So I wait, watching through the glass as my father has whatever conversation he’s having with the male I love. When they shake hands and Dad pulls Ryder into a quick, back-slapping hug, something in my chest settles.
They come back inside, both looking suspiciously emotional, and Jake immediately suggests board games.
The next hour dissolves into competitive chaos. Nadira and I are paired against Jake and Ryder, with Dad and Georgia refereeing. Nadira’s ruthless, Jake tries to cheat, and Ryder turns out to be surprisingly good at strategy games for someone who claims he’s never played before.
“You’re calculating probabilities in your head, aren’t you?” I accuse him during a particularly clever move.
“Maybe.”
“Nerd.”
“You like it.”
“Yeah,” I admit quietly, just for him. “I really do.”
During a heated debate about whether Jake’s last move was legal, I lean into Ryder’s side and whisper, “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For being patient while I figured out how to be brave. For waiting while I learned to want this.”
His arm comes around me, solid and sure. “I’d wait forever for you, Solarin.”
Later, as we’re leaving, Nadira hugs me so tight I can barely breathe. “You’re coming back, right? This isn’t a one-time thing?”
“I’m coming back,” I promise, and mean it with everything I have. “You’re stuck with me now.”
“Good.” She pulls back to look at me seriously. “Jake won’t admit it, but he’s been hoping for an older sister who actually laughs at his jokes. So far, you’re doing great.”
Dad walks us to the truck, his hand on my shoulder one last time. “Drive safe,” he says, then adds quietly, “I love you, Laney. I never stopped. Not for one day in twenty years.”
“I love you too, Dad.” The words come easier than I expected. “I’ll call you tomorrow?”
“I’ll be waiting.”
In the truck, I’m quiet for a long time, watching the Sacramento city lights shrink in the rearview mirror. Processing. Absorbing. Trying to fit this new reality into my understanding of the world.
“You okay?” Ryder asks finally.
“Better than okay.” I look at him, this man who somehow became essential to my life in less than two weeks. “I have a family again. Two families, actually. Yours and mine.”
“Ours,” he corrects gently. “We’re building our family now.”
“Yeah.” I settle into my seat, reaching for his hand. “We really are.”
Ahead, the mountains and cabin are waiting for us. But for the first time in my life, going home doesn’t feel like going back to isolation.
It feels like going forward. Together.
“What did Dad say to you?” I ask. “On the patio?”
Ryder’s quiet for a moment. “He asked me not to give up on you when you get scared. Said you’ve been taught that people leave, and he doesn’t want me to be another person who proves that lesson true.”
“What did you say?”
“That I’ll always come back. For as long as you’ll have me.”
The simple certainty in his voice undoes me.
