"You ever heard that saying about how the road to hell is paved with good intentions?" he finally asked. "Well, the road to heaven is paved with blood, shit, and tears, Luke. The rainbow isn't dirty. We just don't play by the same rules as everyone else."
"How so?" Luke pressed.
"All our lives, we're taught that if we work hard we'll get ahead, right? It'sbullshit. It's all about who you know and what you did for them. I promise we busted our asses. Each and every one of us. But you know that big ol' American Dream we're all chasing? Well, it's a ladder, and what no one wants to talk about is how the first step is so high that no one can reach it on their own. All we do is lift each other up. That's honestly it. The rainbowisn'tdirty," he said again. "We just took the tricks of the rich and powerful, gave them to some poor kids with no other chance, and then doubled down. We use the skills we learned the hard way. Nowwe'rethe rich and powerful, and we're going to take care of the next generation. Kinda like Lilac."
"I'll drink to that," Luke said.
And we all leaned in to tap their bottles and my glass together. A smile was taking over my lips, because he'd said it perfectly.Thatwas why Southwind was so important. It was why I felt like I had to do this.
In all my life, Southwind was the only place I'd ever heard of where society's garbage could learn how to shine as brightly as a diamond. This program really did change lives. I knew it wouldn't be easy. It probably wouldn't be pretty, either, but that was ok. All that mattered was that I wouldn't let Cats Peak stop us from doing what I honestly felt was the right thing.
***
Berto woke up the next morning about an hour after Faith had gone to school and the guys were already working. I heard him in the kitchen, rummaging around, so I headed that way to find him looking for a cup. Without a word, I moved to the right cabinet, then held up both the paper and the ceramic options.
"Paper, since I'm about to head out," he said. "Was nice to come home, though."
"Stop by anytime you want," I told him. "I'm enjoying having the colors come visit, and we're getting used to a madhouse. Will make it easier when the kids can finally move in."
"There's that," he agreed, turning to the coffee maker. "Vi, this place feels like a safety net for most of us. Everyone else in the world has parents or relatives they can call when they screw up. Not us. Most of us lost that when we took the deal. The fact that you've brought the Shades of Trouble back together so easily? Yeah, I'll gladly pull a few strings if it'll help that."
"This place saved my life, Berto," I admitted. "The rainbow did, but the house is a symbol of that, and I know the shit in the world isn't about to stop."
"No, it's not." He reached over and clasped my arm. "I'll give Cess a call on my way to this town hall and let her know how things went. She can push from there, and if it gets stuck, I'll double down. We'll handle this, Violet. But if you need anything else, call. Even if it's just to talk."
I nodded. "Promise. Thank you, Cobalt. Luke's the guy who saved me. I know that doesn't mean anything to you, but it does to me, so I have to find a way to save him back, and I will burn all my favors to make it happen."
"And we won't count them because it's for the family," he promised. "Tell Ash I'll call him for my next debate prep. Kiss the boys for me, be a good girl, and vote for me now that you're in my district."
"Promise," I said. "Good luck with the town hall, Berto."
Then he leaned in and kissed my cheek, grabbed his things, and was gone as easily as he'd arrived. Outside, I heard him talking to someone else - probably Luke. A car started not long after, and that was it. So, heading back into my office, I sent a message to Chartreuse, letting her know to keep me updated, and I hoped that was the end of it.
If the charges would just go away, then all of this would be easier. Not easy, per se, buteasier. Right now, we were in a holding pattern, going through the motions to make sure we got it right. I wasn't sure about the guys, but to me it felt like waiting for the other shoe to drop. I also knew that Luke's custody of Faith had started to matter to me more than Southwind. I just wasn't sure what to do about that. The idea scared me a bit.
I loved that man, but I loved all of this too. I honestly believed in Southwind. It was an idea more than anything else, but that idea included what we were doing for Luke. I just couldn't stand the idea of letting Gran down. Granted, I had a feeling that she would've been cheering me on, telling me that things didn't matter as much as people, and some of her other words of wisdom.
The fact that Simmons had wrapped these two things up together pissed me off more than I wanted to admit. No, I wouldn't tell the guys that. They'd try to reassure me, and I didn't need it. I was just pissed at the audacity of that man, fucking around with lives that were no business of his, and I had every intention of making it clear that while he might be a big fish, I was a fucking shark.
An hour later, Luke came back inside. He tapped at Ash's office, then turned into mine. That had my immediate attention. Ash got up and moved to join us, but my heart had just stalled out. This felt like bad news. Maybe even that other shoe.
"Where's Cy?" Luke asked.
"Shit," I muttered as both men stepped into my space. "No idea. What's wrong now?"
Luke just lifted his phone and his thumbs started moving. "Meredith just called. Yes, called, not texted. She wants Faith this weekend. When we went to that meeting with the principal, I told her she could have a weekend with her daughter, but not last weekend because Faith was grounded. Naturally, she decided to let me know at the last minute and leave it to me to scramble."
"And you can't tell her no," I realized.
He nodded. "Exactly." He paused when his phone dinged, and the front door opened a second later. "Violet's office," Luke called out.
"Yep," Cy replied, heading our way.
When he joined our little group, Luke continued. "Meredith wants Faith this weekend. I can't really back out. I told her to come by at five to pick her up. It'll be a bit after that, though. She gets off work at the gas station at five."
Ash chuckled. "My how things have changed. Used to be you hurrying from work to get your kid. Now it's her turn."
"Yeah, but Faith's not packed," Luke said. "Her mother probably won't let her wear any of her new clothes, and I'm pretty sure she had plans with Zeke this weekend. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do if Faith says she doesn't want to go."
