"She said that you've never brought anyone home before. Never. Not even a casual friend. The fact that you brought me here and introduced me to them means something important." He swallows hard. "She said she can see why you love me. That anyone who gets down on the floor to play dinosaurs without being asked, can't be all bad."
"I knew she would love you too."
"Well, she also said if I hurt you, she knows people who can make a body disappear and no one would ever find it." He pauses. "I hope she was joking."
"Mostly joking," I tease.
"She also told me a little about her own childhood. About growing up in poverty. About how she swore she'd break the cycle, give kids a better life." His eyes are shining. "She said she sees something in me. Something worth fighting for. And that if I'm willing to fight for myself, she'll fight for me too."
I pull him into a hug, holding him as tight as I can, feeling him shake slightly in my arms. "Thank you for coming today. I know it was hard to put yourself out there."
"It was worth it." He pulls back and looks at me, his dark eyes soft and vulnerable. "I want this too. This life you have here and this family. After meeting everyone, I want to be part of it."
"You already are."
He kisses me then, slow and sweet and perfect, right there in the driveway where anyone could see. Where the neighbors could watch. I don't care even a little bit. Let them see.
"I have to go," he murmurs against my lips.
"I know."
"Call you tonight when I get home safe?"
"Always. The second you get home."
He puts on his helmet and swings onto the bike. The engine roars to life, powerful and familiar. He gives me one last long look through the visor before backing carefully out of the driveway. I watch until he disappears completely around the corner, until the sound of the motorcycle fades into nothing.
When I go back inside, Rosalyn is waiting in the kitchen, drying dishes.
"Well?" I ask, unable to wait any longer. "What do you really think? Be honest."
"It's obvious he's been through a lot. More than anyone should have to go through. I can see it in his eyes. In the way he holds himself. The kind of pain that doesn't go away easy. Maybe doesn't go away at all." She stops drying the dishes and turns to look at me. "But he's trying. I can see that too. He fixed the lawnmower without thinking twice about it. Without expecting anything in return. He sat on the floor and played dinosaurs with a six-year-old for over an hour. He helped Diana with her homework even though I could see he was nervous the whole time. When he was talking to the kids, he gave them his whole attention like they mattered, not like they were obstacles between him and you."
"I noticed that too," I say. "He's good with them. The same way he always was with me. Patient and kind."
"The kids have already accepted him," she says. "With open arms."
"How about you?" I ask, holding my breath. "Do you approve of him?"
"It's not up to me to approve or not. The fact that he's trying hard and putting in the effort counts for a lot in my book. Trying is just as important as succeeding." She crosses to me and puts her hand on my cheek, the gesture so maternal it makes my throat tight. "It's very obvious you love him."
"I do. More than anything. I always have in one way or another. The love has always been there between us."
She smiles at me. "I could see it the moment he pulled into the driveway. The way your whole face changed. The way you lit up. I wishhe'd been part of our family when he was younger. When you both first came into the system. Maybe things would have been different for him if he'd had a stable home like this one. If we'd been able to keep you together."
I've thought the same thing a thousand times. What if the system hadn't separated us? What if Jay had ended up with Rosalyn and Mitchell instead of aging out alone at eighteen? Would he still be fighting the same demons? Would the nightmares still haunt him? Would he have needed the alcohol to survive?
"I wish that too, but it wasn't meant to be," I manage to say past the lump in my throat. "Back then, it just wasn't meant to be."
"No, it wasn't," Rosalyn agrees softly. "But maybe he can still be part of our family anyway. It's not too late for that. It's never too late to find your family."
I stare at her, not trusting myself to speak.
"He's good with the kids," she continues. "Really good. Caleb already adores him. Did you see his face when Jay lifted him onto the motorcycle? I was watching through the window. And the girls. They don't warm up to strangers, you know that. They've been burned too many times. But they were showing him their homework by the end of the day. Asking him questions. Hanging around watching him fix lawn mowers, for heaven's sake. As if they care one thing about broken machinery. That means something."
She pauses, choosing her words carefully. "Family isn't just about blood. You know that better than anyone in this house. It's about who shows up when things are hard. Who stays when it would be easier to leave. Who chooses to love you."
"He's choosing us," I say quietly. "He told me as much. He drove for hours on his motorcycle on I-75 just to be here for one afternoon. Just to meet you all."
