Page 42 of The Rhythm of their Souls

“Yes, I’m happy to be here and meet you all,” I reply.

Ruby is stunning, and I can see where Theo gets some of his good looks. Her hair is almost the same color as his, though maybe a shade lighter. Her curly blonde hair falls just above her shoulders, and she wears a turquoise blouse that complements her lovely greenish-blue eyes.

Ruby leads me into the living room area, with Theo following behind us. Sitting in a recliner is a man who I believe is Theo’s dad.

The resemblance is striking. His short dark brown hair is peppered with gray, and when he stands up, he’s slightly shorter than Theo. I could have sworn Theo resembled his mother, but now that I see his dad, apart from the dark hair, it feels like I’m staring at an older version of him. The Rivers clearly have good fucking genes.

“Hey, old man!” Theo calls out as they pull each other into a bear hug. I can see that they share a close father-son bond, and it warms my heart. Theo’s dad turns to me with the same crooked grin that his son has. “You must be the gorgeous Olive we’ve heard so much about?”

I return his smile and nod in agreement. “That’s me.”

“We’re glad to have you over for dinner. My name is Lucas, and believe it or not, I’m Theo’s dad,” he says, his sarcastic comment making me chuckle. I now see where Theo gets his sarcasm from. So far, things are going well, and honestly, the anxiousness I felt prior to walking in has subsided tremendously. His family has made me feel comfortable being here thus far.

I don’t know why I worked myself up over nothing. I was mainly worried that his parents wouldn’t accept me. I have no idea what Theo has told them about my family, and I hope they don’t ask because that could make things really awkward for me. It’s obvious that this is a well-put-together family filled with love and calmness—the literal opposite of what I have.

“Is Emma in the bonus room?” Theo asks.

Ruby nods in response. “She has been really excited to meet you, Olive!”

Just those simple words bring a smile to my face. Although I was nervous about this visit, I was genuinely looking forward to meeting little Emma.

As we head up the stairs to the bonus room, I pause for a moment to look at the photos lined up along the cream-colored walls. I spot a picture of Theo wearing a red Christmas sweater. He appears to be around three or four. His hair was once snow-blond and perfectly combed over on his little head. He was the cutest little towhead.

Next to it, I see a picture of a little girl with straight, silky, auburn hair that reaches just below her ears. She wears a small blue bow paired with a cream sequin dress. Her eyes are an emerald green, and tiny freckles dot her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. She is absolutely adorable. This must have been Emma when she was younger.

Upstairs, we spot her lying on the floor on her stomach, focused on her task, while a movie plays on the TV. Colored pencils and markers were scattered all around her. She doesn’t notice us, which gives Theo the perfect opportunity to scare her.

I stand nearby with a smirk, watching as he sneaks up behind her and grabs her legs. She screams loudly, flailing her legs in every direction. I cover my mouth to stifle the laugh that escapes my throat.

“Theo!” she squeals. She jumps up from the floor, and he scoops her up, squeezing her tightly in his arms.

“There’s my little squirt,” he murmurs. I can tell he really loves that little girl.

Emma peeks over his shoulder at me, and something in her eyes lights up. I give an awkward wave, followed by a wide smile. She has grown a lot since the picture I just looked at; her hair now reaches a little below her shoulders.

She finally wriggles her way out of Theo’s strong arms, sticking her tongue out at him as she paces towards me. My nerves are kicking in again, and I don’t know what to do with my hands, so I plant them flat on the sides of my legs.

She stands in front of me, staring into my eyes. At first, I wondered if we were having a staring contest, so I continued our stare-off, never blinking.

After a minute of silence, hearing nothing but my heart beating, she finally opens her mouth to speak. “Hi, I’m Emma. You are really pretty, “ she chirps.

I can’t hide the ear-to-ear smile her comment gives me. “Well, hi, Emma. My name is Olive, and you’re really pretty, too.” Her eyes sparkle with joy.

She lunges forward, grabbing me in a hug, with my arms still pinned on either side of me.

“Do you want to see my drawings?” she exclaims excitedly.

I look at Theo, who is wearing a smug look. I can tell this moment means the most to him. It makes me want to run over to him and give him the deepest, most passionate kiss. That will have to wait until later, though.

I look back, down at little Emma. “I would love to see your drawings!”

Spending time with Emma gives me hope for her future. Theo and his parents rescued her early on from a life filled with trauma and heartbreak. I know that one day if she hasn’t already, she will have questions about her biological parents. No matter how well the Rivers treat her, it’s human nature to want to know. She will probably wonder why they didn’t love her enough to get better. Those same thoughts echo in my mind. Even at nineteen, I still don’t have answers regarding my own, and I doubt I ever will.

I believe the Rivers will provide her with the answers she needs and deserves. They will be there to comfort her whenever she needs it and will also give her the space to process her feelings. Most importantly, she will be in the place that has been her home for as long as she can remember. For that, I am truly thankful.

After our late dinner, Ruby and Lucas walked with us to Theo’s car; the evening, to my surprise, went very well. Ruby had prepared the most delicious chicken and dumplings. I felt embarrassed asking for seconds, but thankfully, I wasn’t the only one who did. Theo mentioned that chicken and dumplings were his mom’s specialty and that she wanted to make them for me to hopefully “seal the deal,” which made me laugh.

Sitting at their dining room table was a real eye-opener. It was so normal for them to share a thoughtful meal together. You could tell it was something they had done as a family for many years. What felt traditional to them seemed out of place for me, but they made me feel welcome. It was as if I had known them for years, and I felt like a part of the family for the first time in a long while.