“Banana French toast! Yess!” Diego yelled.
“Yup. Nice pajamas you got on there,” Carter laughed, admiring my son’s favorite firefighter pajamas. He used to love his football pajamas but much like his career choice for when he grew up, firefighting had taken its place. I looked at the two men in my life as they laughed at some inside joke between the two of them and my heart felt full. Somehow my son was getting the father he deserved and I was getting the love I deserved. How could I say no to any of that?
“Tell the decorator I’ll be ready at two,” I stated.
Carter looked from Diego to me. Brightness shone in his eyes as he took in that I’d just verbally agreed to move in with him.
“Come on, little buddy. We’ve gotta finish breakfast and get you dressed so we can be out of your mama’s hair when the decorator comes.”
“What’s a decorator?” Diego asked, giving Carter an innocent look.
“Someone who’s going to fix up your new room.”
Diego’s eyes ballooned, causing me to burst out laughing as I followed them to the table.
“I get a new room?” He looked between Carter and I once he was seated in his chair at the table.
I nodded.
“That’s right,” Carter agreed, stooping down to his side. “Your mama’s going to make our house a home while us men go out and do men stuff!” Carter grunted and began tickling Diego, causing him to fall out in a fit of giggles.
I could get used to this,I thought, as I watched and my heart expanded.
~ Chapter Twenty-Four ~
Three months later …
Carter
“Who’s up next?” Captain Waverly yelled as he stood in front of the water dunking tank. Due to all that’d happened with Corey, the annual Williamsport Fire Department picnic had to be pushed back a few weeks, since Rescue Four was hosting it. Thankfully, the fall weather had held out just long enough to give us unseasonably warm weather through most of September. I was grateful for it, because it gave Michelle time to work on planning the event with her company.
“Don looks pissed,” Michelle laughed, as she stood by my side.
“He’s about to get even more pissed.” I chuckled and rotated the nerf ball I had in my hands a few more times.
“Let’s go, Townsend, show us what you’re made of,” the captain taunted.
“We all know your aim’s shit!” Don yelled from inside the tank, goading me to hit the mark.
“Ohhh! He said a bad word!” Diego yelled and pointed from my opposite side.
“See, Donnie, just for cursing in front of the kid, you gotta go!” And with that, I aimed and fired the ball right for the target. The tank made adingsound just before Don hit the water, splashing it everywhere. A few drops even managed to hit me as I laughed my ass off.
“Yay!” Diego cheered, clapping. I bent down to pick him up.
“You’re going to hurt yourself if you keep picking him up! I told you that,” Michelle insisted. She often scolded me for picking Diego up, saying he was too big, but I got a kick out of it and so did he, if the way he threw his arms around my neck, squeezing tightly was any indication.
“You ready to do this?” I whispered in his ear.
He pulled back, his brown eyes gleaming with excitement as he nodded.
“Okay.” I sat him down on the ground and reached into my back pocket.
“Mama, come here. Mr. Carter needs to ask you something,” Diego prodded, pulling his mother by the arm closer to us.
I grinned at the way her eyebrows dipped in confusion. I couldn’t see her eyes through the square-rimmed sunglasses she wore but I had memorized every look of hers. I knew the special way her eyes wrinkled at the corners when she was questioning what was happening without using words.
“Come here, sugar.” I took her hand from Diego’s. “The little guy and I both want to ask you something,” I stated, looking down at Diego to make sure he was included in this special moment. I raised my other hand to show her the documents I held in them. “These are forms signed by one Gabriel Garcia relinquishing any and all parental rights over Diego Garcia.”
