“Sorry. Something came up.”
Chloe laughed. “I’m sure it did.” She held the door open so that we could walk in.
I kissed her on the cheek as I walked by. As soon as Jade and I rounded the corner, a hyper two-year-old tackled me.
“Uncle Loogahn!” Michael shouted.
I dropped the box filled with presents and lifted Michael off the floor. “Hey, little guy! How’s it going?”
He grinned at me, and my heart melted. His eyes were the exact same shade of dazzling blue as Chloe’s, but the rest of him was Drake. No doubt about it, he was Drake’s mini-me, right down to the dimples and coal black hair.
“Santa brought me presents!” He grabbed my shirt in his tiny hands.
“Did he now? What all did you get?” I asked.
“I show you!” He wiggled to get down.
I set him on the ground.
He grabbed my hand to drag me across the living room to the tree. “Sit down!”
I sat down on the floor as Michael went to the tree and started grabbing toys out from underneath it. He picked up a toy guitar first and brought it over to me. I almost laughed.
Like father, like son.
“Lookie.” He shoved the guitar in my lap and darted back to the tree.
Jade walked into the room and sat down on the couch, grinning from ear to ear. We both knew that Michael was my little buddy. Anytime we were around, he clung to me.
I glanced up when Chloe and Drake walked into the room. Chloe’s eyes were glued to Michael as he carried over several tiny dinosaurs so that I could see them. Drake caught my eye and nodded.
Things had been calm between Drake and me for a long time. While we would never be best friends, we respected each other, and that was enough for both of us.
“Where’s Amber?” I asked Chloe.
I knew that Eric and Adam had stayed back in L.A. this year, but I thought that Amber would be here.
“She’s with her mom this year,” Chloe said, giving me a sad smile as she and Drake sat down.
“Oh,” I said, frowning.
“Look, Uncle Loogahn, dino!” Michael said as he held the plastic toys in front of my face.
“Awesome, little man.” I took one from him and started poking him with it.
He giggled and dropped to the floor in front of me.
“Hey, Michael. Why don’t you go over to that box and grab a few of the presents? I bet some are for you.” Jade grinned at him.
She didn’t have to tell him twice. He was up and running before she finished speaking. I laughed as he tugged on the box and pulled it over to me. I grabbed a few with Michael’s name on them and tossed them to him.
“Open up, little man,” I said.
He ripped the paper to shreds and pulled out his toys. “Woooooow,” he said as he looked at the massive bag of jumbo Legos.
“Ugh, my feet are already cursing you both.” Chloe mock-glared between Jade and me.
“It gets better,” I assured her as Michael went for the next present.
He squealed at the same time as Chloe groaned in defeat. Michael stared at the jumbo carton of tiny cars.
“I think I officially hate you,” Chloe muttered.
Drake laughed.
I grabbed two packages out of the box and tossed one to her and one to Drake. “Nah, you love us.”
Drake raised an eyebrow as he slowly unwrapped his gift. He laughed when he pulled a pair of Converse out of the box. “You know just what to get me. Thanks, guys.”
Jade glanced at Chloe. “Aren’t you going to open yours?”
Chloe gave Jade a smile as she opened hers. Her eyes widened in shock, and then she looked at first me and then Jade. “Seriously?” she gasped.
Drake leaned closer to her to see her present. He grinned before looking at me. “I think congrats are in order then.”
Chloe pulled a tiny white onesie out of the box that had I Love My Auntie written across the front. “Oh my God! I don’t know what to say! Just…ah!”
She jumped from the couch and tackled me. I laughed as she wrapped her arms around me.
“Logan, I’m so happy for you!”
“Thanks,” I said as she released me.
She ran over to Jade. Both women hugged each other tightly.
“How far along are you?” Chloe asked.
“We go to the doctor next week to see. I just got the positive test last week. You two are our closest friends, so we wanted to tell you first.”
“I’m really happy for both of you,” Drake said as he stood and scooped Michael up off the floor.
Michael clung to his dad as he grinned at all of us. He was excited because everyone else was even though he didn’t understand why.
I felt the breath leave me as Chloe stood and wrapped her arms around Drake and Michael. They looked like the perfect family. I glanced at Jade, knowing that the scene in front of us would be us in just a few months.
I stood and pulled Jade up off the couch. She wrapped her arms around me.
“I love you.”
“I love you, too,” she said.
“I’m starving. Can we eat yet?” Drake asked, breaking our moment.
I released Jade, but I grabbed her hand as we followed Chloe, Drake, and Michael into the kitchen. Michael laughed as Drake tossed him into the air. Jade and I sat down, and Drake tried to get Michael settled into his high chair.
“I gots your nose!” Michael shouted as he grabbed Drake’s nose.
“Oh no! Not my nose!” Drake said before pretending to cry.
Michael lost it giggling and finally let Drake sit him in his chair.
Chloe put a plate of food in front of Michael, and Drake cut the turkey into tiny pieces for him. Michael ignored it as he grabbed his spoon and started shoveling mashed potatoes in his mouth.
Jade grabbed my hand under the table and squeezed. I glanced over at her to see her smiling at me.
“That’ll be us soon,” she whispered.
I leaned in and kissed her softly. “I know. I can’t wait.”
Jade and I were the perfect example of fate. After the way she’d grown up and the things I’d gone through with Chloe, neither of us had expected to end up happy.
Sometimes, fate steps in though. Sometimes, we’re meant to have our happily ever after even if it’s not with who we expected. Sometimes the most toxic events and emotions can lead us to where we belong.
I ran my hand against Jade’s still flat stomach and smiled. Yeah, I’d found my happily ever after.
The End
Coming Fall 2014
Chapter One
My feet were killing me. All I wanted to do was go home, take a shower, and crawl into bed. Work had been brutal tonight.
I’d worked at the same diner for almost two years, but up until last week, I’d only been part-time. The day after I’d graduated from Morgantown High School, I’d switched to full-time.
I didn’t mind waitressing, not really, but my body was still getting used to being on the move constantly. The diner, a small family-owned business, was always busy with the same customers. Most of them knew me by now and usually tipped well. We had a few college kids come in from time to time, but they usually went to one of the more popular spots in Morgantown. I didn’t mind because they were normally the ones who would leave crappy tips.
I pulled into the driveway of my foster parents’ house and yawned. I hoped they were asleep. My foster dad, Rick, was an asshole to me most of the time. The only reason he kept me and the other foster kids around was because of the nice checks he would receive for taking care of us. I knew my time here would be up soon. Today was my eighteenth birthday. Hopefully, my foster dad wouldn’t remember. I didn’t feel like getting kicked out of the only place I had to go tonight. My foster mom, Tammy, wasn’t as bad as Rick. She was even nice at times, but her fear of Rick’s temper would keep her from defending any of the kids. Rick wasn’t abusive physically, but when his temper got the best of him, h
e would go on a rampage that rivaled a three-year-old’s. Tammy had learned long ago to lock up anything breakable.
I’d been in twelve different foster homes since I was three. Tammy and Rick’s house wasn’t the best, but it definitely wasn’t the worst. I shuddered as I thought about my last two houses. Yeah, I could deal with Rick’s asshole ways. I didn’t give a gigglefuck about Rick’s temper as long as he didn’t try to touch me.
I climbed out of my piece-of-shit car and headed for the house. My car was the only thing I truly owned. I’d saved every penny I could and purchased it two months ago. I’d paid six-hundred dollars for it, and I’d definitely gotten what I paid for. It was a 1989 Chevy Impala. The body was rusted out in several places. The rear fender was an ugly green color while the rest of the car was a faded red. It was the ugliest Christmas-themed car I’d ever seen. It was the ugliest car I’d ever seen, period. But it would get me from point A to point B most of the time. Sadly, it wasn’t even legal, and I didn’t have the extra cash to get everything I needed to make it so.
Once I reached the house, I stuck my key in the lock and turned it. I frowned when the door didn’t unlock. I pulled the key out, thinking that maybe I’d shoved it in backward, so I tried again. Realization hit me when the lock still wouldn’t turn over. Rick had changed the lock while I was at work.
I sighed in defeat before knocking loudly on the door. Lights turned on in the living room, and then I heard the door unlocking.
Rick opened the door and frowned at me. “Yes?” he asked.
“Um…the door wouldn’t open for me,” I said.
“Probably not. I changed the lock.”
“Why would you do that?” I asked even though I knew the answer.
“You’re eighteen now, Claire. You’re no longer my problem.”
I laughed humorlessly. “Seriously? You’re kicking me out on my birthday?”
“Yeah, I guess I am,” he said without remorse.
“Can I at least get my clothes and stuff?”
He shrugged. “Make it quick.”
He moved out of the way, and I hurried past him toward the room I shared with Shelly. She was a foster kid, too. She’d been here when I arrived. She was only ten, but I’d found myself gravitating toward her from the beginning. We would look out for each other. I hated to think about her being here alone. I was pretty sure I was the only person in this house who cared about her. I passed by the boys’ bedroom on the way to my room. There were four foster kids here total—Shelly, me, and two boys. Kevin was thirteen, and Jerimiah was eight. I wasn’t as close to them as I was to Shelly, but I would still miss them as well.
I opened the door to my room and flipped on the light switch. Shelly was sound asleep in the bottom bunk. I moved around the room quietly, shoving my clothes and personal items into the suitcase I’d carried around since I was first put into foster care. It didn’t take me long to pack. I had very few clothes and even less personal items. My eyes misted as I picked up the only thing I had left of my mom—a locket. I opened it up to see the tiny picture of her and me. I was only a few months old in the photo.
My mom had been killed in a car accident right before I turned three. Her parents were also dead, and no one knew who my father was. With no family to take me in, I had been thrown into the foster system.
I closed my eyes and tried to remember my mother. As always, nothing came to me, except the way she had smelled. That was all I knew about her—that she’d smelled like strawberries. I closed the locket and slipped it into my jeans pocket. Once it was tucked safely away, I closed my suitcase and glanced down at Shelly. I hated to wake her up, but I couldn’t leave without saying good-bye.
I crouched down next to her and poked her gently a few times.
Her eyes slowly opened, and she stared up at me. “Claire? What’s wrong?” she asked as she sat up.
“I have to leave, kiddo. My time is up.” I tried to smile at her.
“What? Why?” she asked, panic filling her voice.
“Rick is giving me the boot. I gotta go.”
“He can’t do that!” she cried angrily.
“I’m eighteen, so technically, he can.”
Her eyes filled with tears as she sprung off the bed. She wrapped her tiny arms around me. “I’m going to miss you so much.”
I hugged her back tightly. “I’ll miss you, too. Take care of yourself, and keep out of trouble, okay?”
“You know I will. Will I see you again?”
I pulled away and cupped her cheek. “I don’t know. Maybe someday.”
She nodded as her shoulders sagged in defeat. “Please be careful.”
“Always. I love you.”
“Love you, too,” she whispered.
I pushed her back into bed and tucked her in. I kissed her forehead before pulling away. I stood and grabbed my suitcase off the floor. I gave her one last smile before I opened the door and slipped silently into the hallway.
Rick was still standing by the front door when I walked into the living room.
“Did you get everything?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“Good, because you’re not welcome back here. Got me?” he asked.
“Yeah, I got you.” I shoved past him.
I didn’t look back as I walked to my car. I tossed my suitcase into the backseat before climbing behind the wheel. I backed out of the driveway and headed back toward the main part of town. I couldn’t stop the tears from falling as I realized just how screwed I was. I had fifty bucks to my name until I would get paid next week. There was no way I’d be able to afford an apartment, even a shitty one. I just hoped that I could make decent tips until then, or I’d be living on air. I had no money, no friends, no credit. I had nothing. I was completely alone. The only thing I did have was my car.
I patted the dashboard gently. “Looks like it’s just you and me now, ugly Christmas car.”
I drove back to work and parked behind the building. There was no way I was parking on the street. With my luck, a cop would come by and notice that every sticker on my car was expired. I didn’t need a tow bill that I couldn’t pay for. I shut off the engine and reclined the seat back so that I was looking up at the roof of the car.
At least it’s not cold out, I thought to myself as I closed my eyes.
My entire body went limp as I tried to control the emotions raging inside me. I tried to find the positives, but aside from the fact that I didn’t have to deal with Rick anymore, there were none. I tried to shut off my mind, so I could sleep. I was working the morning shift tomorrow. I needed the money too much to oversleep and miss my shift. Plus, I didn’t want to do that to my boss, Rob. He was a really nice guy, too nice for his own good sometimes.
I vowed to myself that I would figure things out when I woke up the next morning. I had no other choice. I had to make a plan, or I’d never survive.
***
Two days had passed since Rick kicked me out of his house. I’d accomplished nothing—unless I counted the tips I’d made. I was living off of dollar cheeseburgers and washing in the restroom sink at work. There was a Laundromat nearby, so I at least had clean clothes.
The first day, I’d left after my shift ended. I’d waited until the diner closed and everyone was gone before driving back and parking behind the building again. I’d made sure that I was up and gone before the diner opened up the next morning since I was on the night shift. The second day had gone much the same way, except I worked the night shift. I’d hidden at the local library all day, losing myself in the pages of not one, but two books.
It was the third day, and I was working the morning shift again. I was taking my daily sink bath in the restroom, and one of my coworkers, Junie, walked in on me while I was naked. Apparently, I had forgotten to lock the door, and now, I was caught.
“Oh my God!” I screamed as I tried to cover myself.
Junie looked like she wanted to die as she quickly mumbled an apology and slammed the door shut. After I
dried off with paper towels, I walked back into the main part of the diner. I walked to the coffee pots and started making both decaf and regular, praying that Junie wouldn’t mention what had happened. Naturally, she cornered me while I was dumping coffee grinds into the filter.
“Claire, why were you taking a bath in the restroom?” she asked.
I glanced up to see concern in her brown eyes. Junie was older than me, probably in her late twenties or early thirties. Her hair was light brown. She was pretty but plain. She’d recently gone through a nasty divorce, and she had lost a lot of weight. I knew the stress from her divorce and trying to raise her two boys on her own was taking its toll on her.
“I didn’t get a chance to shower at my house this morning,” I lied.
“Cut the crap, Claire. What is going on?” she asked.
I debated on lying again, but I couldn’t do it. Junie had always been nice to me, and I couldn’t lie right to her face.
“Rick kicked me out of the house the other night,” I said as I looked away from her.
“He what? That asshole! I’m so sorry, Claire,” Junie said.
I looked up to see her brown eyes had filled with anger.
“Don’t apologize. There’s nothing you or anyone could have done to stop him. We both knew it was coming.”
“You could call in and report him though. I mean, he’s still getting paid for this month even though you’re eighteen.”
“And then what happens if Child Protective Services decide Tammy and Rick aren’t suitable foster parents? Shelly, Kevin, and Jerimiah would be pulled and possibly put into a house that could be ten times worse. Rick’s an ass, but he’d never hurt them. I won’t be the reason they’re sent to a horrible home,” I said as I stared at her.
She sighed. “Fine, I see your point, but it’s still not right. What are you going to do?”
I shrugged. “I have no clue. I guess I’ll just keep saving my tips until I can afford a place to stay. My car is fine for now since it’s summer, but I’ll have to find somewhere to stay before winter hits.”
“I wish you could stay with me, but I have no room,” she said, clearly upset over the fact that she couldn’t help me.
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