by Lea Coll
Declan looked away. “The kids at school talk. It was in the news.”
“It might be. If you want to meet her at some point, I’ll make it happen. If you don’t want anything to do with her, I’ll do everything I can to make sure that happens.” Griffin’s tone was full of conviction.
I’d never felt prouder of him. He’d more than met the challenge of being Declan’s caregiver. He looked out for him, he protected him.
“I want to live with you.”
Griffin’s body sagged in relief as he pulled him into a hug.
I placed a comforting hand on Griffin’s arm before going into the kitchen to give them space. I heard murmurings from the other room but kept my attention on my phone, mindlessly scrolling through emails.
A few minutes later, Griffin’s hands rested on my shoulders. “Why did you leave?”
“I didn’t want to intrude.” I turned in his arms to face him.
“You’re not intruding.” He lightly squeezed his fingers on my shoulders as if to emphasize his point.
“I get that, but you need your time with him. He needs to know he’s number one in your life.” Having a child means putting him before our relationship.
“You are too.” He said each word slowly as if each word held weight. He pulled me into his chest.
I closed my eyes, reveling in the sensation of being in his arms, content, happy, loved. I never expected to be number one in Griffin’s life. I was content to be a part of his life. His nephew should come first, but I understood what he was saying, we were both important to him.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Avery
Since Erin filed an emergency motion for guardianship of Declan, the hearing was scheduled for this Friday. I spent every night at Griffin and Declan’s house. I should have felt happy and content, but instead I was unsettled, worried for Griffin and Declan.
The night before the hearing, Declan went to his room early. He said he wanted to play Legos, but I think he wanted time alone. We hadn’t ruled out the possibility he’d change his mind and want to see his mother at some point. Griffin reminded him that whatever he was feeling was okay. He wouldn’t be upset or angry if he wanted to see his mother, it was only natural.
Griffin had been checking on him every fifteen minutes.
“He finally fell asleep.”
“Good.”
“How are you holding up?” He sat on the couch next to me, placing his arm over the back.
“Me? This isn’t about me. I’m worried about you.”
There were so many things I wanted to ask him. What will you do if Erin is granted visitation or custody? My mind was rampant with outrageous situations that were probably not going to happen, but I couldn’t help thinking I’d found happiness only to have it ripped away.
“I’ll be happy when tomorrow’s over. I can only hope the judge sees through whatever excuse she has for showing up eight years after she left, wanting guardianship now.”
“I would think the judge would.” Without knowing which judge would hear the case tomorrow, it was hard to give him an idea of his or her personality.
A hard knock came on the door, causing me to jump.
“Were you expecting anyone?” I asked Griffin who’d already stood and moved toward the door.
“No. You?”
“No.” I followed a few paces behind him as he checked the side window first. Jittery, I wondered if it was Erin, and if so, what that meant.
“It’s Erin. A car is idling in the driveway. I can’t tell if she’s with someone or not.”
Nerves churned in my stomach, but I tried to appear calm for Griffin. “We should see what she wants.”
“You don’t think we should call the police?”
“If you open the door and it seems like a bad situation, I will.” I held up the phone where I already had 911 typed into the screen.
Griffin nodded, placing his hand on the doorknob to open it.
She probably wanted to avoid court. She was going to plead her case without a judge or police present which was probably better for us.
Griffin opened the door slowly.
Erin stood on the porch, her eyes a little wild, her hair falling out of a ponytail, her jean shorts and tank top dirty as if she’d slept in them and worn them for days.
“Declan’s sleeping, so keep your voice down.”
Erin glanced back at the running car, then to us. “Fine.”
I exchanged a glance with Griffin. She wasn’t alone. I could make out a silhouette of someone in the front seat. I bet it was her boyfriend. It was a good sign he’d stayed in the car. I took that to mean he probably wouldn’t interfere with our conversation.
“Give us money and we’ll go away.”
Griffin’s lips curled into a sneer. “This whole thing was always about money. I had to sit Declan down this afternoon and ask if he wanted to see you when it was never an option.”
It sucked we’d had to talk to him about his mother, but it was better she left now. If she stuck around, trying to form a relationship with him only to leave later, that would be worse.
I curled my hand around his arm to steady him, to remind him I was here for him.
“Give me money so we can go.” Erin kept glancing back at the car as if whoever was with her was impatient.
“How much?” His eyes were cold.
Her eyes widened in surprise, as if she hadn’t expected it to be so easy.
I hated that he was paying her anything, but it was worth it to have her out of Declan’s life. She’d never have any rights to him again. It would be his choice if he wanted to reach out to her at some point.
“How much will it cost to make you go away for good?” His tone was biting.
I’d talked to him about leaving open the possibility of visiting Declan at some point, but I approved of his approach. If she came back, was cleaned up, working a responsible job, and really wanted to meet him, Griffin would accommodate her, but not like this. Not when it was clear someone was pressuring her for the money.
“Ten thousand dollars.” Her eyes were wide, her voice hopeful as if she’d asked for an impossible amount.
I tried to smooth my expression. We’d expected a higher demand. Griffin mentioned he’d give her whatever she wanted, even as I tried to reason with him.
“Done.” He pulled out his wallet where he’d kept a check for just this purpose.
I hurried inside to get the termination of parental rights and a pen, not wanting her to change her mind.
Griffin held the check tightly in his hands. “You’ll sign this document terminating your rights. It means I can’t come after you for child support and you can’t come back here, demanding to see him.”
She waved a hand at him. “Yeah. Whatever you want. I don’t care.”
I don’t care. Her attitude reminded me of my parents. Living with a parent who didn’t care about you was worse than an absent parent. What kind of mother took money to never see her child again? Not a good one.
I’d never thought about what kind of a mother I’d make, but I knew I’d be better than Erin or my parents.
I handed her the contract, showing her where to sign. I held my breath, hoping she wouldn’t change her mind.
She barely looked at it before signing and handing it back to me.
“Now give me the money.” Her voice was cold and unfeeling. She never cared about Declan. He was a pawn in her game.
I recoiled from her nasty tone, wrapping my arms around myself. I wanted her gone.
Griffin held the check out, not giving it to her yet.
“Don’t come back, Erin. I mean it. If you do, you’ll do nothing but hurt him. He doesn’t deserve you coming and going in his life, solidifying that you never wanted him. Got it?”
“Not a problem.” Her eyes were lighter, her voice almost gleeful. Then she grabbed the check and turned to jog to the car as if Griffin might change his mind, calling her back to take the check.
&nbs
p; As soon as the car door closed, whoever was driving backed the car up, squealing the tires, before it accelerated down the street and out of sight.
“They’re gone.” My breath whooshed out of my lungs as if I’d been holding it the whole time.
Griffin rubbed his neck. “I wonder if the boyfriend discovered I had money and pressured her, or she was bragging about the money and whoever she was dating pressured her.”
“We’ll never know for sure but at least she’s gone. We have these papers if she appears in court tomorrow. I’ll sign as a witness and can attest to what happened so she shouldn’t be able to back out on this or change her mind. The judge will dismiss it if she doesn’t show up.”
Griffin wrapped an arm around my shoulder, pulling me tightly to his body. He kissed the top of my head. “It’s finally over.”
I felt the slight tremor in his hands.
“I don’t think I could have done that without you by my side reminding me to keep a cool head.”
“You handled it fine.”
We’d talked at length about what to do if she showed up and I wasn’t there. How he should react. What he should or should not say to get what we wanted. The signed termination of parental rights was all we needed.
“I wanted to shake her. I wanted to demand she tell me the reason why she left him, why in her eyes, Declan wasn’t worth her time.”
I pulled back slightly, cupping his cheek. “It doesn’t matter because she’s not worth Declan’s time.”
“I wanted to rip open that car door and yell at whoever that asshole driving was.”
“But you didn’t. You held it together because Declan needs you to be the strong one. The responsible one. You’re a great uncle, a great dad.”
“Thank you.” His chin rested on my head and I closed my eyes. I was right where I was supposed to be, in Griffin and Declan’s house, by their side, supporting them, loving them forever. I was lost before I met them.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Griffin
I hadn’t realized how much stress I’d been under while Erin’s threat to take Declan hung over me. The release of tension in my muscles took a couple of days. The sick feeling in my stomach that Erin could be so blasé about her son took longer to dissipate.
As infuriating as Erin’s actions and words were, I had Declan. He was mine. If at some point, she changed her mind, we’d have to reconsider our position on her seeing Declan, but for now, it was just us. Declan, Avery, and me.
Right after Erin signed the termination of parental rights, the judge dismissed her guardianship motion, and we heard from the insurance company that they’d ruled Julian’s death an accident. It was like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I’d fulfilled Julian’s wishes, I was caring for his son, and Declan would receive his father’s insurance money.
Over the fall break, we visited my parents in Florida. We spent a few days in Disney World, a few days at the beach, and a few days in my parents’ home.
The three of us felt like a family. When we returned from vacation, we fell into a groove. Declan went to school, Avery went to work, and I worked from home. I hadn’t lost any momentum. I was filled with new ideas for my own projects.
Avery spent every night with us. We never officially discussed her moving in, but I hoped it was only a matter of time.
I’d gotten an engagement ring soon after we’d returned from Florida, keeping it in a safe spot until the time was right. If I learned anything about Avery over the last few months it was that slow and easy was better.
Avery was there when we needed her when our world was threatened. I wanted that next step with her, marriage, a family, maybe even children, but the choice was hers. If she didn’t want the piece of paper I’d have to be okay with that. As long as we were together that’s all that mattered.
Avery
Eight Months Later
He reached across the console to cover my hands that I’d been twisting in my lap. “What are you worried about?”
His voice was low, even though Declan was listening to a movie with headphones on.
I shook my head, looking out the window. “I don’t know. That he won’t like me. That he’ll think seeing me is a waste of time.” I bit my lip, my eyes misting. “He won’t want a relationship.”
“Why would he agree to meet you if he thought it was a waste of time?” Griffin’s voice was even and reasonable.
I shifted in my seat so I could see his profile. “I don’t know. Sometimes my anxiety gets the best of me. I can’t help it.”
He squeezed my hand. “Mason hasn’t given us any indication he wasn’t serious about reconnecting with you. We’ll be next to you, supporting you, no matter what happens. We’re your family.”
I closed my eyes, letting his words linger in the air around us. “I’ll never get tired of hearing that.”
He glanced at me quickly before turning his attention back to the road. “If Mason wants to keep in touch, it’s a bonus. Declan will have a cousin to play with.”
I didn’t correct him, because Declan technically wasn’t Everett’s cousin, but I loved the sentiment. I loved he wanted to include him in our lives.
We pulled into the driveway of a small cottage. “This is it?”
I’d talked to Mia on the phone to get her address and directions. She’d mentioned it was a cottage, but I couldn’t imagine my brother living here. It was cute, quaint, almost feminine. “This doesn’t fit what I remember of my brother.” To be fair, all I remembered were the pictures of him in his Naval uniform, hair cut close to his head, a serious expression on his face.
That Mason had always seemed unreachable to me. We had nothing in common, nothing I could talk to him about. We’d kept in touch first with emails, then phone calls. We talked about our lives, the boys, and our significant others. It seemed like he’d changed or I’d never known him at all.
Griffin shut off the car, touching Declan’s knee to tell him to take the earphones out. “Maybe your brother has changed.”
“It seems like it.” We stepped out of the car. I took Griffin’s outstretched hand and we walked up the sidewalk to the porch together. Declan followed with Potter, who was bigger but still very much a puppy.
“Are you ready for this?” Griffin asked me.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” I knocked on the door, answered by the sound of a dog barking inside.
A woman with long brown hair, wearing a sundress and a smile, opened the door. She held back a larger chocolate lab by the collar.
“Mia?”
“That’s me. You must be Avery, Griffin, and Declan?”
I held my hand out to her. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you as well. Come on in. This mutt is Stark and Mason’s cooking outside on the grill. He thought you might be hungry after your drive.” Mia closed the door after we stepped inside.
“I am,” Declan said.
“Who’s this adorable pup?” Mia dropped to her knees, letting Potter sniff her hand before scratching his ears.
I absently patted Stark’s head while I watched their interaction, curious who this woman was who won Mason’s heart. She seemed so happy and carefree, nothing like Mason. Had she changed him?
“It’s Potter. He’s still a puppy,” Declan said.
Potter licked Mia’s face. “I can see that. He’s so sweet.”
Mia pushed to standing, brushing off her dress. “You can follow me outside. Mason is excited to see you.”
I followed her through the house, gazing at the numerous photographs on the walls of Mason, Mia, Everett, and a large dog. “You have a beautiful home.”
“Thank you.” She opened the slider to her deck.
Mason turned, his hair longer than I’d seen in his pictures, but he wasn’t in the Navy anymore. When he saw me, he smiled. “Hey.”
“Hi. It’s good to see you. Thank you for inviting us.” I was stiff, strangely formal, because he was my brother, yet at th
e same time he was a stranger.
Mason took a few steps toward us, his hand out to Griffin. “Mason Arrington. Nice to meet you.”
“Griffin Locke, this is my nephew, Declan.”
Mason shook Declan’s hand before pointing out his son on one of the chairs. “This is my son, Everett.”
“You can let your dog off the lead. It’s fenced.” Mason gestured at the yard.
Declan unclipped the leash. Potter took off, only pausing to sniff their dog. The boys followed the dogs into the yard.
“Does your dog play fetch?” Everett asked Declan as he picked up a tennis ball to throw it.
“He does,” Declan said.
I was grateful to Everett for talking to him when he was three years older.
Mason’s gaze settled on me. “I’m glad you reached out.”
“Really?”
“My schedule used to be busy between deployments, parenting, but I’m retired now. My priorities are different. I never thought I’d have the house and the white picket fence, but here I am.” His tone was light. “But seriously, I’d like to see you more often, maybe take Mia and Everett to Annapolis, show them the Naval Academy.”
Relief poured through me that he’d addressed the issue so I wouldn’t have to. “I’d like that. Are you close to Mom and Dad now that you live here?”
I kept my voice light.
Mason shook his head. “No. They’re not the sort of people you can get close to. I’m grateful they watched Everett while I was deployed, but I try not to depend on them too much. They’ve disappointed Everett one too many times.”
“They disappointed you too.” It was nice to have the person who grew up in the same household as you agree.
Griffin touched my shoulder before joining the boys, leaving Mason and me alone.
Mason sighed. “They did. I didn’t think what they did affected me, but Mia helped me see that it did.”
I didn’t want to bring it up if it caused him pain, but they sent him away when he acted up. “I lived in fear they’d do the same to me.”
