“I am now. I’m calling to let you know Ford is alive.”
“He’s what?”
“You heard me. Effie’s had him holed up all this time, at our fuckin’ cabin.”
“What the fuck? I was just out there other day. I didn’t see anyone, then again, I didn’t go inside. I went into the shed and then out on the land.”
Regardless of everything that has happened, it’s done now.
“You might wanna get some extra security out here.”
“Yeah, I’ll get on that.”
I end the call and slide my phone back into my pocket. “Let’s get out of here,” I holler.
Ford is alive and shit can get back to normal.
“Your services are no longer required,” Angel says reading my note.
I turn around and King and Trey are helping Ford outside. He closes his eyes to the sun and slowly opens them as he steps down off the porch. They help him over to the van and the prospect opens the door for him.
“I still can’t believe he’s alive,” Angel murmurs beside me.
“I’m sure we’ll all get over it soon enough.”
“I knew you being nice wasn’t gonna last long.”
4
Victoria
While Rudi’s busy collecting her medical supplies, I use the time to freshen up Ford’s old room while River sleeps. I make the bed and crack open the window. I place the bottles of water I brought up with me on his nightstand and run the vacuum round. I dust and make sure his belongings are still where he left them in the wardrobe and drawers. I want him to see that we never fully said goodbye to him.
River wakes, and I grab the baby monitor, and head up to our room. I lean over the crib, and his cries quieten once he’s in my arms. Down in the bar, Rudi is sat watching the door. I pull out a chair at her table and cradle River to my chest.
“This is reminding me of when I thought my grandpa was dead. Then poof, he was walking through the door,” I comment.
I’ve had many experiences of overwhelming joy, and that day, when I thought my heart couldn’t hurt any harder, it was the complete opposite. The sight of my grandpa living, and breathing, and talking. The joy I felt that day has only been matched when I married Luca and gave birth to my son. Only this time, he’s never going to walk in again, nor my father.
Rudi smiles but she’s tired and it doesn’t quite reach her eyes.
“I sometimes forget how this world can spin at a million miles an hour. One minute it’s this, and then the next, it’s something different,” she says.
“It’s why we can never give up hope.”
Though I believed Effie’s lie so easily. I lived with regret, not hope.
“I haven’t heard from Angel, I don’t know what condition he’s going to be in. He might need to go to the hospital,” Rudi murmurs, her eyes still locked on the door.
“Luca said you’ll be enough, so he must be okay.”
The door opens and Konan walks in first, moving chairs out of the way as Luca and Angel help Ford inside. Bruised and sunken, he’s lost weight, but he’s alive.
Rudi jumps up to her feet. “Take him up to his room.”
“No, I’m fine. I just wanna sit.” His voice is strained but he’s alive.
Luca and Angel lower him onto the seat Rudi was just sat on and she pushes them both out of her way. Swaying with River in my arms, I’m overwhelmed with happiness. I don’t know what he has been through during these past months but he’s here, back with us. Where he belongs.
