Page 73 of Together Is Where We Belong

“Yeah,” Luke said in excitement as he carried the two trucks I’d given him over to where I stood. I held out the open bag for him, and he dropped them inside.

“Then let’s go,” I told him as we walked out of his room, and I zipped the bag closed.

“You ready, Luke?” Gentry asked as we came into the living room.

“Can we go see Bullseye first and feed him a carrot?” Luke asked as he ran up to him.

“Sure thing,” he said. I looked around the room to only find Holden and Gentry.

“Where’s Carolina and Brooks?” I asked.

“Still out back,” Holden asked as he nodded in the direction of the back door.

“Let’s go say bye to your mom first,” I suggested, and Luke bound toward the back door. He yanked it open and ran outside, the door hitting the wall before it went to shut, stopping short of closing.

I went to the door and leaned on the frame as I waited for him.

Carolina knelt on his level and hugged him tight. Her eyes blinked rapidly to hold off the tears so she wouldn’t worry our son.

“You’re squeezing me too tight, Mom.”

“Sorry about that. I’m just going to miss you so much,” Carolina said with a laugh in an attempt to play off the true meaning behind her tight embrace as she pulled back.

“It’s okay, Mom. I love your tight hugs. Just not that tight, okay?” Luke said as he pulled back and looked up at her.

She put her hand on top of his head and ruffled his hair before she stood.

“You be good for your uncles and nana, okay,” she said to him with a nervous smile.

It clicked to me right then that this was why she was scared to let Luke out her sight.

“I will,” he said as he turned around and ran in my direction.

“Can we go now, Dad?” he asked me before he walked into the house.

Carolina walked over to me, and I turned sideways so she could enter the house. She turned to her side and stopped just inside the doorway. I looked down at her, and she mouthed thank you before she walked through the doorway.

I followed her through the doorway and heard Brooks’ heavy footsteps walk across the porch. I left the door open so he could enter and walked into the kitchen. Holden held out his hand, and I handed the backpack to him.

“His EpiPen is at the bottom of the bag. Make sure you take this everywhere y’all go today just in case,” I told him.

He nodded at me, and I held his stare, an unspoken conversation occurred between us as I pleaded with my eyes to keep my son safe. He put the backpack over his shoulder and patted mine in understanding as he walked to the front door.

“Let’s go, bud,” Gentry said at the doorway, and Luke bound over to him.

He turned back to look at me, a bright smile on his face.

“See ya later, Dad,” he said cheerfully, and I lifted my hand to wave goodbye to him as Gentry and Holden followed him out. They held my world in their hands, and I knew they’d protect him while I couldn’t be there.

“You ready?” I asked Carolina as I checked the back pocket of my jeans for my phone. It wasn’t there so I looked over at the table where it still sat in the spot where we’d eaten breakfast.

I walked over and retrieved it and turned to face Carolina.

“As I’ll ever be,” she said as she picked up her bag and walked to the front door without looking back at me.

Brooks and I shared a look of concern before we followed her out.

I sat in the front seat of Brooks’ truck as he drove us to the sheriff's office on Main Street. The bounce of Carolina’s foot reverberated through my seat the entire drive. No one spoke the entire drive, all of us lost in our thoughts. I wanted to be in the backseat with my hand in hers to give her some of my strength, but I gave her space instead. The way she glared at me as she climbed in Brooks’ truck told me she needed it.