“I’ll see you all right after,” Noah said, giving me one last hug before turning toward the other Marines.
“Noah!” I shouted, my voice breaking as I ran after him.
“Yeah?” he said, pausing and looking back at me.
I wrapped him in another tight hug, holding him like I never wanted to let go. “I love you, and I’m so proud of you,” I whispered, letting my words sink into him before releasing him.
He started walking toward the group of Marines. “I’m back, Stormi. It won’t be another two years, I promise,” he called, disappearing into the crowd.
The thought of not seeing him for another two years had already crossed my mind the moment he let go, and my chest tightened. He must’ve already known he always seemed to know what I was thinking.
“Come on, bae, let’s find our seats,” Seth said, taking my hand and pulling me to his side.
We walked hand in hand, the boys following closely behind with Rich keeping them calm.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked quietly, and my voice still shaky.
“He wanted to surprise you. Wanted to do this on his own, as a man. So, I let him,” Seth said softly as we took our seats, his hand resting over mine.
“I was so worried about him,” I admitted, my eyes already glistening.
“I knew he’d find his way,” Seth murmured, leaning in as the ceremony began.
And then it started. Every moment of the ceremony was a flood of emotions. Pride, relief, and joy. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably, my heart swelling with love for the brother I’d missed and the feeling of I didn’t fail him. I couldn’t wait for it to end, just so I could wrap Noah in my arms again, remind him I’d never stop being here for him, no matter what.
“What we eating?” Noah asked the moment he met us in the parking lot.
“What you two got a taste for? We celebrating you and Stormi,” Seth said with a grin.
“LeRoy’s!” we both said at the same time, laughing.
LeRoy’s had always been Jo’s favorite spot; the place we went anytime she got a new boyfriend.
On the ride there, Noah filled me in on everything he’d experienced and accomplished over the last two years. I hung on every word, thrilled to see how much he’d grown, yet careful to hold back questions about his relationship with his dad, waiting for him to bring it up.
Seth pulled into Leroy’s with Rich right behind us. The boys had ridden with him which was no surprise. Anytime they saw their godfather, nobody else seemed to exist. As soon as we stepped out of the trucks, we were greeted by Southside, RJ, Ari, and Josh, all ready to celebrate and congratulate Noah.
“My boy, you did it!” Southside said, dapping Noah up with pride.
“Noah the Marine!” RJ shouted, grinning ear to ear.
“All grown up now,” Josh added, shaking his head in disbelief.
“You made us all proud,” Ari said, hugging him tight.
Hugs and laughter were passed around, and everyone handed me my gifts as we made our way inside. Once seated, I felt the warmth of family and friends all around us, the room buzzing with joy and celebration. For the first time in years, I truly felt complete.
Today couldn’t have been any better. Noah was back in my life safe, healthy, and thriving in the world. My husband was by myside, our three boys were laughing and playing, and we were surrounded by the kind of family and friends you could never replace.
“Okay, Stormi, open my gift first!” Ari said excitedly, handing me a small jewelry box.
I opened it carefully and froze. Inside was a charm bracelet with all three boys’ names, their baby pictures, and their birthstones.
“Oh my God, Ari! I love it!” I said, reaching over to pull her into a tight hug.
I continued opening gifts consisting of jewelry and purses. Then, just as I was settling back into my chair, a man approached our table, his eyes locking on mine. Something about him made the room feel a little quieter, like all the chaos faded for a moment.
“Guess you saved the best gift for last,” the stranger said, sliding a note across the table toward me.
