In the past six months, I’ve gotten to know Joel and the girls, and the town of Hope. We took our time moving in so the girls had a chance to get used to having me around. And I wanted to wait until Dana graduated to avoid any gossip at school.
She got top grades for her assignment and has been accepted into North Carolina State University doing a media degree. I’ve never seen Joel so proud.
He plants a light kiss on my lips, and it’s supposed to be quick, but as soon as his lips touch mine, heat jumps between us. He leans in and our bodies press together.
“Hey!” Nora pushes between us. “No kissing in the house.”
She frowns at us, but she can’t hide her smile. Nora took to me easily, but she doesn’t like to see displays of affection, which is fine. We’ll save it for the bedroom later, and our first night living together.
“I better get these boxes unpacked.” I release Joel and head back to the living room with Nora following behind.
“Can I see your clothes?” she asks. “And your make up bag? Do you have a red lipstick?”
“Sure. Let’s go up to the bedroom, and you can help me decide where to put all my things.”
She scampers up the hallway, and I follow.
I thought I had nowhere to belong, but it’s my first day moving in with Joel and I already feel like part of the family, like this is home.
EPILOGUE
BROOKE
Three months later…
My calves burn as the trail continues to slope upwards for the final hundred yards of the waterfall track. The sound of rushing water means we must be close. I try to ignore the burn in my calves and instead focus on Joel’s muscular legs striding ahead of me. With every step he takes, the muscles ripple. I never realized I was such a fan of leg muscles in a man. But maybe it’s just this man.
A smile creeps across my face when I think about the last nine months. I’ve been living with Joel and the girls for three months, and it’s been the happiest time of my life.
They made space for me in their home, and now I can’t imagine how I ever lived anywhere else. I planted an herb garden and an apple tree in the back garden, which Nora helps me care for.
I’ve grown to love her and Dana as if they were my own.
It turns out going all-in is pretty good.
We crest the top of the hill, and the vista opens out, showing the top of the waterfall, a fast-flowing stream that cascades over the ledge and crashes onto the rocks below.
“We used to come up here as kids and jump off,” Joel says as he peers over the edge, a wistful smile on his face.
It must be a twenty-foot drop to the deep pool below.
“Don’t even think about it.”
I take his hand and pull him away from the edge.
Joel shakes his head and laughs. “I was young and reckless.”
I like imagining Joel young, growing up in the mountains. Over the past few months, he’s shown me his hometown. The house he grew up in, the elementary school he went to, the sports shed where he had his first kiss, and the mountain. Most weekends we choose a hike and head into the woods. Sometimes with the girls, sometimes with his friends from Jake’s Retreat. But today, it’s just the two of us.
Joel slides the backpack off his shoulders and leans it against a boulder. He pulls out a picnic blanket and spreads it on a patch of lush green grass, far enough away from the edge to feel safe, but close enough to appreciate the view.
We take a seat on the blanket, and he pulls out the lunch box with chicken sandwiches that I made for us.
Joel hands me a sandwich, and his hands are shaking. He seems anxious.
“Are you worried about Dana?”
Dana left for college two days ago. She’s not going far, but it’s the first time Joel’s been away from her since he left the military.
