Flanked by her new personal security guard and Daniel Donnovan, she was absolutely glowing in a bright floral sundress, beaming from ear to ear. Like the loving mother she was, she was clearly so proud of us for how far we’d come.
“The sign looks great,” Milo whispered next to me as we passed the massive, hedge-framed stucco sign that said:‘The Sebastian Stevens Art Therapy Foundation,’and my throat rolled with emotion at the sight of it.
The building itself was done in a more traditional design than anything you might see on the main Neurovance campus.
We’d designed it to look and feel like a massive home.
There were lush walls of ivy that Milo insisted on putting in, considering my childhood home had one, and he wanted this place to feel like somewhere Sebastian would have felt safe.
The idea for the foundation was that it would be a completely free, live-in art therapy facility for people who were victims of domestic violence.
Memory therapy was an optional perk that we offered, but that wasn’t the main therapeutic area that was explored here.
We’d worked diligently to track down some of the most renowned art therapists in the country and managed to convince them to move to California to work here full-time.
I’d promised them all generous employment packages and made it difficult for them to say no.
Accommodations were offered to staff if they wanted them, but they were not mandatory, and of course, no one was expected to stay on site full-time.
“It’s perfect,” Milo beamed, and I squeezed his hand, reveling at the warm, hard press of his ring against my fingers.
He was officially mine now, and he was wearing the ring to prove it.
He wasmine, and we were safe, and today, we were honoring the man who’d given everything up to make it possible for us to be here.
One of the event coordinators we’d been working with—Tanya, I think her name was—came forward. She was in red bottoms and an all-black skirt-suit that matched her sleek headset.
“Oooo! Look at those big scissors!” Milo beamed, nearly dancing on his tippy toes in excitement. “I havealwayswanted to cut a big red ribbon like this.”
Tanya laughed, smiling warmly at Milo. “Yes, Jay has informed me that you mustabsolutelybe the one to cut the ribbon. Don’t worry.”
Milo grinned at me, and I kissed him on the forehead.
“Now, we were thinking you could say a few words, Mr. Reynolds. Then Milo could cut the ribbon. After that, we can wrap up with a press tour,” Tanya said, running through the agenda on her itinerary.
“That sounds perfect,” I agreed, tugging Milo to follow me as I made my way toward the small podium that stood next to the wide, stone steps leading up to the massive building. The long red ribbon was tied betweenthe black iron banisters on each end of the staircase, and I chuckled at the way Milo eyed it longingly.
He was so fucking cute, I could barely stand it.
Once I was settled behind the podium with Milo standing quietly to my right, I turned to face the crowd.
I pulled out my speech from my inside coat pocket, though I doubted I would need it.
I’d had the words inked on these pages memorized for years now.
I’d read them countless times, alone in the dark, and I sometimes referenced them to help me manage the deep, soul-aching grief I still suffered from after losing Sebastian.
So, when I was ready to speak, I didn’t look at the papers. I looked at the crowd.
“I am a haunted man,” I began, making sure I met the eyes of several members in the audience.
“I’m haunted by memories so dark that I’ve often wondered if they might break me. I’m burdened with memories soaked in pain and violence. I have memories so heartbreaking that even referencing them here, now, I worry I might fall apart… but the memories that hurt me the most are the ones wrought with guilt.”
I swallowed, blinking back the burn of tears, before forcing myself to continue.
“There are many things I’ve done that I regret. Mistakes I’ve made. People I’ve hurt… People I’ve left behind and abandoned… People who deserved better from me. People whoneededme in their darkest hours, only for me to selfishly look away and ignore their pain.”
This time, I did pause, worried for a moment that the anguish I felt over letting Sebastian down might overtake me.
