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“Then you will.” I’m so proud of him. He’s got such a big heart.
“Because of you, I will. Thank you for this summer. I can’t remember a better one.” He presses a kiss to my lips then starts the car.
We don’t speak much on the way. At times, the car is completely silent. But on the inside, a cacophony of sounds echo and they’re all clear, melodious, and beautiful.
We’re special.
Him and I.
Since the night we met in that library, we’ve been a part of each other. I can’t believe that this man, who just a few weeks ago felt so far out of my grasp, is right here, putting himself in the palm of my hand. I hope I never have to let him go.
REMI
“So, how was it?” Liz, the house mother asks, a small smile playing on her lips as she tries not to laugh at me. I don’t blame her. I look like I ran through a rainstorm of spaghetti sauce. My shirt and jeans are covered in it.
“It was fun. Carlos and I finally convinced Kal to watch Finding Nemo with us.” She called it her favorite missing person story of all time—complete with a happy ending.
Liz smiles at me, her eyes much brighter than they had been when we first arrived. I can imagine the night of our visit does her a lot of good. There are only three children in the house at once, but it’s got to be emotionally draining for her and the other “house mother”.
“Remi really liked the spaghetti,” Kal teases and tugs at the hem of my shirt.
“Carlos likes to throw it. I’m going to miss him,” I tell them and Kal slips an arm around my waist and gives me a comforting hug.
Liz smiles sadly. “He’ll miss you. He’s such a sweetie. His sister is in the house a few doors down and he misses her. This house isn’t licensed for anyone over the age of seven. So, we’ve had to separate them. I hate it. But I hope we’ll fin
d a joint placement for them soon.”
I think about that little boy, he’s almost completely incapable of communication. But he understands love and receives it with open arms. Then he gives it right back. This experience has been one of the highlights of my life.
“All right, you two. See you next week.”
“Oh, no. I’m leaving for school, I won’t be here next week.”
“Yes. Of course. And Lupe told me about your donation. It was so generous.”
“What donation?” Kal pipes up curiously.
That wasn’t information that was meant to be shared. I smile at Liz and then turn to Kal.
She smiles at me like she just heard I cured cancer. It feels so good to have her admiration. So good, in fact, I wish I could bottle it up and find a way to tap into it all the time. I’ve always volunteered. But there is something about being here that makes me want to do so much more than that.
Kal used to live here. They gave her a safe place to live and the work they do here is remarkable and selfless. When I look at the kids here and reconcile that with the fact that she’d been one of them, I know that all any kid needs is a chance and a system that works for their benefit.
“It was nothing. They wanted to upgrade their computers and software, so I got a friend at HP to hook it up.”
Liz scoffs.
“He’s being modest. He wrote a check so that we could buy the house from the landlord we’ve been renting from.”
Kal’s jaw drops. I groan inwardly, I could have done without her knowing.
“It’s ours. Free and clear and having that monthly expense gone means we can add another location. Serve more children. Bless you, Remington. And you, Kal, for bringing him to us.”
“You’re welcome,” we say in unison and I slip an arm around her shoulder. That also happens a lot. We are so in sync. Have been since that night in my father’s library. She’s so easy to talk to. So open, honest, and her mind is so expansive. And she… she is fucking impressive.
We bid Liz good night and walk out into the humid, but pleasantly fragrant evening and start the walk to my car.
“You hungry? Let’s head down to Twist and get something to eat.”
