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“Whatever. You won’t fire Joe. He knows it and I know it. Besides, you’ll simmer down after a good blow.”
“Hell yeah I will.”
EPILOGUE
AVERY
Four months later
“You should’ve thrown the slider. Tried to tell you, but no. Mr. Baseball didn’t listen.” E.J. shakes his head with disappointment as Carter sits across the island, shoveling a scoop of scrambled eggs into his mouth.
“We didn’t lose because of one pitch, E.J.”
“Never know.” E.J. lets his good-natured smile shine through as he’s done messing with Carter about game five of the division series that they lost, ending their playoff bid. But the best part is the more the media picked up the story of the real Cash Barlowe, the more he faded off into the background. It’s something I never saw coming, although I still keep my guard up, watching for him, and I know Carter does too. But I have no doubt if he shows, we’ll both be ready to face him.
“It’s okay. There’s always next year.” I attempt to reassure them all because as much as E.J. gives Carter a hard time about the loss, it hit him hard too.
“Eh. It’s just a game. The important thing is what I do off the field.” Carter says it with sincerity and determination, but I know he wanted that title bad. “But we’ll win next year.”
“Yep!” E.J. and Patrick yell in unison as the three of them take turns high-fiving.
“Y’all need to hurry. We have to head out in a few minutes.”
“Finally,” E.J. mumbles, hurrying to the sink to clean his plate and place it in the dishwasher.
“Hey, bud. Really quick,” Carter gives me an uneasy look before turning to E.J. “The emancipation isn’t gonna go through today.”
“Figures,” he says, his head dropping a bit. “What happened?”
“I canceled it,” Carter says simply.
E.J. looks between him and me as Patrick steps beside him, just enough to hide his face but enough to keep an eye on what’s going on. We learned early on that it was the stance they’d take in front of their father, and it’s still a second nature response that neither probably think much of. But it utterly breaks my heart.
“It’s okay.” Carter lightens his tone, obviously sensing that his seemingly good announcement has gone downhill fast. “We canceled because we want to adopt the both of you instead. If that’s cool with y’all.”
Patrick jumps out from behind E.J., running to Carter as he wraps his arms around his neck.
E.J. remains in place, a weary expression on his face as he looks between Carter and me. “Why?”
I step close to my former student who has become so much more in the last four months since he’s arrived at the home with us. “Because we want you here, the both of you. Soon enough you’ll be grown and on your own. We’re not ready to send you off into the world yet, though, and you deserve some time to be a child before that day arrives.”
His arms move around my waist as he clings to me. “Can I still change my name, please?”
“Sure. But can I ask what’s so bad about Ernest?”
His eyes drop to his feet. “It’s my dad’s name.”
“Whether you change it or keep it, it doesn’t alter the fact that he has nothing to do with what’s in here.” Carter lightly taps a finger over E.J.’s heart. “But it’s your decision.”
“E.J. Barlowe… that’s what I want.”
“Me too.” Patrick chimes in. “But not E.J., just Patrick.”
Carter chuckles, leaning down to whisper something in his ear before nodding to E.J. whose grin spreads across his face as he turns to look at me.
“What are y’all up to?” I know that look.
“Nothing.” Carter steps in front of me as Patrick takes off out of the kitchen.
