by Amy Brent
“It’s not forever this time,” she said. “I have a lot to do here, and I’m sure the time will speed by. You have Sicily and your work and your big project release, so time will go by fast for you too.”
“That’s right,” I said, shaking my head. “Before we know it, we will be back in each other’s arms. And we’ll talk on the phone every night.”
“And text,” she said. “I’ll be getting everything in order. I’m going to start packing and going through things as soon as I get home. I have a ton of boxes already there, and Caroline and Gillian said they’d come over and help me, so I don’t have to lift anything.”
“Good.” I leaned forward and kissed her lips. “I’m still going to miss you like crazy.”
“Ugh, I’m going to miss you too,” she said, scrunching her nose. “I already miss you, and my hormones are going crazy, and I’m trying not to cry.”
“You poor thing.” I laughed, pulling her into me and hugging her tightly.
I pulled back and pushed my lips against hers, kissing her passionately. She whimpered, her shoulders relaxing as my lips moved over hers. I pulled my lips up and kissed her nose and smiled.
“Get out of here,” I said sweetly. “And text me when you get home. I’ll be close to landing.”
“And you text me when your feet hit the ground,” she said.
“I promise,” I said, smiling.
I held onto her hand as long as I could and then watched as she walked toward the doors. When she got to the front, she stopped and turned toward me, blowing me a kiss and waving. I waved back and smiled big, feeling my heart pitter-pattering inside of my chest. She disappeared out the door and around the corner, making her way back to her car. I stood watching all the people walking around me and picked up my carry-on and made my way to security. I was glad we got there early since the security line was extremely long, even the one for first class passengers. As I stood waiting for my turn, I thought about the happiness exploding from my chest. I missed the feeling so much, and it was back. I didn’t care what I had to do to keep it, to keep Emma. I would make sure we never went through something like that again.
No matter how many texts, calls, video calls, and chats we would have, I was still going to miss her terribly. It was only a small amount of comfort knowing she would be there soon. I wanted to keep her close all the time, never let her out of my sight, but I knew she had to do these things herself and say her goodbyes on her own terms. I got through security faster than I thought I would, so I stopped and grabbed a cup of coffee before heading to my terminal. The flight home was going to be a lot nicer than the flight there, and I knew I had plenty of thoughts of Emma to keep me occupied for my hour-long flight back to New York. I got on the flight not long after arriving and sat back, watching out the window as we made our way down the runway and into the air. I had to admit, I was right. It was one of the most pleasant flights I’d had in a long time. I couldn’t wait to get home and tell Sicily the good news. She was going to be proud of me for stepping up and going after Emma. She was really important to Sicily, and I knew my daughter wanted nothing more than to see me happy, and I wanted the same for her. I was lucky Emma did that for both of us.
When the flight touched down, and we got off the plane, excitement flew through me. I rushed through the airport and down to baggage claim, grabbing my bag and heading out to one of the many cabs lined up on the curb. I gave the cab driver my address and sat back, watching the city move past my windows. Sure, I was happy to be back, but I was more excited to go spread the good news to my daughter and mother. I knew they were waiting with baited breath to hear what had happened. I hadn’t given them any clue to what I was going to tell them, only that I was coming home. I wanted it to be a surprise, and I wanted to see the look on Sicily’s face when she found out Emma was going to be coming home really soon. I knew she was crossing her fingers hoping that it was what had happened while I was in Camden.
I smiled as we passed by my offices, watching as tourists stood outside taking pictures of the big Cogent sign out front. I felt pride for my company for the first time in a very long time. It was amazing to me how much better I felt about everything in my life now that Emma was back in it. I could feel a motivation that I hadn’t felt in a long time. We pulled up out front of my complex, and I paid the cab driver before jumping out and grabbing my bags. I went straight to the elevator and smiled excitedly as it moved closer and closer to the top. When it finally arrived, and the doors slid open, I rushed out, stopping as I stared at Josie standing in front of my door. I shook my head and laughed, reminding myself that Josie wasn’t going to be able to hurt me anymore. I wouldn’t allow it.
“Why do you look so happy?” she sneered.
“Oh, no reason other than your little sabotage didn’t work,” I said, putting down my bags. “What are you doing here?”
“Waiting for you,” she said. “Your mom said you would be here soon and then made me wait out here.”
“Good for her.” I laughed. “She never actually liked you, you know that, right?”
“I never actually liked you,” she said in a childish way.
“So, what is it that’s so important that you have to wait here for me?”
“I wanted you to know I’m leaving to go back to Florida,” she said.
“That does not surprise me in the least.” I laughed. “You’re so easily defeated. But really, I’m glad. I’m tired of seeing your face. I divorced you so I wouldn’t have to see it anymore.”
“Do I get a chance to tell Sicily goodbye?”
“Nope,” I said. “She doesn’t want to see you. I checked with the judge, and she said that if Sicily is expressing her dismay to see you, she doesn’t have to be forced. Custody is for the child’s right to see a parent, not for your right to see her. Send her a letter, and maybe she’ll write you back.”
“You know what?”
“What’s that, Josie?”
“I don’t know why I ever agreed to marry you,” she said. “You’re a loser, no matter how much money you have in the bank. You don’t deserve me, and you never did. The best decision I ever made in my life was leaving your ass behind. And if Sicily wants to follow in your footsteps, it’s a good thing she doesn’t want to see me. I don’t need people like you in my life. I have an amazing life with Troy in Florida. We have lots of friends, a boat, a house, and he thinks he’s lucky to have me.”
“Right,” I said, laughing. “And that’s why you came out here searching for validation.”
“I came out here to see my daughter, to try to be there before you damaged her too badly,” she said. “But it seems I’m too late.”
“You know what, Josie, I don’t want to talk to you anymore,” I said picking up my bags. “You’re nothing to me now, and frankly, you’re wasting my air. I don’t believe for a second that you have a good life in Florida, but it really doesn’t matter. I don’t care if you have a good life or not because you’re no longer my burden. I barely cared when you left, so I definitely don’t give two shits now. Have a good trip home, buh-bye.”
I turned and walked into the house, dropping my bags and kicking the door shut in her face. I nodded to myself in satisfaction and dusted off my hands, hearing the sound of Sicily singing in the kitchen. They must not have heard me walk into the house. I grinned and crept quietly around the corner, sneaking up behind Sicily and tickling her. She screamed out and whirled around, her eyes getting big as she wrapped her arms around me.
“Daddy,” she said. “I missed you so much.”
“I missed you, too, munchkin,” I said. “You haven’t been giving your grandma too much grief, have you?”
“No,” she said. “We are besties. We don’t give each other a hard time.”
“Oh,” I said, kissing my mom on the cheek. “I wasn’t aware of the bestie situation.”
“Sooo,” Sicily said. “What happened with Emma?”
“Well, when I got there, it was definitely a ro
ugh start,” I said. “She got really sick and had to be rushed to the hospital. She’s okay and so is the baby.”
“Oh, good,” Sicily said, letting out a deep breath
“The night she got home from the hospital, she showed up at my door and we talked. I told her everything that happened and showed her proof that whatever she thought was true, it wasn’t. She believed me, and so she’s going to take care of her home and loose ends in Camden and move here to New York with us.”
“Really?” Sicily screamed.
She put her arms up in the air and did laps around the apartment, chanting Emma’s name. My mom and I watched her laughing as she ran down into the living room and collapsed onto the couch. I shook my head and turned to my mother, smiling big.
“I’m so happy for you, son,” she said. “I could tell you loved this girl from the first time you told me about her.”
“It’s definitely been that life-changing kind of love,” I said with a smile.
“That’s exactly what I always hoped for you,” she said, hugging me.
I took my bags into the bedroom and pulled out my phone, texting Emma that I had gotten home safely and that Sicily could not wait until she got there. I smiled, feeling my phone vibrate before I could even set it down. Emma had texted me back with three hearts and a message saying that she loved us so much. I couldn’t believe that I finally got the girl.
Chapter 38
One Month Later
Emma
Considering the fact that when I put my house on the market, the agent told me it would probably take upwards of six months to sell it, I was more than shocked to be standing there only one month later with the movers. The housing market wasn’t great, but my little house was, and I was glad I had been able to move it as fast as I did. I stood in my front yard, watching as the movers brought packed and ready boxes out and loaded them onto the small moving truck. I wasn’t really bringing much with me since Brandt’s place was already fully decorated. It was mostly personal things and family heirlooms that I couldn’t bear to part with.
There was something bittersweet about the sold sign swinging on the real estate advertisement in the front yard. It felt like just yesterday that sold sign was for me, and I was moving into my first home. I had made it a home again after my ex and I had split, the place where I found comfort and warmth away from the cold life that I’d experienced for so long. I was really going to miss coming home to it after a long day of work, curling up on the couch, drinking hot chocolate on a cold night, and all the laughter and voices that carried through it when the girls were there. It had become a part of me in a way, especially since it was my escape and the place that helped nurture me back to health when I was down and out, hurting so badly after leaving Brandt. But that was all in the past now because Brandt and I couldn’t be happier with each other.
The memories that I had stored away in my brain weren’t just with the house. They were with Camden in general. It was the place I was born, the place I grew up, and the place that watched me turn into the woman I was that day. It was the place I had my first kiss, my first date, the place I ran wild with the girls as a teenager, and the place that comforted me after being away in college. My parents lived there, my two best friends lived there, and everyone I ever knew walked up and down through that small little town every day. Now I was headed off to New York City, a place so big, I would be lucky to ever see anyone I knew. It had some serious charms, that was for sure, but I was really going to miss Camden, and I was nervous about moving away from there for good.
“Aw, this is so sad and so exciting,” Gillian said with tears in her eyes.
“Get it together, Gillies,” Caroline said, shaking her head.
She wiped her cheeks. “Sorry. We promised no tears.”
“I’m still shocked at how fast this place sold,” Caroline said. “I mean it is a great house, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a house in Camden. Who would want to buy a house in this tiny little town?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “And I probably won’t know since they wanted to remain anonymous.”
“Did they lowball you on the price?” Caroline asked.
“No,” I said. “They agreed to pay the asking price and paid for closing. It literally cost me nothing to sell, and I made about fifty grand compared to what I bought it for. I almost didn’t believe it was true, but they handed me the check yesterday after I signed the papers.”
“That’s completely insane,” Caroline said. “I’m glad it happened for you, but where the hell is my luck?”
“I think it’s fate,” I said. “For the longest time, I swore the universe was playing games with me. I felt like it was dangling a carrot in front of me and then yanking it away when I got close. I realized when I got back here that for me and Brandt to really be happy together, we had to let go of all of our insecurities and all of our past. We had to be free to love each other the right way. That was what every trial we had was about, freeing us up to really love each other.”
“That’s pretty hippie of you,” Caroline said, nudging me. “I’m impressed. I thought I was the only one who thought that way.”
“You’re rubbing off on me.” I laughed. “Before you know it, I’ll be wearing broom skirts and not shaving my pits.”
“Whoa, calm down.” Caroline laughed. “And I shave my pits, by the way.”
We all started laughing, just like we did so many times before, growing up as best friends. I was really going to miss these girls, but I couldn’t let myself get upset or I would be crying the entire way to New York. I took their hands and walked over to the car, opening up all the doors.
“What are you doing?” Gillian asked.
“My dad always told me to check a third time before leaving on a long trip to make sure I had everything,” I said.
“Did you see your parents?”
“Yeah,” I sighed. “It was long and tearful, especially for my mother. She acted like I was leaving for another country.”
“Aw,” Gillian said. “Your mom is so sweet.”
“Yes, she is,” I said checking through all my bags, counting the different boxes and going through my mental checklist. I wanted to know I wasn’t leaving anything behind because it would be a while before I was coming back to Camden.
“All right,” the supervising mover said, walking over with a clipboard. “Everything is out of the house and packed up in the truck. I just need you to make this signature for Mr. Ellis, and we can be on our way.”
“Perfect,” I said, signing my name. “We should be there around the same time, but Brandt will be there to direct you guys where to go. There’s a service entrance off the main street that has an elevator to make things easier. He’s on the top of floor of a New York City high-rise.”
“Good. I hate stairs,” he said as he laughed. “Have a safe drive.”
“You too,” I said.
Caroline, Gillian, and I stood back in the grass as the movers closed the truck and jumped inside the cab. I shook my head as Gillian sniffled next to me, watching the truck pull out and drive away. I was emotional about a lot of things but not about watching the moving truck drive off down the street. When it had disappeared around the corner, Caroline turned to me and handed me a duffle bag.
“Uh, if there’s cash and a passport in here, we are going to need to talk,” I said.
“Shit, I brought the wrong bag.” She laughed. “No, this is a car package for the road. You’re driving a long way, and you’re pregnant. It has a ton of snacks, juice boxes, and some tissues.”
“Aw, you guys are the best,” I said, hugging them both. “Okay, no tears. We’re going to see each other soon.”
“We’ll be there when the baby is born, if not sooner,” Gillian said excitedly. “Just be safe, and know we’re only an hour flight away.”
“I know,” I said. “I’m going to be fine, more than fine actually. I’ll be with Brandt, and he’ll take care of me.”
“He bett
er,” Caroline said, pulling me in for a hug. “Come here. I love you. Be safe driving and call us when you get there.”
“I will,” I said, hugging Gillian.
I couldn’t even to begin to express how much I was going to miss these two girls. They had been my survival kit my entire life. We had gone through every major event in our lives to that point together. Even when I’d been in college, I was really close, and Gillian was there with me. It was heartbreaking thinking about them not being able to come over and watch chick flicks and gorge on ice cream at any time. Even worse, they wouldn’t be close to watch the baby grow, and that was what worried me the most. At the same time, my life in New York was calling for me. I loved Brandt and Sicily so much, and just thinking about them made me want to head out. I would miss my girls, but my family was waiting for me, wanting me to come home. I was ready to go home to them, readier than I ever had been in my entire life.
I climbed into the car and adjusted my mirrors, rolling down the windows and waving at Caroline and Gillian as I pulled out of the driveway. I drove down through the town, smiling at all the places I grew up going to. This town would always be a part of me, but it no longer felt like home. Brandt felt like home, and wherever he was, I knew I would be safe and happy. There had never been another man in my life who made me feel that way, and I knew I was heading in the right direction. Life had a strange way of leading me down roads I never thought I would take, and as I drove out of Camden, watching it disappear into my rearview window, I knew this was one of those roads. It was exciting, terrifying, and thrilling all at the same time, and there was no doubt in my mind that I was making the right choice.
