an instant, Vince takes a step back, assessing the son he didn’t get to see change into the man he’s becoming, with absolutely no help from him.

“Jack,” Vince says, his voice coming out just barely above a whisper.

I look at Jack in the way I would assume Vince is. Seeing him for the first time in three years. He’s taller, broader, voice deeper. He styles his hair, has stubble on his face, braces on his teeth, keys from the vehicle he drives dangling from his fingers.

“Vince.” He nods his head once and comes to my side in a flash. He pulls me slightly behind him.

When we left, Jack was tall but hadn’t grown into it yet. He hadn’t fully developed. In his mind, he couldn’t defend me. But now, three years later, he’s used our distance from Vince to become someone who could — and would — protect me at all costs.

“Look at my boy. All man,” Vince says, chest puffing out as if he had anything to do with the changes that have occurred in my son.

No, that was all Jack. Maybe a little bit of me, Tate, and now James, too. But mostly, that was all Jack. His determination. His strength where we were both once weak.

“I’m not your boy.”

“You’ll always be mine. Even when your mother tries to cloud your mind with lies,” he sneers in my direction.

“Lies?” Jack asks, his voice calm, head cocked to the side. “I’m sorry. Was it Mom who was lying when I saw you choke her? When I saw you throw her across the room? Was my mind playing tricks on me, Vince?” he bites out his name, causing Vince to take one step toward us. “Don’t. Don’t you fucking dare take a step toward us.”

“Is this how you’re raising our boy? To curse at the man who raised him? Gave him life?” he asks, his body pressing into mine, close and demanding.

Jack reaches over and grabs ahold of Vince’s arm, trying to push him away from me. “You’re not a man. Nor anyone who raised me.”

“Boy…” he says, reaching his hand back as if he’s going to backhand him, but Jack stands tall, ready to take anything Vince is planning to throw.

“Stop right there,” I hear and look at the door. Standing inside are James, Tate, his friend Will, and a man dressed in uniform who I recognize as Jack’s friend, Blake’s dad, Brad. I have no idea how they got here, how they knew Vince was here, but I’m so grateful for their presence.

Vince looks over at the doorway and narrows his eyes.

“Oh, I see my whore of a wife’s boyfriend decided to show? Had to bring the cavalry with you, huh?”

“How did…”

“How did I know you were fucking pussy-boy chef here? I’ve been watching you for a while now.”

“The flat tire?” I ask to which he nods, unashamed.

“It was you who James fought at the gym?”

His grin is pure sinister, confirming what James and I already questioned.

“That day James came here. He said my house was unlocked.”

He shrugs his shoulders like it’s no big deal.

“And you broke into my classroom and moved things around?” I ask quietly and don’t dare look at James.

He knew I had a few things happen to me that made me nervous and told me that if something else occurred, I needed to tell him. This one I hadn’t told him yet. It must have happened over Christmas break because I noticed a few things out of place when I returned to school. At the time, I hadn’t thought anything of it and, not that I wanted secrets between us, but I hated making him worry over nothing. So much took place during break I had second-guessed myself whether or not I imagined it. Turns out I hadn’t, and there was something to worry over.

“You really need to invest in new locks, Carly. You never know who could make their way into your home.” He followed his ominous comment with a wink that churned my stomach.

“How dare you.” I seethe. I start toward him, ready to take him on, but James holds me back.

“How dare I?” he asks, voice loud, vein in his forehead popping. “You ungrateful bitch! I did everything for you! You repaid me by what? Taking Jack away from his father?” He takes a menacing step toward me once again. At his movement, James shifts next to me, and Jack takes a step forward, shielding me farther from his father.

“I said stop right there,” the commanding voice of Brad filters through my home.

Vince glances over at the door once again and takes a step back, almost as if he hadn’t noticed the police officer with James.

“Officer, nice of you to come. This woman kidnapped my son. And, as you can see, she just punched me.”

“That true, boy?” Brad asks Jack, his eyebrows raised. By the look on his face, he doesn’t believe Vince in the slightest.

“Nope. Just got a bloody nose, it seems. And no kidnapping. This jerkwad beat my mom, so we left.”

Brad’s face turns red as he shifts his attention to Vince. “You beat on Carly, sir?”

“Just a misunderstanding,” Vince stupidly says.

Brad raises his eyebrows. “A misunderstanding, huh?”

“Yes, sir.”

He points to the two of us. “Seems they think differently.”

Vince rolls his eyes.

Still the same old cocky ass.

I’ve had enough, so I take two steps toward him, square my shoulders, and look him dead in the eye.

“You need to leave, Vince. I told you three years ago not to come looking for us. I told you we were done. I meant it then, and I haven’t changed my mind since you tried choking me.”

As soon as the words leave my mouth, I know James is close to his breaking point. And by the look on Tate’s and Will’s face, as well as Brad’s, they’re about done also. From beside me, I can feel the heat coming off James as well as hear the deep inhale and exhale of his breaths.

“We’re not done, Carly. You stole my son from me, and I don’t plan on leaving here without him,” Vince says, his voice growing increasingly louder with every word spoken.

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Jack says firmly.

“I’m gonna have to ask you to leave Carly’s home, sir,” Brad grits out angrily.

“I’ve done nothing wrong. You can’t force me to leave.”

“No? I seem to remember hearing her ask you to leave. And since it’s her home, I’d say I have good reason to ask you to vacate the premises.”

Tate, who’s been oddly quiet, steps forward, arms crossed over his chest.

Will stands next to him, mimicking his stance.

“You heard him,” Tate says. “Get out.”

Vince looks to Tate and over to Will, noticing their bulk and size before shifting his attention to James. “What’s wrong, James,” he bites out his name. “Can’t fight your own battles, so you have to bring in the muscle?”

“Oh, I’m certain I can fight my own battles. But you see, Vince,” he says in the same tone used on his name, “unlike you, I don’t choose to fight someone not as strong as me. I don’t choose to pick on someone smaller than me. So bringing my friends? It’s not for my protection. It’s for yours.”

I almost laugh at the look on Vince’s face at James all but calling him weak. “You really think I need protection? Who the hell do you think you are?”

“I know I’m the man who’s in love with this woman right here. I know I’m the man who will do anything to protect her. I’m the man who considers this boy my son, even after only knowing him for a few short months, and would also do anything to protect him. So you see, I’m the man you chose not to be. Maybe I should thank you.”

Vince scoffs, shaking his head. “Thank me? THANK ME?!”

“Sure. Thank you, Vince. For being such a supreme dick that it brought Carly and Jack to me.”

Vince’s face is as red as a beet when he finally loses it. “You asshole! You think you can come in here, take over my life? Steal what’s mine away from me?” Vince roars, clenching his fists.

Brad steps between the two men as Jack takes a step to the side, bringing me with him. Tate and Will are now standing on either side of James, but he doesn’t seem to need them.

James, almost tauntingly, spreads his arms out to the sides. “No. You see, what you’re not getting, is that I’m not taking anything that’s yours. Carly? Jack? They’re mine. Maybe I wasn’t fortunate enough to have them for the past twenty years, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to let either of them go now that I have them.”

If we were in any other situation I’m fairly certain I would have kissed every single inch of his body for the declarations he’s just made. However, we’re definitely not alone. And we’re definitely not in a place for us to be making out.

Vince lets out a loud growl and shifts in a way I know he’s getting ready to attack. James pushes me over to Jack, and Brad steps aside as Vince advances toward James, swinging and punching him first in the stomach and then in the face, blow after blow while I watch in both horror and confusion as James stands there, accepting every hit that comes his way.

“James!” Jack shouts, ready to step in front of him as well, but Tate steps over and holds him back.

“Let it go,” he tells him.

“What?” we both ask. “He’s hurting him!” I shout, breaking from the group and charging Vince, punching him in the kidneys.

Vince is lost in his head, so determined in his attack on James that my punch doesn’t even phase him.

“Stay back, Carly!” James shouts, and Will pulls me back, lifting me off the ground as I continue to kick at Vince.

I look over at Tate, hoping he’ll step in, but he simply nods his head toward Brad as Brad is cutting in. Will releases me, and I move to his side so he can help him pull Vince off James.

James stands up, wiping the blood from his face, chest heaving up and down. He looks over at me and winks. Winks!

What.

The.

Hell.

Is happening?

Brad starts reading Vince his rights, pulling his hands behind his back.

“What the fuck?” Vince shouts, still being held by both Will and Brad.

“Vince Taylor, you’re under arrest for assault against Mr. James Cole, trespassing, and admitting to criminal harassment of Ms. Hanson. That is, of course, unless James or Carly choose not to press charges.”

“Charge him,” James says, standing next to me, still breathing heavily as he rubs my arm up and down, comforting me while I’m standing here in a state of confusion, knowing full well he’s in pain, and I should be the one comforting him.

I look up at James, blood covering his face, and shift my gaze to Vince, blood — James’s blood — is covering his knuckles. No doubt in my mind which way I plan to lean.

I nod my head over at Brad, letting him know that I’ll gladly press charges. It should have happened after the first time he hit me, but I was so concerned about getting Jack and me away from him.

“It’s all good, beautiful,” James reassures me as Brad hauls a disgruntled Vince out of my home.

I look up at James, his eyes soft and calm. He gently kisses me on the forehead then releases me and wraps his arm around Jack, hugging him tightly. Then he leans back, hands on Jack’s shoulders and looks him square in the eye.

“You good?”

“Are you?”

“I’m good, kid. I promise.”

“I don’t understand what just happened,” he admits.

Tate steps over with Will standing close by. “When you texted James to tell him there was a strange car in the driveway and to get over here, he was with us. We knew immediately who it was. A few months ago, when Vince came around looking for you guys, we came up with a plan and knew that when he showed up, we had to make sure he would never be allowed around you again. Even without knowing Vince, James had a feeling he would come after him. He didn’t fight back for a reason.”

“So he couldn’t be charged with anything,” Jack says, shock and admiration in his voice.

“That’s right,” James tells him, looking him square in the eye. “Are you okay, Jack?”

“I am.”

“You sure? Because…”

“James, I’m good. I promise.”

“You did good, son. Texting me right away. You saved her. You know that, right?”

Jack swallows hard and flits his eyes over to me before looking at James again. I can’t control the constant stream of tears making a trail down my cheeks at the moment, so I don’t even try to wipe them away. “What you said…”

“Meant every single word, bud. I’d make it official if I could.”

“But… we only just met you,” he says, a look of astonishment on his face, and if I’m not mistaken, a few tears in his eyes.

“Like I told your mom when she participated in Margarita Madness. Doesn’t matter the length of time I’ve known y’all. In my heart, I know what’s true. You’re mine. I guess that is, if you’ll have me. And Lil. We’re kind of a package deal.”

Ovaries = exploding.

Heart = melting.

Body = tingling.

I’m a mess. I’m a weepy, blubbering, idiotic mess considering we just saw Vince again for the first time in years, watched him kick the crap out of James, then reveled in him being arrested and hauled off in a police cruiser.

“I love you, Carly. You know one day I’m putting a ring on this finger, right? Someday pretty soon?”

“And what if I don’t say yes to that?” I ask, knowing damn good and well that if he even began to ask me to marry him, I’d say yes before he could finish his question.

“Oh, you’ll say yes,” he says, reaching over and bringing us close together. His arms slide around my waist, and mine go to his chest. I reach up and graze my fingertips over his cheekbones, careful to be gentle with him. His left eye is already swollen, he has a cut on his cheek under his right eye, and there’s blood on his lip. He looks like a complete wreck. A complete wreck who stood up for Jack and me.

“You seem pretty confident.” I raise my eyebrows, but I can almost feel my eyes twinkle and know he’s seeing through me.

“No one says no to Captain James,” he says, smiling wide.

“You’re such an ass,” I tease.

“You love my ass.”

“Damn straight. And what a fine ass it is,” I tell him as I reach around and squeeze his rock-hard ass cheeks. Did he just flex his butt?

“Dude! Mom!”

James and I both bust out laughing — James wincing in pain at what I’m sure are a couple of bruised ribs — as Jack looks on in horror. Tate and Will grab hold of my son, wrestling around and teasing him about having a hot mom while James stares down at me, with his swollen left eye and right cheek puffy and red.

“Will you?”

“Will I what?” I ask.

He drops down to one knee, and my eyes bug out so big they about pop out of my head. My heart begins to beat so loudly I’m certain it can be heard across town, and suddenly, everything is quiet. Jack, Will and Tate are no longer wrestling, though Tate’s head is still in a headlock that Jack had just pulled him into.

“Whoa,” Jack says quietly. “Now? You’re doing it now? I thought you had this whole big thing planned?”

“You knew!?” I ask him.

“Yeah, of course I knew! He asked me if it was okay! I didn’t realize he was just going to do it now though! No game, man. No game,” he says shaking his head teasingly.

“Any chance I can speak sometime soon?” James asks from the floor.

“You asked Jack?” my voice barely a whisper.

Tears are already streaming down my face as I look at this man who had stood in front of me, accepting every hit he could in order to ensure the safety of my son and me. This man, who announced to my ex-husband that I was his forever. That Jack was his forever. In an instant, I’m on the ground on my knees in front of him. My hands go to his cheeks, and I press my lips against his. Our mouths open slightly, but I’m very aware of our audience. Our kiss is short and soft, but it means so much more.

“Carly,” James mumbles, resting his forehead against mine.

“Sorry, sorry. I just— Whoa, okay. Yes! Yes, I will!” I squeal.

He raises his eyebrows at me. “Never asked a question, beautiful.”

“James!” I shout and would stomp my foot if it was physically possible.

He pulls on my hands, encouraging me to stand up.

I rise to my feet on shaky legs and wipe the tears from my eyes, cheeks and chin. I laugh through a wobbly smile and nod my head, letting him know I’m ready for him to continue.

“Like Jack said, I kind of had something different in mind, but honestly? I just can’t wait any longer. And I’m really getting tired of carrying this thing in my pocket everywhere I go,” he admits.

He digs into his right front jeans pocket and reveals to me a beautiful vintage engagement ring. The diamond is nestled into a four-prong setting with scroll engraving on the white gold band. It’s the most gorgeous ring I’ve ever seen in my life.

“Man, you’re really doing this? Now?” Tate asks.

“Shut up, man. I wanna hear this,” Will shushes him, making me giggle.

James doesn’t even look at them; he just smiles up at me, complete with his cuts and bruises that he willingly endured for us, taking my left hand in his.

“Carly, I’ve told you before… you’re everything I need. But I have a confession to make. That was a bit of a lie. I don’t just need you. I need Lily and Jack and you. We haven’t known each other that long, but there’s a funny thing I’ve realized. When your heart has been sleeping for as long as mine was, when it finally awakens, it’s not willing to be put aside for any longer.

“From the moment you tripped over your shoes and into me, I was falling. I fell for your eyes that held so much sadness and hope. I fell for your smile. Every time it was aimed at me or I was the cause of it, I felt like I was bulletproof. I fell for your heart that held so much hurt, and I knew… I just knew that you built walls around it. I also knew that I would be willing to take as long as I needed to in order to chip away at that wall. I fell for your laugh, your strength, your happiness when it seemed like you had nothing but Jack to be happy about. I fell for the quiet moments you let me in, even if you didn’t realize it. I fell in love with the taste of your kiss, the scent of your skin, the feel of your touch. I fell for every phone call, text, and every minute I was in your presence.

“I fell for you so hard, Carly. And I’m still falling. Would you do me the absolute honor and let me fall for you for the rest of our lives? Will you let me love you and cherish you? Will you let me protect you from birds and dance to old records and teach Jack how to cook and feed you endless amounts of chocolate? Will you let Lily and me into your and Jack’s life forever? Will you let me move forward with you? Will you marry me?”

“Oh hell yes!” I scream and collapse to my knees once again in front of him, and he falls back just slightly so he’s settled back on both knees. He takes my face in his strong hands, my ring slid onto the tip of his own ring finger. My legs naturally shift so I’m straddling him. The kiss is soft and urgent, sweet and full of promise. He pulls back too soon, but probably not too soon, considering we have an audience.

“Can I put this on you now?”

I nod my head excitedly and present my left hand to him. He takes a deep breath and looks into my eyes, his own welling with unshed tears. He presses his lips together and bites it just slightly. I reach over and release his lip with my thumb. “Hey. That’s mine,” I tell him, copying what he once told me. “I love you, James David Cole. You’re everything I never knew I wanted. Everything I didn’t think I deserved. One look at you, and I had fallen, I count my lucky stars every single day that you fell right along with me. Thank you for loving me. For being patient with me. For giving me the privilege to both love you and be loved by you.”

He leans up and rests his forehead on my own, and we breathe each other in for several quiet moments before my front door bursts open. Barrett, Tess, and Lily trip over each other getting inside. Barrett falls to the floor but stands up abruptly as if nothing had happened.

“Are y’all okay? Is he gone? Did we miss it?” Lily asks breathlessly.

“What the…”

“I texted Barrett. Seemed like that was the quickest way to get everyone here,” Jack tells us.

“I feel like I should be offended, but it’s truth. I have no ability to keep a secret. I’m just proud we beat the rest of them here.”

“Them?” James asks, his eyebrows raised.

His question goes unanswered. Instead, we are soon surrounded by our children. Lily and Jack have joined us on the floor. When I thought the three-person hug was my new favorite thing? I had yet to experience the four-person hug. Because this? This hug, full of my new family, letting our brokenness rain around us while our heartbeats piece together every little hurt, this is my new favorite thing ever. The four of us hold each other, crying sad and happy tears. Letting go of the memories that sting, celebrating the new memories that make our hearts fly to new heights.

“Dad, are you okay?”

“I’m okay, baby girl.”

“Carly? Jack? You’re okay? Vince? He’s gone? What happened?”

“Yes, sweetheart, we’re all fine. Your dad made sure of that.”

“But… what happened?”

“James told us that Vince was around. He found out the night that he and Mom went on their first date. Will and Tate had seen him at some bar, I guess. Anyway, we hadn’t seen anything out of him, so he was hoping Vince left, but he also gave us a code to text. Just in case we ever didn’t feel safe or saw something that didn’t add up or feel right. As soon as I saw a car with Arizona license plates in the driveway, I texted James. He just happened to be with Will and Tate at the time. I’m not certain, but I have no doubt they broke a few traffic laws getting here because they arrived fast.”

“But… what happened when you guys got here?”

“We saw Vince. He was doing his best to intimidate Jack and Carly. Jack was holding him back, but when he saw me, he went off. Just like we expected him to.”

“You took the beating, huh, Dad?”

“Damn straight, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

“You two… mama and papa bears,” Jack says chuckling.

“You know it. No one messes with our babies,” I say, making James’s eyes flare.

“I’m so glad you’re safe,” Lily cries.

“Thank you, sweetheart.”

“Love you, Carly,” Lily says, and immediately the tears that I finally stopped come flooding back.

“I love you, too, baby.”

“Um, Carly? What’s this?” Lily asks, holding up my finger. A brilliant smile covers Lily’s face.

“Wait. What the hell is happening in here?!” Barrett shouts. “Did we… did we miss that too?” Barrett looks around the room, glaring at everyone like he’s the only person left out of the loop.

“James asked Mom to marry him.”

Tess gasps and Lily squeals, tackling me in a hug that makes me fall backward.

Everyone is saying their congratulations at once while Lily, Jack, James, and I stand up, together, hugging and laughing, before Tess interrupts.

“Dammit, I want my hug!” she shouts, causing us to laugh.

“Alright, little sister,” James says, making his way toward her.

“Not you, idiot. My new sister.” Her slender body barrels into me, almost causing me to stumble backward again. “What did I tell you?” she whispers into my ear, still hugging me tightly. She releases me just slightly, hands still on my shoulders. “Couldn’t have chosen a single better person to love my brother. I love you, Carly. Welcome to the family,” she says, tears slowly falling from her eyes.

“Thank you, Tess. I love you, too.” My smile is watery, but my heart is overflowing.

Soon all our friends and family are surrounding us, with Cole and Mia on FaceTime. Lauren and Josh, Andy and Christine, Bri, Grady, Maggie, Harper, even Brandon, who I’ve only met once. The love and support of the Cole family should overwhelm me, but it doesn’t. It’s like hot cocoa and popcorn after sledding on a winter day. It fills me up, warming all those parts of my soul I didn’t even realize needed attention.

“Show me that ring!” Lauren shouts as she comes through the door with Josh, Andy, and Christine. “And just to say, I’m never too old to be a bridesmaid,” she says, fist-bumping Tess.

“Wait, how did you know already?”

Everyone looks over to Barrett, who just lifts his phone and shrugs.

“I got excited. Sorry.”

“You knew for thirty seconds, and you had already texted them?” James laughs.

“Tweeted it, too.”

“You tweet? Who are you?”

“I like being kept in the know!”

“So, you won’t Facebook, but you’ll tweet?”

“I like Instagram, too.”

I look over to Jack, who looks like he’s ten seconds away from throwing up.

“Hey, kid.” I make my way over to him, pulling him aside for a moment.

James looks over and gives us both a small smile then goes back to talking with everyone, allowing us our moment.

“Yeah, Mom?”

“You alright?”

“Yeah. Just a little… I don’t know… overwhelmed, I guess. It was just you and me… and now…” He gestures to the flurry of people surrounding us.

“I know. It’s a lot to take in, huh?”

“Just a tad.”

“Jack. Everything with your father…”

“He is not my father,” he says adamantly, sparing a quick look at James.

James, being James, notices. I see him whisper something to Barrett, then he walks over to us. He places an arm around Jack, pulling him in for a hug then stretches his arms out, framing Jack’s neck with his hands.

“Can I show you something?”

“Yeah.”

James rolls the shirt up of his long-sleeve shirt, revealing a fresh tattoo on his forearm. A circle of four arrows, separated by names… Carly, Jack, James, Lily.

A sob erupts from my throat as Lily looks over at us. She winks, already knowing what was just shown to us.

“You’re mine, son. You get it now? He’s not your father. You’re not a product of him. You are nothing like him. You’re good. You’re amazing. You’re wanted. You’re loved.”

Tears flow from Jack’s eyes as he nods his head.

“Love you, James.”

“Love you, Jack.”