Page 42 of I’ll Find You

She smiles, and this time it reaches her eyes. “Hi.” Her words are simple, but it’s her entire demeanor that has softened.

I hang back for a second, watching it all unfold. Something in me eases as I take in how naturally they bring her into this family, never a question of whether she belonged here. They showed up for her when it mattered. And now she’s here with us. With me. It doesn’t feel forced, it feels inevitable.

My mom steps back, just enough to look at her again. Her hands linger on Rose’s arms as if she isn’t quite ready to let go yet. Her attention turns to me, catching the way I watch her, the way I stay close without crowding her, ready if she needs me while still giving her space. She doesn’t say anything, but I know she sees it. My dad does, too. He just doesn’t make it obvious.

He grips my shoulder with firm hands and a leveling stare. “You made it.”

“You say that like there was a doubt,” I mutter. My parents exchange a look. I don’t have time to interpret it before Ezra’s voice cuts in behind me.

“Hey, what about me?”

I think he’s coming over to greet me, but he veers right past and goes straight for Rose, pulling her into a hug and lifting her clean off the ground. She laughs, surprised. Something tightens in my chest before I even realize I've moved. A low, instinctive growl rumbles in my chest as I step in, reaching for her.

“Hey,” I say, pulling her back to my side. “No need to grab her.”

She swats at my arms, laughing. “Relax.”

“I think you might be right about that growly thing,” she adds, glancing at Ezra.

That earns a snort from my dad, and my mom tries to hide a smile.

I catch her leaning toward him, whispering something that sounds a lot like only child syndrome, and I groan under my breath.

Ezra just grins. “Told you.”

The tension eases after that, the air loosening around us as we gather our bags and head toward the car, falling into the familiar rhythm of being back home. Still, I notice the way my mom keeps glancing at Rose. And every time she does, her expression softens just a little more.

We head out of the airport together, the air warmer the second we step outside. Rose slows a little beside me, taking it all in, her eyes moving over everything. I open the door behind her and rest my hand lightly against her back as she gets in. It’s small, nothing obvious, but I find comfort in the fact that she leans into it just a little. I get in beside her, our shoulders brushing. Her hand finds mine again without hesitation. I turn my hands, threading my fingers through hers like it’s the most normal thing.

The car pulls away, the airport fading behind us as we merge onto the highway. Everything opens up after that. Long stretches of road replace the noise of the city, the landscape widening with every mile. Conversation fills the car easily. Ezra talks, my mom asks questions, and my dad chimes in just enough to keep it going. Rose answers when she's drawn into the conversation, but every so often her attention drifts to the window. Mine always finds its way back to her. Her hand tightens around mine, and she leans closer without thinking. I brush my thumb over her knuckles, and she lets out a soft sigh.

By the time we turn onto the road leading to the house, the light is starting to soften, the sky transitioning into that late afternoon glow. Rose sits up a little straighter, her attention increasing as our home comes into view. I watch her instead. The ways she takes it all in.

“Almost there,” I say.

She nods. But she doesn’t look away, and neither do I.

The tires roll smoothly over the pavement as we pull into the driveway. Rose leans forward slightly beside me, her hand still in mine, but her attention is fixed on the house, staring at the porch she stood on months ago. It seems forever since we were last standing here, making our proclamations to one another. It’s different now. We both can feel as much.

My mom is out of the car before the engine even fully cuts out, already moving toward the front door as Ezra follows. He stretches after being cramped the whole time, and considering he was sitting behind my dad, that’s probably true. He’s complaining about it under his breath, but we sit there a second longer than necessary.

“You okay?” I ask.

She nods, but it’s slower this time. “Yeah…it just feels different being here now…with you.”

I glance at her. “In a bad way?”

A small smile plays at her lips. “No. Just…real.”

I squeeze her hand once before letting go, stepping out, and extending my hand as she moves toward me and steps out. We walk up together. The front door is already open, warm light spilling out onto the porch, my mom’s voice carrying from inside.

“Don’t just stand there, come in!”

Rose lets out a small laugh beside me.

“Too late to run, baby,” I murmur in her ear.

She bumps her shoulder lightly into mine before meeting my eyes. “No more running, little Alex.” She bites her bottom lip in a playful way, which almost brings me to my knees.