“Six weeks,” I say.
He nods.
Arlo pulls us both in for a hug. “I guess I should go back out there and rent a truck for then, too, huh?”
I watch the way they stare into each other’s eyes. The love they share is older, predates me, and it always blows me away in good ways to see it between them.
“We’rereallydoing this,” Arlo whispers, smiling. “Finally. I told you way back then that, one day, I’d wear you the hell down and get you to say yes to me.”
Nolan chuckles. “Yeah, you did.”
They break apart when we hear the door from the house to the utility room open. A second later, the garage door opens and Lucas pokes his head in. “I’m done,” he says. “I changed everything.” A dark scowl fills his features. “And I unfriended and blocked him on everything, too. And Mary.”
I open my arms to him and he crosses the garage and hugs me. Even this is different now.
No, correction—back to the status quo. He used to always be free and open with hugs with the three of us before the shit hit the fan.
I wonder if he’s missed them as much as I have.
“We’ll get you a new phone tomorrow. What about your laptop?” We bought it for him. If Bill thinks he’s going to keep that, he’s sadly mistaken.
“I buried it in one of the bags. I was afraid if he saw it he might try to take it, or might break it.”
“Smart thinking,” Nolan says.
Lucas ends our hug and hugs Arlo, then Nolan. “Thank you, again,” he says. “I’m really sorry about the past couple of years.”
“Well,” I say, “you can start making it up to us by helping us out here,” I tease.
“Sure.” He immediately starts where we left off shuffling boxes.
The three of us exchange another shocked look. If Bill was the whole reason Lucas was so damned surly the past couple of years, then…damn.
* * * *
By ten o’clock, with the three of us working on it, we have the garage mostly straightened out and Lucas goes inside to start unpacking his things. My headache is trying to make a return, so I take another dose of Excedrin and head for the shower—again, because I now need another one—while Nolan and Arlo remain in the garage to finish a few things.
Just one more thingis kind of Arlo’s mantra, and we all know it. He’ll be out there working until one a.m. if we don’t drag him inside.
We’re going to pick up the truck at eight tomorrow morning, when the place opens. We want to be there by a quarter ’til, though. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait in a line. I’m thinking we might need to rent a storage unit sooner rather than later, for the overflow stuff from tomorrow, and for when Nolan moves in.
This is going to be a stressful couple of months, but I’m damn sure looking forward to it. It’ll be worth it tofinallyhave our entire family living under one roof.
Well, Katie will be with us every other week, but that’s better than nothing.
I stand there with coolish water beating on the back of my skull and with my forehead pressed against the cool tile wall. While I wish it hadn’t been at Lucas’ expense, at least this weekend is worth the aggravation. No more pretending around Lucas, no more linguistic gymnastics to explain Nolan’s presence.
And Lucas ishome, with us.
It’s a relief.
I’ll take it and appreciate every bit of it.
I’ve just finished my shower and am drying off when Arlo and Nolan enter the bathroom.
This is going to be our new norm, and I love it and them.
“How you feelin’, babe?” Nolan asks.
