“She wasn’t complaining.” I shrug.
“I'm sure she wasn’t, I wouldn’t be either if I didn’t have to worry about keeping two daughters from getting pregnant now.”
“Hey! I'm not getting anyone pregnant!” Noah protests from the other room.
“Yet every time I walk in Frankie’s room, you are also shirtless and she’s wearing yours.”
“In my defense Frankie stole a bunch of my shirts before you even moved away and you never yelled at her for that.” Noah smirks when he strolls into the room.
“Well, that was before you both realized you were in love with each other. You know, I only gave birth to one child, yet I have five in my house all the time.”
“Your life would be so boring without us!” Miranda rolls her eyes, shoving another scoop of ice cream in her mouth.
“You’re right, sweet girl.”
“Pfft, she’s anything but sweet. Have you met her?”
Miranda picks up an apple off the island and hurls it at Noah’s head, he ducks out of the way just in time.
“Mooooommmmm! Miranda threw an apple at me.” Noah whines. Miranda sticks out her tongue at him, he smirks back. “She’s sticking her tongue out at me now!” He picks up the apple and throws it back at her but I catch it before it can hit her.
“Mom! Noah threw the apple at me! Make him stop being mean!” Miranda mocks Noah and rolls her eyes.
I throw the apple back at Noah, he moves again, it hits Frankie in the stomach.
“You freaking brat.” Frankie throws it back as hard as she can, she hits me in the arm.
“Ow! That really hurt. Mom, Frankie hurt me.” I stick out my bottom lip and pout while rubbing the sore spot on my bicep.
“See what I'm talking about? None of you are even close to being adults, how are you going to survive next year.”
“Oh, you’re gonna miss us, mama bear.” Noah says, wrapping her in a bear hug. She laughs, hugging him back with just as much fierceness.
“I most definitely am going to miss all of you. I don’t know what I'm going to do with myself.”
“I think you should foster kids.” Frankie shrugs.
“Really?” Mrs. Valdo can't hide her surprise.
“You and dad always talked about doing it, why not?”
“I didn’t think you’d be ok with that.”
“Of course, I’d be ok with it. You have such a big heart; less fortunate kids deserve to experience the amazing mom I’ve always had.”
“You’re the best mom out there, Mrs. V.” Miranda uses her spoon to point at Mrs. V as she mumbles around a huge bite of ice cream.
“Y’all are gonna make me cry.” She fans her face with her hand, blinking quickly to clear away the tears. “Liam, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about next year... If you can get your father to sign away his rights and give you custody of Macy, I’ll do what I can to get the adoption to go through. If he won't sign, we can attempt to get you custody but it might be harder. I'm more than willing to have Macy here for as long as she needs me. She’s a wonderful little girl.”
“You think I can get custody?” I ask quietly.
“I don’t see why not. I've watched you go out of your way to take care of her even when you basically got your freedom back. You were here every night helping her with homework, you take care of her when she’s sick, take her shopping and make her favorite foods. You put her above everything else and I have no doubt you’ll continue to do that.” She turns her attention to Miranda, a sad smile spreading across her mouth. “You take responsibility for your actions and your mistakes. You do whatever you need to do to fix them and that shows a lot about your character. I believe Macy will get everything she needs with you.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Valdo... I don’t know what to say.” I don’t try to stop the tears from filling my eyes and spilling down my cheeks.
Miranda glances up and notices my emotional state. Dropping her spoon in her bowl, she rushes to my side, pulling me into her arms.
“And that right there,” Mrs. Valdo motions towards Miranda, “is a huge reason I think you’ll all be fine. You’ve found someone who will love and support you and Macy even when you screw things up. Because, Liam, you fucked up majorly and she never stopped taking care of Macy.”
“I know... I'm a lucky man.” I whisper into Miranda’s neck.
“LIAM...” A SOFT VOICE moans in the middle of the night.
My eyes fly open, expecting to find Macy awake... but I don’t. Miranda thrashes around on the bed, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Liam... no! I need you, Liam... You can't leave me!”
I jump out of bed, coming around to her side so I don’t wake Macy. I pick her up and carry her out onto the balcony.
“I’ve got you, baby. It’s ok.” I whisper into her neck. One arm wrapped tightly around her, the other stroking her hair.
“I'm sorry.” She sobs into my chest.
“You have no reason to be sorry, none at all. I'm here for you, sweetheart. Whatever you need, I'm here.”
“Just hold me and don’t let go.”
“I’ll never let go.” I press a kiss to her head.
Once she calms down, I carry her back to bed. Moving Macy to the side of the bed, Miranda moves to the center and I lay behind her, holding her the rest of the night.
“CUCUMBER?” MACY’S VOICE breaks through the sleepiness. I rub my eyes before blinking them open.
“Hey, pickle. How do you feel?”
“I feel better. Miranda made me some breakfast and got me some more medicine. She helped me wash my hair and got me some new pajamas too.”
“I didn’t even know you two got out of bed. I'm sorry.”
“I love Miranda, she’s the best. It’s like having a mommy again, she’s always there to take care of me.”
“I love her too. She’s perfect.”
“Do you...” Macy picks at the blanket, afraid of asking her question.
“Come on, pickle, ask your question.”
“Do you think you guys will stay together? Like forever?” She peeks up at me, her expression full of hope. I raise my eyebrows; slightly surprised Macy wants to know.
“You mean like getting married?” She nods. “I’m gonna ask her to marry me one day, I just hope she says yes.”
“Me too. I don’t want her to leave like mommy did. I love her too much.”
Movement at the door catches my attention. Miranda’s standing just outside of the doorway, out of Macy’s sight but I can see her clearly. She brushes away a tear, staring at Macy like she means the world to her. I fall a little harder for the woman of my dreams in that moment.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Miranda
I SLOW THE CAR WHEN I pull into the long driveway of the prison. Liam’s grip tightens on my thigh, this is the last place in the world he wants to be, but he’ll do anything to protect Macy.
“Are you ok?” I ask softly, breaking the silence that’s blanketed the car since we left.
“No, I'm not. I don’t know if I can do this.” He scrubs a hand over his face, letting out a frustrated growl.
“I’ll be with you every step; you’ll never be alone.”
“Are you sure you want to do this? He doesn’t like you.”
“Good, because I hate the fucker. I’d honestly be upset if he did like me.”
I pull into a parking spot and turn off the car. I angle my body to face Liam, taking in the tension rolling through his body. I want to wrap him in my arms and protect him from all the bad memories and pain this man has caused him.
“What about your panic attacks? Will seeing him with me cause one?”
“I don’t know.” I answer honestly, “But I’ve made a good deal of progress in therapy. If I do, I’ll leave... I want to be here for you, Liam.”
“Why? Why do you want to face your demons for me?”
“I stopped running from memories, the only way to move past them is to face them head on.
I want to help you do the same. I see you, Liam, I know the monsters in your closet. I know what keeps you up at night and what occupies your thoughts. I want to stand by your side and help you overcome everything, the same way you have for me.”
“I love you, Mira.”
“I love you too, baby. Let’s get this over with.”
We get searched and put through the metal detector, before being led to a small room with two doors. There’s a metal table bolted to the ground with two chairs on either side, also bolted to the ground.
I let out a shaky breath, the reality of the situation hitting me full force. The man who’s about to walk through the door tried to kill Liam. He beat him into unconsciousness and wouldn’t have stopped if Noah and I hadn’t showed up. He probably would’ve gone after Macy next.
Liam squeezes my hand, providing me with the strength I should be giving him.
We sit on one side of the table, the way we just entered at out back, the door to the inmates in front of us. Yelling and hollering float through the air from that direction, constant chaos. Chains jingle on the other side before the door handle turns. I suck in a breath, preparing myself for the worst. Liam’s grip on my hand tightens to an almost painful degree, I pat it with my free hand, causing him to loosen his grip slightly.
A man I’ve only seen once in my entire life walks into the small room, a scowl on his face. He plops down on a chair across from us and holds out his hands to the officer to uncuff him. The officer stands in the corner, his gaze trained on the inmate, his arms crossed over his chest.
“What are you doing here, Liam?” Mr. Hayes asks on a heavy sigh.
“I want you to give me custody of Macy.” Liam’s voice is confident and firm, not at all what I was expecting with how badly his hand is trembling in mine.
“You’re just a child, why would you want the responsibility of taking care of your sister?”
“Someone has to do it, you and mom sure as hell aren’t stepping up to do it. I won't let her be placed in a home with strangers. It was bad enough she had to deal with what you did.”
“I'm sorry.” He whispers, refusing to look at Liam.
“What did you just say?”
Mr. Hayes’s eyes slide shut, he takes a few deep breaths and lets them out before he raises his chin and squares his shoulders. His eyes connect with Liam’s and he doesn’t look away.
“I'm sorry. You didn’t deserve any of what I did to you. Your mother was my entire world and the day she walked away I stopped living. I'm not making excuses for my actions, there’s no excuse worthy. I abused my own son because I couldn’t handle losing the woman I loved. I took out all my anger on you. Liam, you stepped up and took care of Macy, you protected her from me, provoked me into hitting you so I’d stay away from her. I'm so sorry.”
Tears stream down Liam and his dad’s faces, but neither one of them make a move to brush them away.
“I couldn’t control my anger when I was drunk, I pretended everything was normal when I was sober. You deserve so much better than your mother and I as parents. I'm so fucking sorry I failed you and Macy, son... I don’t expect you to ever forgive me, I'm a piece of shit bastard and I don’t deserve your forgiveness... I’ll sign whatever you need me to, if you’re positive you want to take care of Macy.”
“I’d never let anyone else to take care of her.”
Liam pulls the custody papers out of a manila envelope, slides them across the table and hands his dad a pen. Mr. Hayes eyes him for a few moments before he signs his name in the marked areas and slides it back to Liam.
“Your mother signed over custody of both of you before she left. You’ll have sole custody of Macy now.” Then he turns his attention to me. “I don’t even know your name, but I want to thank you for saving my son from me. You did what he didn’t want to do. You put me behind bars, you stopped me from hurting my son any longer.”
“Miranda.” I say softly. “My name’s Miranda Carmichael.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miranda, you can call me Larry. Thank you for putting me in my place that night. Seeing you so angry, absolutely terrified, it snapped me back to reality. You made me realize what I had done and I couldn’t ignore it any longer. You called me a monster and you were right, only a monster would abuse their children the way I did. You told me you hoped I’d rot in prison and that’s exactly what I deserve. I’ve thought about your words and actions from that night every second of every day, I regret everything I’ve done but I know no amount of apologizing will erase the pain and torture I’ve made my children endure... I know you love my son.” I open my mouth to argue, not about loving his son but how he knows. Larry holds up a hand, stopping me. “He changed the day I started seeing your car around. Liam was happy again for the first time since our world imploded, you’re the reason. I knew he loved you the first time he walked in the door after you dropped him and Macy off. Take care of them for me since I can't.”
“Time’s up.” The scowling officer in the corner announces.
“Can't we have a few more minutes?” Liam asks, surprising all of us.
“Sorry, kid. Not my rules.”
“I'm sorry, Liam. I’d do anything to rewrite history. Please tell Macy I love her and I'm so sorry. I love you, son.” Larry’s voice is full of vulnerability, he seems completely sincere, but it might be too late.
He stands, staring down at Liam for a second before he takes a step away from the table, holding his hands out to the officer to be handcuffed again.
“Wait.”
Liam rushes around the table, throwing his arms around Larry. Larry stiffens for a moment before squeezing Liam back with the same intensity. They hold on to each other like the other might disappear if they let go. Neither is willing to let go until the officer clears his throat.
“Take care of my family, Miranda.” Larry says softly, his eyes pleading.
“I’m never giving them up.”
“Be safe in there.” Liam whispers, squeezing his dad’s shoulder. He gives a single nod, emotion filling his features, tears flooding his eyes.
Handcuffs are put in place and Larry is lead out of the room. We stare at the closed door for a few minutes before I place an arm around Liam’s waist.
“Come on, babe, let’s go home.” I whisper.
Chapter Forty
Liam
“HOW WAS IT?” MRS. VALDO, Frankie and the entire Vaccaro family is gathered in Frankie’s kitchen when we get home. Macy’s watching tv in the living room so we’re keeping our voices down.
“He seemed sorry. He apologized nonstop.”
“How do you feel about that?” Mr. V asks.
“I don’t know. I don’t think he deserves forgiveness but then I think about the dad I had for the first seventeen years of my life... he seems more like that guy again. I don’t know how to handle it.”
“Sometimes we need to forgive people for ourselves, not for them. Holding onto anger doesn’t hurt him, it hurts you.”
“He didn’t even ask for my forgiveness.”
“Because he knows he doesn’t deserve it. He realizes how much he screwed up, he’s destroyed any relationship he had with you or Macy. He ruined his entire life. Losing your mom was out of his control, but losing you, Macy and his freedom is no one’s fault but his own. It sounds like he’s made peace with that.”
“It’s only been a few months, could he really change in such a short period of time?”
“Only time will tell. No longer having the things that mean the most to you will put things into perspective. Sometimes you need to hit rock bottom to find your will to survive and live once again. He has unlimited time to think about his actions and consequences, it’s possible he’s changed.”
Mr. V’s right, only time will tell if dad has changed or not. I want to believe he has, that he can be the man who raised me and not the man he became after mom left. I want the old dad back.
“Did he sign the papers?” Mrs. Valdo’s soft voice br
eaks through my thoughts.
“Yes.”
“Did he give you any trouble?”
“No, he just wanted to know why I wanted to take on raising Macy when I'm practically a kid myself.”
Silence blankets the room. Every eye glances around, worried expressions are passed from one person to the next.
“You do know you don’t have to, right? I'm more than willing to take care of Macy so you aren’t burdened.”
“I don’t see my sister as a burden.” I practically growl.
“Oh, sweetie, that’s not how I meant it.” Mrs. Valdo’s hand grips mine, giving it a slight squeeze. “I just meant it’s going to be hard to take care of a child while you’re in college and working to pay for everything.”
“I’ll do whatever I have to do to keep her with me.”
“Then I’ll make some calls and get the ball rolling. You’re eighteen and your dad singed over custody, there isn't much else we need to do.”
“Thank you.”
“Cucumber! I missed you!” Macy runs into the room; I squat down to catch her as she throws herself into my arms.
“I missed you too, pickle.”
“Please don’t ever leave me like mommy and daddy did.”
“I’d never think of it.” I whisper into her hair. I could never give up Macy.
Chapter Forty-One
Miranda
“WE’RE NOT GOING TO the park, I lied.” I wince when Macy starts whining.
We finished school last week and our summer before college has officially begun. There’s a few things Liam needs to handle before school starts in the fall, mostly signing up Macy for school and things like that. He’s officially her guardian, but they’re still living at the Valdo and Vaccaro homes.
“I have a surprise for both of you. It’s an hour drive though.”
“Aww, come on, Miranda!” Liam groans. He hates being in the car so much. I grasp his hand, giving it a squeeze.
Never Giving Up (The Never Series Book 2) Page 16
