Page 111 of Until You

“We like it here, Dad. There are no George Vinson’s to be gross in class. We can go outside and hang out until dark when at home we can’t do that. You let us have more independence here. And we have a lot more friends here too,” Addy says.

“And there’s Tenny.” Paige’s eyes hold mine, and I swear to God she’s waiting for a reaction from me.

I meet her stare and nod. “There is.”

“And we’re pretty sure she’s a big part of why we’re all smiling more so . . .”

“So?” I ask.

“So, it wouldn’t bug us if Uncle Ian called and asked you to work more on the house so that we had to stay longer,” Paige says.

“Okay. Well . . .” I run my hands down the tops of my thighs, more than blown out of the water at how this conversation just went. I expected groans and protests. Drawn out dads and huffed breaths. No way in hell did I expect them to tell me it’s okay to stay here in Redemption Falls. To move here.

They were supposed to be the ones grounding me. The ones holding me back from taking this ridiculous leap of faith that I’m being completely tempted by. The voice of reason.

Instead, they fanned the flames.

“Earth to Dad?” Paige is waving her hands in front of my face.

“Yes. Sorry. I was thinking.”

“Hopefully about what good thing you’re going to cook for dinner, right?” Addy asks.

“Smart aleck.”

“Always.” She stands and takes a bow, looking almost like a clown with the vibrant eyeshadow and half-blue, half-red lips. “Can we go now?”

“Yes,” I say.

Long after they’ve run upstairs and started filming again, I stay where I am, running the conversation over and over through my mind. Making a mental pros and cons list. Thinking about the repercussions of staying. Of going. Of everything in between.

My sighs fall heavy.

My head is still confused.

And when Tenny opens the front door, a few shopping bags in hand and a soft smile spreading on her lips when she sees me, I finally have my answer.

It may not have come as easily as the girls’, but they were right. Tenny needed to be here.

Because all it took was one look from her for me to know the answer.

And honestly, I’m pretty sure it’s been looking at me right in the face this whole time.

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

Crew

“Crew?” Adele asks. “We don’t have an appointment scheduled until next week. I got your message. Is everything okay?”

I close my eyes for a beat and smile, feeling like a thousand tons have been lifted from my chest with my decision.

“Everything is great. I just wanted you to know, you were right.”

“About?”

I chuckle because I sure as hell won’t miss the ever-constant question to answer a statement. “About my new metrics for how I measure my happiness.”

“How so?”