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Callie’s eyes widen. “Should I be scared?”
Owen nods. “I am.”
“And I am too,” I call out, and Angie gives me a disgruntled look.
“Hush. You are breathing such beautiful, clean air. It’s good for your mental health. I’ll send you guys back with some plants for your rooms.”
“Goody,” Callie and I say together before sharing a smile. She comes to me, and I take her in my arms. I kiss her temple as she hugs me, and I decide I want to be alone with her.
“Let’s go before she makes us move plants.”
Callie looks at me with horror on her face. “I’m scared to touch them.”
“Me too. I almost knocked off a leaf, and I knew I would be done for.”
“Oh, for sure,” she jokes, and I take her hand, leading her out the back.
One of Owen’s guitars is lying on the table, so I grab it before we head to the beach. It’s not as cold as it was last night, so I don’t think we’ll need a fire. Especially when we have each other.
“They are so funny,” she says as we hit the beach.
“They are. I’m so glad they’re together. They’re good for each other.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” she says, leaning into me, and I hold her close. “Though, she has a lot of plants.”
“So many fucking plants,” I laugh as she giggles with me.
We find a spot under the moon, and I sit down first before she sits in my lap. I kiss her cheek, and she leans back against my chest, sighing loudly.
“We’re good for each other,” I find myself saying, and she rolls her head to the side and looks up to see me. “I think so.”
“I know so,” she says, cupping my jaw.
“Was everything okay with Nico and Aviva?”
“Nico blamed you for me not wanting to be adopted, but Aviva set him straight. The more I think about it, the better I feel about everything. I thought I would be more upset since I almost had everything I thought I wanted, but I truly believe this is for the best.” When I tell her what Owen said, her eyes widen. “Oh my God, not that I think they’ll ever split up, but would they have to have a custody battle over me?”
“I think so,” I say, and she shakes her head.
“Yeah, no one really thought this through. We all just wanted to be a family.”
“And titles are nothing. Y’all are a family.”
Her lips tip up. “I love when you say ‘y’all.’ It’s all country cute.”
I roll my eyes. “It’s my mom’s fault. She gave me this twang.”
“I dig it,” she compliments, rubbing my jaw.
“Well, I dig you.”
Her lips curve into the brightest, widest grin. “I’d hope so, or this morning was for nothing.”
“It was most certainly not for nothing. It was for everything. For us.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” she says, leaning into my shoulder. “Nico will come around.”
“I hope so,” I say softly, looking out at the ocean. “Because if he’s given the chance to walk you down the aisle, he won’t give you to me.”
She giggles against my chest. “It’s fine. I’ll outrun him.”
I press my smile into her hair, kissing it as I close my eyes. “And you’re sure you’re okay with how everything played out?”
“Evan, it played out the way it was supposed to.” Her voice is full of such assurance and certainty. I appreciate it, need it, really. “Everything is good. We’re good. Aviva, Nico, and Vance are good. It’s all good. I promise.”
“Okay,” I say, trying to shake the weight of guilt that is trying to crush me. I know, deep down, she’s right, but I still worry that it’s all going to blow up in our faces. I fear she’ll regret us one day. That maybe I’m not enough, that I’m trash like Nico says. A broken man who is only that. Broken.
But once more, my brother, my dad, and Callie are reminding me that’s not true.
And I’m so thankful for that reminder.
