Two Years Later

“How many times do I have to tell you?” I say to Julissa, her frown deepening, her arms crossed over her chest. “You can’t just keep leaving your hair in the shower. It’s going to clog the drain.”

“Whatever, Miss Kay,” she says, rolling her eyes. “Like it’s some big deal or something. Like seriously, whatever, who’s talking shit now?”

I take a deep breath to keep myself under control. Julissa has been with us for a few weeks now, and she was a horrible mess when she first arrived. I remember the way she was, and although she’s improved a lot, she hasn’t improved enough.

Still, she’s improving, and I’m not about to let some personal hygiene issues ruin her recovery.

“Just try and clean up after yourself, okay?” I ask her. “I don’t want to keep having this conversation with you. It’s as boring for me as it is for you, but I’m more stubborn.”

She rolls her eyes and I dismiss her. She heads off to her room and I walk slowly back down the hall and climb the steps toward my office.

It’s been a long day. First the dishwasher broke down, which had to be fixed, because lord knows these girls aren’t going to hand wash their own dishes. They barely do them as it is. I had to plunge a toilet, calm a fight, listen to Katie cry for the millionth time about her parents, and to top it all off, Julian hasn’t been home all day.

I don’t know what he’s doing, but my back is killing me, my feet are sore, and I’m so done with these girls today.

I reach the top of the landing and turn right. My office is at the end of the hall, and I head inside, shutting the door behind me. I turn toward my desk and stop when I find Julian sitting in my chair, grinning at me.

“What are you doing here?” I ask him. “I thought you were working with Kenny.”

“Surprise,” he says. “Don’t act so upset to see me.”

I give him a little look as my husband gets up out of his chair, comes around the desk, and kisses me.

Tingles run down my spine, just like every time.

“Okay, I’m happy to see you,” I say softly. He smiles and leads me around the desk, helping me sit down in the chair.

I’m seven months pregnant and getting around isn’t so easy anymore.

“Here,” he says, sitting on the desk. I kick my foot up and he rubs it as we talk. “How has it been here?”

“The usual,” I say, sighing. “One fire after another.”

“You love it, though.”

“I do,” I admit. “Mostly because we’re helping people.”

“And because you lie to be busy.”

“That, too.”

He laughs softly and I glance down at my computer. There are a million emails to write, a million proposals to write, a million tasks to get done… and not enough time.

It doesn’t matter. Ever since we opened a halfway house for woman, I’ve been happier than ever.

After the shit with Hunter, we left Jersey for good. We drove south, fast and far, heading away until we hit the bottom tip of Florida. Julian entered a few amateur fights and won some money while I worked as a waitress.

Things were good. We got married after a month together, and I didn’t think I needed more. But then a check appeared in the mail randomly, attached to a letter from Alex.

It said, Dear J and K, things are good in the land of Avalon. As suspected, my family couldn’t decide whether they wanted to punish me or reward me, so I chose for them. I spoke with Hunter’s father, and it turns out that a sizable chunk of the Oakes family fortune was left to me. I’m busy mopping up the rest of the upstarts, but it won’t be long now.

The check is for your trouble. Well, it’s really the profits from that briefcase you left on the beach. Not a bad little sum, huh? Feel free to come back to Avalon. I’ll be in control soon enough, and you two are more than welcome.

Miss you both. Especially you, Julian. Who else is going to kick my ass if I need it?

Love, A.

P.S. Isaac tried to sneak back, but we caught him. I think I’m going to make him suffer for a while.

The check was for half a million dollars, way more than those drugs were worth, but we cashed it. Sure enough, the money appeared.

We opened Women’s Help after that and put most of the money into it. There are a lot of shady halfway houses and recovery places, a lot of really shady stuff, but we’re doing it for real. I want to help these girls get off drugs the same way Julian helped me, and this is the best way I know how.

It’s frustrating. It’s hard. It’s sometimes really thankless. And doubly all that considering how pregnant I am now. But I love it more than anything in the world, and every time a woman leaves this place with her shit together, it’s like winning a victory all over again.

“Look, I’m supposed to keep you up here,” Julian says.

I arch an eyebrow. “How’s that?”

“The girls are doing something for you.”

I groan. “I thought you weren’t telling them.”

“I lied.” He grins at me. “This was my idea, just so you know.”

“Oh, yeah, sure, I bet. You know I hate birthdays.”

“Too bad, little girl.” He leans forward and kisses me before going back to rubbing my foot. “Anyway, you’ll like it. Just a little party.”

“Is this what you’ve been up to?”

“I did see Kenny,” he admits. “But not for very long.”

Kenny’s his prize student, a wiry little Cuban boy with fists that move faster than lightning and a jaw that can take a punch. Julian trains people in mixed martial arts now, and he’s starting to get something of a reputation in our new home of Florida.

“How much longer?” I ask him.

“Enough time to do your other foot.”

I laugh and we switch feet. He tells me about Kenny’s training, how it’s going, and I half listen while he rubs me. I’m drifting off into my happy place, and I know nothing can hurt me here.

Julian’s been my rock through all this. Starting Women’s Help was impossibly difficult at first. I don’t think I would’ve done it if he hadn’t been there to help and encourage me. When things looked bleak, he pushed me through, and now here we are. Eight months later, and business is booming. We have ten girls, all ten beds full, and a waiting list a mile long. There’s no end in sight. We’re helping girls, making money, and killing it at life.

And soon, we’ll have a real family. Soon we’ll have a baby.

“Okay,” Julian says finally. “I think that’s enough time. You ready to do this?”

“Ready.”

He hops off the desk and helps me up. We walk together to the steps and head down all the way into the kitchen. As we round the corner, the girls all shout, “Surprise!”

I’m genuinely surprised even though I knew it was coming. Julian winks at me as the girls all come over to give me a hug.

“Sorry I was such a bitch, Miss Kay,” Julissa says. “You know, like, I figured if I was too nice and shit, you’d think something was up, you know?”

“Smart girl,” I say, pulling her in for a hug. She laughs as Julian goes and cuts the cake.

This is what I’ve always dreamed off. I have my amazing husband, a baby on the way, and a family. It’s a family of girls that’s always changing, but they are like my family. At least I treat them like that. I help them the best I can, get them up on their feet, and sometimes I help support them when they go. Every girl here is important to me, and I’m so proud of them all.

“What’s the matter?” Julian asks, bringing me some cake.

I shake my head. “Just happy.” I laugh, realizing I have tears in my eyes.

He nods and kisses me softly. “Happy birthday, my love. We’ll have a lot more.”

“Yeah, we will.” I kiss him again, letting him linger, until the girls start laughing and making noise at us. He breaks away, shushes them and goes to cut more pieces of cake.

This is how life is meant to be. This is where I feel the most alive. Helping people, being with my husband, preparing for my baby. It’s going to be crazy, but I’m crazy and I like crazy. I don’t even think about what happened back in Jersey, not any more.

There’s only my future with my incredible husband. Nothing else matters but my family, my joy, my light.