“Dig in before everything gets cold.”
And just like that, everything flows as normal. We talk, laugh, and tell stories.
Easton helps Mom and Rain bake as I sit back and watch, with so much fucking love in my heart. I’ll never get tired of this, of seeing Easton happy, at ease, being himself in a place that he feels is safe.
Knowing that my family and I could give that to him is worth more than the world.
Life might have pulled us in different directions, but our paths were always meant to join together again at some point in our lives.
Everything happens for a reason, no matter how painful, how traumatic. We might not always like it, but if you hold strong and keep going, I have to believe everything will work out in the end.
I mean, it brought back my best friend. My person. My love.
And for that, I’ll forever be grateful.
Epilogue
Six months later
Easton
“You got everything packed?” Bennett asks.
“Yup.” I turn to face him. He smiles at me, stepping into the room.
“Can’t believe we’re really doing this,” he says, pulling me into his arms.
“I know. But I’m excited.” I grin.
“Me too.” He kisses me. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Thank you. And thank you for coming with me. It means so fucking much.”
“I can’t think of anywhere else I’d want to be.”
After everything went down with my dad, it took a while, but Bennett convinced me to press charges.
Dad was charged for what he did to me that night, but I didn’t stop there. I told the police everything he did to me as a kid. It was hard, so fucking hard, but Bennett was right there at my side.
The most surprising thing that came from all of this wasn’t that the police believed me, but the fact that my mom came forward too.
I guess seeing my dad beat the shit out of me, in front of people, was her breaking point.
She told the cops everything, how he would threaten to kill her, and me, if she tried to leave or tried to intervene.
What I really think gave her the push to do something was the fact that she had the money to leave now, to start over.
The little boy in me hates that he wasn’t enough for her to do that back then.
I try not to focus too much on it anymore. It’s in the past, and thinking about it won’t change it.
I have a new life where I can be myself. Be open and proud. A man who loves me, supports me, and stands beside me.
A family that has my back and welcomes me with open arms.
It’s crazy that we’re on our way to Georgia, moving into a place of our own.
I accepted the offer from the Georgia Bobcats. It’s a good team, and the pay... let’s just say, I’ll never want for anything.
