The jet is landing and my excitement is growing with every second that passes. I get to see Indi soon. The tour went without a hitch, other than Colt walking in on Danger and Ella, and Annie and Aston getting tattoos. I came home to see Indi in the middle of the tour, but it was a really quick twelve hour stop over before I had to leave again. It was the only time I could find to see her, but it was worth it. Right now, I’m home and it was incredible, but I missed her like crazy. Keeping her a secret from everyone was so tough, and even though I guess Aston knows and Chad knows I’m dating someone, no one else seems to have caught on, which is good. I don’t know how much longer I can keep it a secret though. I want to tell the world I’m in love, and I want to tell them with who. I just need her to be ready, but this time we can face the press together, and this time it won’t be negative like last time. This time it will be all good press, not egg throwing crazy teenyboppers.

I finally checked my messages on Facebook and saw from fan photos she took of her and some redhead bitch egging Indi at her house. I sent the photos to Rob and gave him the details of the girl’s Facebook account to see if the police could do anything about it. It made me sick to think these girls thought I would get a kick out of seeing them do that to her. I wanted so badly to reply to them and tell them exactly what I thought of them, but Rob said in no uncertain terms I was not to respond to any of their messages. It took every ounce of strength I had to hold it together and not publicly shame the stupid whores for hurting my sweet Indi. I couldn’t believe that they thought it was appropriate behaviour.

The jet finally pulls up at the hangar and everyone cheers. I grab my bag and head for the door. As much as I love these guys, I’ve been with them for the last five months and I need to go see my girl. Tamara opens the door and I race off.

“See ya, Caleb,” they call out and I wave back to them as I rush off and run toward the taxi rank, but something catches my eye. A blonde haired goddess stands by a pole watching me and smirking as I look at her and smile brightly.

“Indi?” I call out as she opens her arms. I run toward her and she laughs as I drop my bag and pick her up swirling her around and nuzzling into her body. She smells just like I remembered and I feel like I’m finally home.

“God, I missed you,” I say and slide her body against me until her mouth is against mine and I kiss her passionately. Her hands run from my biceps into my hair and she holds me to her as her tongue enters my mouth and she takes what’s hers. Being apart from her is a pain I can hardly stand, but reuniting with her is a pleasure I love more than anything. We kiss for what seems like an eternity and just when I feel like I need air she pulls away from me slowly and looks me in the eyes. Hers eyes are watering and I smile and lean in kissing her nose planting her feet on the ground.

“Welcome home,” she says.

I rest my forehead against hers and breathe her in. “I love you,” I say and she smiles and nods.

“I love you too. Now let’s get you home. I baked muffins,” she says.

I groan in pleasure and take her hand in mine as I bend down to pick up my bag. “I love your muffins,” I say insinuatingly while raising my eyebrows, she giggles and slaps my chest walking me toward her car.

 

***

 

After getting extremely reacquainted with Indi’s body and sleeping for what seemed like a lifetime, but in actuality it was only a couple of hours due to the jet lag, I’m in the lounge room watching television with Indi cuddled into my side like she always does. We’re discussing where we want to buy our new house when my mobile rings. I pull it out of my pocket to see Dad’s number flash on the screen.

“It’s Dad,” I tell Indi and she nods and zips her mouth shut indicating she’ll be quiet.

I swipe to answer the call. “Hey, Dad.”

“Hey son, how are you recovering from your jet lag and the exhaustion?”

“I have no idea. I don’t even know what day or time it is right now,” I say with a chuckle.

“Yeah, it’s the worst. Look, I have some news and it’s pretty big,” Dad says and I sit up a bit straighter and Indi looks at me gauging my reaction.

“Oh yeah, what’s up?”

“Colt rang me, he’s pretty worked up. A lady turned up on their doorstep this morning—”

“Oh God,” I murmur.

“No, it’s nothing like that,” Dad says and I relax a little. “She’s claiming to be Annie’s birth mother,” he says and I open my eyes wide as my mouth drops open.

“Holy shit, really?”

Indi looks at me concerned.

“Yeah, so just be on guard. We have no idea what’s going to happen and knowing Annie things could fall apart.”

I run my hand through my hair and nod. “Yeah, I know what you mean. Okay, I’ll be on my guard and I’ll go out and see them as soon as I can. Do you know how Annie is? Is she okay?” I ask and he exhales.

“No, I don’t think she’s coping too well by the sounds of what Colt said, but we just have to be here for her, no matter what.”

“No, of course.” I shake my head more with disbelief than anything else.

“Okay, well, I better go, but I just thought I should fill you in first.”

“Yeah sure, thanks, Dad. Thanks for letting me know,” I say.

“Have a good night kid, bye,” he says and I can’t even get the word bye out, so I just hang up.

“What’s going on?” Indi asks with concerned eyes.

“Annie’s birth mother showed up.”

Her eyes open wide and her mouth forms a perfect O shape. “Oh wow,” she says and I nod.

“Yeah, I don’t know if I should message Annie or not?”

“I don’t know, maybe texting her for support right now is a good thing, but it could also make her worse? I have no idea?”

“I think I’ll leave it for now, and message her later when I know more. I don’t want to upset her. I’m worried about Ella too, this would be difficult for her,” I say and Indi looks up at me and nods.

“Yeah, it’ll be hard for both of them. Being adopted isn’t easy.”

I take a deep breath as my chest hurts for both my cousins.

 

***

 

I left it for a day and then I couldn’t wait any longer, but I didn’t want to call Annie in case it upset her. So I called Aston, and he told me that they’re having a maternity test to check and see if this Loretta Banks is indeed Annie’s birth mother. The results should be back in three days’ time. Talking to Aston didn’t ease my nerves at all. He said she looked like trailer trash, like something from the Jerry Springer show, and that she actually seemed untrustworthy. Everyone was uneasy around her, except for Annie, who was desperate to know her. As you would expect.

I felt uneasy that I didn’t go to Oxfordshire and see her, but I also felt like this was an immediate family thing and that, if they needed me, they would’ve asked. I, instead, spent my time with Indi and she told me all about how a maternity test is different to a paternity test because of the gender of the parent. I had no idea about that stuff and was glad I had Indi to explain it all. I did call Colt and ask if there was anything he needed me to do and he said to just sit back and wait, and that he’d let me know if Annie needed me. He said Annie looked to me like a brother, and that only made me want to be there for her more. I felt helpless, but sitting back is what they wanted and that’s what I did.

I’m so worried about Annie and knowing how one thing can turn your whole world upside down in an instant, has made me more aware of Indi’s feelings, and I appreciate her even more if that’s possible. Indi and I are sitting in the lounge room after me chatting on the phone to Colt again and Indi walks off into the bedroom while I sit worrying about my cousins. Not just Annie, but Ella too. I worry how Annie having her mother come back for her is making Ella feel about her birth parents. Indi walks back out and the light shining behind her as she walks into the room is making her look like an angel floating toward me, and I’m so grateful right now to have her in my life. She’s making this so much easier and, to be honest, she’s everything to me. She steps in front of me and smiles brightly holding something behind her back. I look at her and smile.

“What are you up to?” I ask.

She kneels down on the floor on one knee and takes my hand in hers and looks at me with watering eyes.

“What’s wrong?” I ask leaning forward concerned.

She sniffs and runs her thumb across the back of my hand gently soothing me. “Caleb, the past three days you have shown more love and support for your cousins than I’ve ever seen before. Seeing the love and devotion you have for other people is inspiring. You build me up and make me stronger, you light up my life and make it brighter. You sing a song into my heart making every day shine so much brighter and happier than the last. I couldn’t imagine my life without you in it. Everything we have been through has made us undeniably stronger and has brought us to this moment. Knowing the kindness you have in your heart only makes me love and cherish you more, and knowing that you love me the same way makes it so easy for me to ask this. Caleb, will you marry me?”

I open my eyes wide and my mouth drops open in shock and awe. “Are you being serious?” I ask and she laughs.

“Yes, Caleb, please, marry me?” she says and it melts my heart.

I smirk. “What would you do if I said no?” I tease and she stands up leaning into me so close her lips are brushing against mine.

“Try and say no to me, Caleb,” she teases and lightly kisses my lips.

I smile against her and she knows I could never say no to her. Hell, I’ve been asking the same question for years there’s no way I’m going to say no.

“Do you mean it, Indi, ‘cause if you’re fucking with me, it’ll tear me apart,” I whisper and she kisses me again softly.

“Marry me, Caleb. I want to be your wife, forever,” she says and I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her body flush against mine.

“If we get married though everyone will know. They will know who you are and that we’re together. Are you ready for that?”

“I love you. I trust you. I’m ready to let the world know we’re together,” she says and my chest fills with pride.

She pulls out the ring box from behind her and hands it to me. I smile brightly and open the box and pull out the ring. She extends her left hand and I place the ring on her shaking finger. It fits perfectly and looks stunning. Right, where it belongs.

She is mine.

Finally.

Forever.

“So, I’m going to give you the finest wedding you could ever have hoped for,” I say grabbing her thighs and pulling her forward so she falls straddling me. She laughs and wraps her arms around my neck holding on tight.

“I don’t know, I’m not really one for those rock star type weddings.”

“You don’t want to be a princess for a day?”

“No, I’d rather something small, intimate, and private.”

“We could always elope?” I tease and her eyes sparkle and she smiles widely.

“That would be the best,” she says and I raise an eyebrow.

“Really?”

“Think about it Caleb, if we had a wedding, everyone would be there for you. I’d only have Kenzi there for me. It would be a very one-sided affair. I’d feel—”

“I get it, you’d feel like you have no one there for you.”

“Yeah,” she says and I understand completely. She has no family, only one friend and I do not want her big day to be overshadowed by her grief.

“Okay, eloping it is,” I say and she smiles brightly and tightens her grip on me.

“Really? You mean it? I mean, of course, if you want something big with all your family there I completely understand though.”

“No, the only person I want there is you.”

She smiles and her eyes are glistening like endless pools of blue water.

“Can I ask for two others to be there?” she asks.

“Sure, who?”

“Your mum and dad. They’re like the closest thing I have to family, and I’d love for them to be there?”

“Baby, I would love that. Plus, if we got married and Mum wasn’t there she might actually kill us both,” I joke.

Indi giggles and leans in kissing me softly. I kiss her back and run my hands through her longer hair. It’s grown since we first got together and I like the length of it now. But she will always be beautiful to me. I pull back slowly and lean my forehead against hers.

“When do you want to elope? Like a year or something?”

“Is tomorrow, too soon? I think we’ve waited long enough to be together officially.”

“Seriously?” I ask smiling brightly.

She nods and I smile and grab my phone and dial Dad’s number.

 

***

 

Dad is straightening my tie as I stand in the dressing room of Auchen Castel in Gretna Green, Scotland. Due to the Banns of marriage in England, and the fact that we wanted to get married so quickly, we had to come to Scotland to wed. Otherwise, we would have had to wait at least three weeks for the Banns to kick in, and Indi was adamant she wanted to be my wife now. So I made the calls and paid a fortune for us to fly here and to book out the castle for the day. Luckily it’s a weekday, and it wasn’t already booked. Plus, Indi really liked the look of it on the website and when we got here it is simply stunning.

“Are you nervous?” Dad asks and I smile and shake my head.

“Not at all, I’ve been waiting years to marry her, Dad. This is like a dream come true. I can’t wait until we can get home and I can finally tell everyone.”

“I’m so proud of you, son. I never thought I would see this day. You and Indi were always so all over the place, but when you told me you guys had been together for nearly two years and you kept it a secret from me, I was kinda hurt. But I was also really glad, Indi needed her time. She’s going to be in the spotlight soon enough, and I’m pleased that you’re going to be there to support her the entire way.”

“Of course, she’s always been my missing piece and now my puzzle is complete, Dad. I feel whole. Finally.”

“I love you, son, and I’m so undeniably proud of you.”

“I love you too, Dad. Thank you for everything. You’ve been an incredible father, especially when I was younger and I kept pushing you aside because I wanted someone else. I’m sorry for that. I was an arsehole.”

“I know, I’m not Colt, and I know I wasn’t there for you like he was at the start, but I’ve always loved you. I just didn’t know how to be a father, and it didn’t come naturally to me. I just hope I’ve made up for it in the long run?”

“You did, Dad, you did.”

The door creeks open and Mum pops her head around the door. “She looks beautiful, Caleb,” she says and I smile and nod.

“I can just imagine,” I say and Mum nods at Dad, who slaps me on the shoulder and smiles.

“It’s time, son. You ready to become a husband?”

“With all my heart.”

He nods and walks out as Mum moves across to me and smiles.

“You look dashing in a suit, you know,” she says and straightens my tie even though I know it’s already straight because Dad just did the same thing.

“Thanks, Mum.”

“Let’s go get you married, hey?”

I nod and lean my arm out for her to take and we walk out of the door and down toward the lake just as the sun is setting. The walk is quiet as I reflect on my time with Indi. It’s really been up and down, but the highs outweigh the lows every time. Without fail.

Mum walks me to the edge of the water where the celebrant is waiting and she smiles at me. I nod as the gentle music plays in the background and I wait for Dad to walk my bride down the grass toward me. Mum walks off to the side and then I see her. She’s walking toward me and the setting sun behind her in hues of yellows, pinks and aqua is making a halo effect around her beautiful silhouette. As my father walks her toward me in a white lace dress, she looks simply breathtaking and I swear if I didn’t know better she’d sprout wings at any second.

She is my savior

My angel.

My one true saving grace.