Page 88 of Crossed Lines

“I’ve been keeping this a secret until it was official. Everything happened yesterday, so I was saving it until we were all together.”

“Well, spit it out, woman,” Sawyer tells her.

She laughs. “Ok, ok. I officially signed a contract to be a first-grade teacher!”

The table erupts in excitement. Sawyer immediately pulls her into a hug on their side of the table. Jade claps her hands over and over. And when Sawyer finally releases her, I take her hand and squeeze.

“Those kids are going to be so damn lucky to have you,” I tell her.

“Thank you. I was hoping for second grade, but they didn’t have any openings. I feel like first grade is going to be just as fun.”

“Yeah, and maybe in a few years you can switch to second if a spot opens up,” Sawyer says.

“That’s what I was thinking too. I’m really excited about this.”

“You should be,” I say. “This is amazing. Not many people can say they got a job straight out of college these days.”

“I haven’t told you the best part.” She smiles as she looks directly at me. “It’s at Blue Haven Elementary.”

Blue Haven.

She’s coming home.

She’s coming home to be with me.

I try to keep myself cool, calm, and collected, but I feel like I might burst with excitement. “And you’re sure that’s what you want?” I ask.

She nods. “A hundred percent sure. I’ve thought about it a lot. When I graduated high school, I wanted to get out of Blue Haven because I felt like it held too many bad memories. I thought I’d want to stay as far away as possible. But being back there last summer made me realize that I actually do like it there. I think I just needed a break from it to really recognize that. I want to be there with you and Jade and Sawyer. You guys are my home, and I want to be where you are.”

“Thank god.” I stand and pull her up into a hug.

“I choose you, Beck. I’ll always choose you,” she says quietly into my ear.

“I’ll always choose you too,” I tell her back.

I release her when the server comes back with our drinks. She takes her seat, but I can’t wipe the stupid smile off my face. She’s coming home.

I don’t remember much of what happens the rest of the meal. Jade handles a lot of the talking. She hasn’t seen Sawyer in awhile so the two of them catch up. Or at least as much of a catch-up as you can have with a seven-year-old.

I spend most of dinner watching Willow. She hasn’t stopped smiling, and I feel confident that she’s truly happy with her decision. Which means it’s ok for me to be excited about it.

After dinner, we meander toward the parking lot. I get Jade strapped in and then turn to Sawyer and Willow.

I’m just about to say something when Sawyer cuts me off. “I get it now.”

“Get what?” Willow asks.

He points to me and then to her. “You two. I didn’t get it at first. Well, I still don’t really understand it. But I can see it. The way he looks at you, Wills. I can see that it’s real. If you had to end up with someone, I guess I’m glad it’s Beck. I know he’ll be good to you.”

“He is,” she says at the same time I say, “I will.”

Sawyer sighs. “I miss you guys. Now that you’re coming home, I’ll make more of an effort to not be an asshole.”

“Thank you, Sawyer. That means a lot to me,” Willow says.

He pulls her into a hug, and I hear him say, “Mom and Dad would be so proud of you.”

When she pulls away, I can see the glossy shine of tears in her eyes. “Love you, brother.”