He took a seat on his couch and patted the spot next to him. I eagerly obliged, nuzzling my head onto his chest, finding the blanket of comfort I needed to finally share my story.
“I found out I was pregnant after losing my virginity. I was seventeen and completely terrified, but I never even considered not keeping it. I told the guy I was dating the day I found out, and he completely lost his mind. Told me he had things hewanted to accomplish, a life he wanted to live that didn’t involve me, let alone a child, and then he proceeded to tell me that he’d enlisted in the army and had no plans of coming back to Quincey Falls.” I dropped my head, the sadness drifting from me to the younger version of myself.
“That boy had never, not once, kept his word, but when he looked me in the eye and said he didn’t love me and that he wanted nothing to do with me, I’d never believed anyone more. And to this day, he’s never stepped foot back into our little town. That was the last time I ever spoke to him.” I clenched my jaw, the memories that had been buried for so long fighting to come out.
“I wrestled with what to do for weeks. Ultimately, I knew I couldn’t give this child the life they deserved. Hell, I was seventeen and could barely take care of myself. Could I have figured it out? Yeah, but I knew it would be at the expense of the child. My child. And that wasn’t something I was willing to risk. My parents were everything you’d hope for in a situation like this; they never once swayed me in one direction or the other, which I couldn’t quite comprehend then, but now that I see what they were doing, I’m grateful.”
Stetson took my anxiety-riddled hand into his. “Scarlett, you did what you thought was best for your child, that’s all anyone could do.”
“That day at the hospital was the worst pain I’d ever felt. A part of me had been torn out of my body and taken away. I chose not to hold the baby, so the nurses immediately swept it away. I barely had the chance to steal a glimpse of the little bundle before it was gone. Some days I still regret that decision, but I know if I would’ve felt the tiny body against me, I would’ve never let go, and that wasn’t fair to anyone—especially to the two people who were so eager to call the baby theirs.”
Tears streamed down my face as I relived the moment, but this time it didn’t feel as hard, knowing the kind of parents Ruby had been given. Two people who undoubtedly loved her as though she had come from them and not a stranger they’d never met. Two people who gave her everything she could ever want and need. What more could I have asked for?
“Can I tell you something?” he asked, his big round eyes full of so much compassion. “Do you know why Jackson and Rebecca named her Ruby?”
My lips pursed as he brushed a tear off my cheek.
“They wanted to honor the woman that gave her the gift of life. Said that without her, their dreams of being parents were just that: dreams. They didn’t know much about her, but there was a nurse who shared a little more than she probably should have.
“Jackson asked about her birthday—your birthday. She didn’t come out and say it, but she responded with ‘I’ve always loved the name Ruby. It’s strong and brilliant. It would be perfect, wouldn’t it?’” Stetson’s expression was soft and comforting.
Savannah. I smiled.
“July. My birthday is in July,” I breathed, finding the ruby ring on my finger and twisting it around and around.
“I know,” he admitted. “That was another piece of the puzzle that had me questioning everything.”
The urge to pull him into a hug was too strong to fight, so I wrapped my arms around his neck and brought him as close to me as possible. “Thank you,” I whispered into his ear.
“For what?” He pulled back, leaving a few inches between us.
“For not giving up on finding her birth parents. Because even if I hadn’t figured it out on my own, I now know that you would’ve, and that means a lot, for both mine and Ruby’s sake. So, thank you.”
“You and Ruby are the only two people that I would go to the ends of the world for, and now it makes sense why. She isn’t just a part of Jackson and Rebecca; she’s a part of you too.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Three Weeks Later
“Are you ready to meet your daughter?”
I bobbed my head up and down, trying to fight back the stinging tears.
These last few weeks that was all I’d wanted to do, but I also wanted to make sure she was ready and the timing was right. I’d never get another chance at meeting her for the first time.
Stetson had shared everything—with my permission—with Lucy and asked if Ruby could come to Quincey Falls for a visit. Lucy was quick to agree. Stetson said that both he and Lucy knew Ruby was ready and that the news might even bring her the solace she’d been yearning for.
“I think she’s waiting for us in the stables. Lucy said she couldn’t wait to be here and be with the horses.” He smiled. “She even mentioned that Ruby couldn’t stop talking about meeting her birth mom.” He added, clearly trying to ease my nerves as he slid out of his truck and made his way to my side.
He tugged me out of my seat and onto my feet, our hands tightly clasped. “Do you think she’s going to be angry with me?”
“No. I think she’s going to see a woman who cared so deeply for her that she gave her a family who loved her more than life itself. And now that family is gone, and she’s lucky enough to have another piece of her family in you.”
I smiled, squeezing his hand a little tighter. I didn’t have to tell him how grateful I was that he was here because he already knew. “Okay,” I muttered. “I think I’m ready.”
He ushered me toward the entrance of the stables. “Do you want me to let you do this on your own?”
“No,” I quickly answered. “No, I want you to be standing right here next me.”
