by Emma Scott
Violet and I spend every waking hour trying to show him that will never happen, but he’s been let down too many times.
“Now can I open the card?” he asks. Violet and I sit down together on the couch, her hand clasped tightly in mine.
“Yeah,” I say roughly. “You can open it.”
“It’s awfully thick for a card,” Sam says.
I nod, not trusting my voice. Violet already has a tissue pressed to her mouth.
Sam opens the envelope and pulls out a sheaf of papers from the California Health and Human Services Department.
“What is this?” he asks and then reads the words at the top. The papers drop from his hands, and his chin drops to his chest.
“What do you think, Sam?” I ask, my voice fraying at the edges.
He manages to raise his chin, taking in both Violet and me. “Does this mean I get to stay?”
“Yes, baby,” Vi says, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Would you like that? Would you like to stay with us?”
He doesn’t answer, the disbelief is too strong. “You’re adopting me?” Once the word leaves his mouth, his shoulders start to shake, and the tears fall. He covers his eyes with his hands.
Violet and I both shoot off the couch to either side of him, hugging him between us.
“We love you, buddy,” I say. “We don’t ever want you to go.”
He nods, unable to speak and then he hugs Violet tight. She meets my eye over his little shoulders, smiling through tears in the most beautiful expression of pure joy I’ve ever seen her wear.
Then Sam turns and hugs me, but it’s not like any hug he’s ever given me before. He lets himself go, surrenders to the happiness. I hug him just as tightly, hoping that he can feel how permanent it is, this love I feel for him.
I look over at Violet, tears in her eyes as a thousand words pass between us. This is only the beginning of our happiness. Our future stretches out before us on parallel paths, never diverging, carrying us toward something beautiful.
And there’s no holding back.
The End
Author’s Note
When I first set out to write this novel, I had no idea what would befall Miller in terms of his diabetes. I knew it would be something that he had but would not be defined by, but I actually had no idea how serious it was. When it became clear to me that he would need an organ transplant—a kidney transplant specifically—I suddenly knew where it had all been leading and why. Trigger warning: child loss. Izzy was an organ donor. Her kidneys saved the life of a woman in another state and over the course of that agonizing process, we found grace in knowing that she was saving another life. But for many people on transplant lists, the wait is very long. There are misconceptions about organ donation, and many grieving family members fail to honor a donor’s wishes for various reasons, all of which lead to major shortages and long waits. I didn’t set out to write about something that touched me this personally, but I know that that is unavoidable for as long as I write.
For more information on organ donation, please visit: https://www.organdonor.gov/
Acknowledgements
This novel was written at such a tumultuous time in my life. I’ve never struggled so hard or put so many hours in to find the story that was trying to break free. I did, eventually, with the help of some amazing people.
Joanna Louise Weightman, you are an angel walking among us. Thank you for your honesty, time, and your generous, loving support that never wavered.
Nina Grinstead and your entire team at Valentine PR. I don’t know how you fell into my life but I’m grateful every day that you did.
Rebecca Fairest Reviews, you did not sign up to support and nurture an emotional mess such as myself, but that’s what you got, and you truly touched my heart with your sweet care and consideration of me. Thank you, always.
Colin Johnson and Katie Mielke, thank you for generously sharing with me your experiences with diabetes to help this poor romance author try to understand this complex disease and its equally complex day-to-day management. I know that I have only scratched the surface of it in this book. Any and all mistakes are mine, but thanks to you, I hope there are fewer of them. With love, and gratitude.
Lori Jackson, you are a genius! Thank you for bringing my Miller to life with your beautiful cover, and for being your wonderful self. Love you.
Angela Bonnie, someday I will give you a finished manuscript and you will have all the time in the world to work your formatting magic over it. This was not that day. Thank you for putting up with me and being so kind about it. Love you.
Thank you to Rich Trapp and Joshua Lopez of Future Ghost Brothers for stepping up HUGE and coming through for me with my crazy idea to turn my lyrics into actual songs. I am blown away by your artistry and cannot thank you enough for sharing it with me.
Joy Kriebel-Sadowski, thank you for slogging through the roughest of drafts and for being there for me for every book. You are a universe.
Melissa Panio-Petersen, you are the glue that holds me together, most days. Thank you keeping for everything afloat while I’m chained to my desk and continuing your billion-year streak of being the most thoughtful person I know. Love you.
My husband, Bill. Over the last few months of this quarantine, you have completely managed the entire household—even and especially as we prepare to move—while taking care of Talia, and solely handling her distance-learning schooling. You are the kind of man women write about in romance novels. Love you, always.
And to Robin Hill. This book would literally not exist without you and that’s not hyperbole. No one can know how much time and effort and your own writerly artistry went into helping me, but I do. And I will never forget. Thank you doesn’t feel like enough. Love you so much, I might even write some #RoHo4eva fanfic just to prove it. Thank you.
And thank you readers and bloggers. I will never run out of gratitude for your uplifting care and support of me and each other. This community, romancelandia, is my second family and I love you all. Thank you <3
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Sneak Peek
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Holden and River’s story, coming this summer
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