STORMI
Today was the day. The grand opening and my day one weren’t standing beside me.
“Well not physically,” I whispered to myself, fingers brushing the necklace Jo gave me years ago. “I know you here though.”
I felt her in the quiet moments, the way the air felt full instead of empty. As if she’d been walking with me these past few months, making sure I healed the parts of me I tried to ignore back when she was still here. Losing Jo broke me but it also rebuilt me in ways I never expected.
I walked through the recovery home slowly, checking every room, every corner. Straightening pillows, adjusting chairs, making sure everything felt warm and safe. This place wasn’t just a building. It was a second chance waiting to happen.
“You did this,” I said softly, standing in the doorway of one of the bedrooms. “For them and for you.”
Soon, my family and friends would fill these halls, celebrating this milestone with me before we officially opened the doors tothe women who would come here searching for healing. Women who needed hope the same way I once did. I stood still for a moment, hand resting on my stomach. My heart was full. A wife. A mother. A businesswoman, all wrapped into one woman who survived. And for the first time, I didn’t feel like I was chasing peace. I was standing right in it.
“Boss Lady,” RJ called out from behind me, his voice full of pride.
I turned around with a raised brow. “So that’s what we calling me now?”
He shrugged, grinning. “I mean, you are my boss, right?”
Before I could clap back, Ari slid in beside me and wrapped her arms around my neck. “The baddest boss I know,” she said, planting a kiss on my cheek.
I laughed, holding her tight. Ari had come into my life and fit like she always belonged there. Best friend status was instant. Me, her, and RJ was Inseparable. A real unit. I handled the business, they handled the medical side, and together we were dangerous in the best way. This was just the first of many moves we’d make together. I could feel it.
RJ rocked back on his heels. “You ready for this grand opening?”
“I am,” I said honestly. Then my smile faded just a little. I glanced around the space, my heart tugging. “I just wish Jo was here to see how everything turned out.”
Ari stepped closer, placing her hand over my heart. Her eyes softened. “She is,” she said gently. “Right here.”
I swallowed hard, nodding as I returned her smile, pushing the grief back where it belonged for now. Today was bigger than sadness. Today was purpose.
“Alright,” RJ said, clapping his hands. “Let’s head outside so you can cut this ribbon and smile pretty for the cameras.”
“The cameras?” I asked, stopping mid step. “Plural?”
RJ laughed. “You know your husband. He made sure every news reporter and camera crew in the city showed up for your big day.”
I shook my head, smiling as we headed out back and locked up. A small crowd had already gathered, voices buzzing with excitement. I scanned the area, my heart searching. No sign of Seth or the boys yet.
“I’m gonna go talk to a few reporters, give ’em a little preview of what we got coming,” RJ said, already backing away.
“They’ll be here,” Ari said softly, squeezing my hand before jogging off to join him. “Trust me.”
I stood there for a moment, breathing it all in. Surrounded by love and stepping into the future stronger than ever.
I kept scanning the crowd, telling myself I had to have missed them. But every time my eyes swept the area, my heart sank a little more. No Seth. No boys.
Just as I spotted Rich and Southside and started to head their way, a deep voice stopped me cold from behind.
“I need to speak to the owner.”
I smiled to myself before turning around. “I’m her.”
The words barely left my mouth before my eyes locked with his.
Seth and the boys.
“Yes, you are,” he said, his voice low and full of that familiar warmth before he pulled me into a kiss that made the noise around us fade out.
