Page 60 of Sick Little Devotion

“It’s a new recipe I’ve been working on. If I got it right, maybe I’ll write it down.”

“You should make a cookbook,” her mother says, taking a bite. “Because I swear, everything you make is so freaking good. It’s better than a restaurant. You have your father’s touch, which is why he opened the shop up in the first place.”

Sara smiles, though I see a flash of sadness in her eyes. I know she still struggles with missing her father, and it’s only been in the last year that they’ve started to talk about him. For some reason, he was a memory none of us wanted to discuss, but now, he’s starting to feel like a part of all three of us…

Because, well, he is.

***

SAHARA

“Okay, you have to promise me that you won’t get mad,” I say carefully, guiding Aiden out into the driveway of the house. It’s his birthday, and he asks every year that we not celebrate, but this year, I had to. He deserves something amazing, and somehow my mom and I were able to pull it off for him.

“Can you take this damned blindfold off me?” he groans, his shoulders slumping as I line him up with the gift.

“Hang on just a second.” I dig into my pocket for my phone. “I need to make sure I capture this on camera. It’s so exciting.”

“Oh God, please tell me it’s not another dog,” he grunts as Maggie, our new Boxer puppy bounces around his feet. The girls and I came home with her weeks ago, and while Aiden wasn’t the biggest fan at first, now I think he loves her more than he lets on.

“It’s not another dog,” I laugh, poking his shoulder as the girls and my mom quietly come out of the garage. Everyone is waiting to see his reaction, and I can’t lie, I’m dying to see it as well. “Okay.” I steady my phone and hit record. “You can take it off now.”

Aiden rips the blindfold off, and I laugh as his eyes grow wide, his jaw dropping. “What the…” He gapes at the boat parked in the driveway. “Why the hell did you buy a boat?”

I reach out and grab his hand. “So we can take you fishing, and…” My voice trails off as I reach into my pocket, pulling out the ultrasound photo. “And you can take our baby fishing.”

Aiden’s eyes drop to the picture, and he grabs it. “You did this without telling me?”

My heart sinks. “I’m so sorry…I wanted to surprise you…”

He shakes his head, and I catch a glimpse of a tear in his eyes before he quickly wipes it away. “It’s the best fucking surprise ever.” Aiden rushes to me, pulling me into his arms and squeezing me tighter than ever before. “You always know what I need, Sara. Always.”

“And you always know the same for me,” I whisper back as we hold each other. I can hear the girls cheering for the two of us, but I ignore it, letting myself get lost in the moment with Aiden. We were supposed to end up this way, though sometimes I wonder what our journey would’ve looked like if life had gone differently.

Maybe it would’ve been less traumatic had my father not passed away. Maybe Aiden wouldn't have been deprived of love throughout his entire childhood. Maybe my mother never would’ve fallen into substance abuse. Maybe Aiden would’ve never gotten into an illegal business.

But then maybe I would’ve never given in to the feelings for my foster brother. Maybe he would’ve always just been Aiden, my brother. Maybe Aiden wouldn't have emerged as the strong person he is today. And then we never would’ve had what we have now.

I try not to think about it as tears wet my cheeks. “I can’t wait to meet our little Aiden.”

“Or little Sara,” he whispers back, kissing the spot on my cheek. “I can’t fucking believe it, Sara. This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me—other than you, of course.”

I laugh, squeezing his neck and leaning back. He takes my mouth in a hot and heady kiss, something that he still does every chance he gets. Maybe some couples’ romance slows down—and maybe ours eventually will—but it feels like we’re always going to be making up for lost time, no matter how many years pass.

“So does this mean I’m going to be an aunt?” Lilly comes bounding up to us. She taps me on the shoulder. “I mean, I am, right?”

“Yes,” I tell her, wrapping my arm around her shoulders and pulling her into a hug. “You’re going to be an aunt, and Mom is going to be a grandma.”

She nods, giddy with excitement. “Ah, yes! I’ve been waiting my whole life for this!” Lilly bounds toward the boat and climbs the back ladder. It had taken a lot of sneaking around to buy it without Aiden finding out. As I watch him following Lilly, his demeanor childlike, I know every bit of it was worth it.

Aiden’s been healing the loss of his childhood for years, and while he always says that he’s fine—and he is—I try to make up for it however I can. I place my hand on my stomach as my mother walks up to me, draping her arm around my shoulders.

“You’re going to be the best mother, Sahara,” she says quietly, dabbing her eyes. “I knew you were a great mom from the moment I began to fail. You never did. For the longest time, you were more of a mother to those girls than I was. I’m proud of you.”

I turn to her, giving her a soft smile. “I’m proud of you, too, Mom. You’ve come a long way, and I can’t imagine a life without you in it.”

“Me either.” She squeezes me tightly as I watch Aiden laughing and goofing off with the girls. He’s finally happy. I know he is.

And I am, too.

Perhaps, after all, damaged people don’t always need to be fixed.

They just need to be accepted for who they have become.

THE END.