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Kyle wraps his arm around my shoulders and walks with us. “You know, since we’re in the county building, we can go upstairs and get married.”
I throw my head back and laugh. “You always make jokes.”
He squeezes my side. “No joking. You say the word, and I’m throwing you over my shoulder and making you my wife. Absolutely no fucking joke about that.”
* * *
“I’m nervous,”Trey says from the backseat of Kyle’s Jeep. “I’m meeting a brother and sisters I never knew I had.”
“Hey, you met me before,” Kyle says in an attempt to lighten his nervousness.
“Yes, but you were super cool when we first met.”
Kyle elbows me from the driver’s side while I’m in the passenger seat. “Listen to that. He knows I’m super cool.”
I shake my head. “He’s calling yousuper coolbecause you got him out of a shoplifting charge.”
Kyle’s grin drops. “Ah, man, and here I thought, we were best friends.”
Trey smacks his shoulder. “Trust me, dude; we are best friends. Any other cop would’ve arrested me with no questions asked. You never made me feel like anything but a normal kid.”
Happiness radiates through my chest—the opposite of how I thought it’d be when we got here. I’m going inside, facing Nancy and Michael while we share a dinner. Michael and Nancy reached out, and before we threw Trey into the mix, we had a meeting at Kyle’s house. Michael apologized. I accepted but will never forgive him for the pain he’d caused my family. Trey needs a father, and he’s working on accepting Michael not being there for him before.
We’re taking chances in our lives.
Losing Gloria convinced me to take a step back and realize what I wanted in life—to stop being scared and be happy.
We count to three before getting out of the Jeep, and Trey looks around in awe at the home.
We see Sierra first when we walk in. She’s skipping down the stairs with her boyfriend trailing behind her.
“I don’t understand why you keep hanging out with Maliki,” he mutters behind her. “You close the bar with him every night, and it’s not even your job.”
“He’s my friend. Get over it,” she snaps.
Her boyfriend snorts. “I bet you wouldn’t be okay with me having a friend who was a girl.”
Their conversation ends when they notice us.
“What’s up, big and little brother?” she greets.
I cover my face to stop the joyful tears. She’s treating Trey as if he’s one of them and not creating any awkwardness.
“I’m Sierra, the best sister in the world,” she adds.
“Hell yes!” Rex comes roaring through next. “I’m your big bro, Rex. If you think Kyle is cool, prepared to be shocked by the increased coolness factor of me!”
I glance at Trey, expecting him to be nervous, but he’s smiling from ear to ear.
Dinner goes by smoothly. I don’t share words with Michael, but he acknowledges Trey and isn’t acting like an asshole, like the first time I had dinner here. Kyle said he’s changed since news of his affair broke out. Nancy was done, her children supporting her when she called a divorce lawyer, and it opened Michael’s eyes.
By the time we’re loading back into the Jeep, Trey and Rex have plans to go to the arcade tomorrow.
* * *
Kyle slidesinto bed next to me after we finish brushing our teeth. We’re shoulder-to-shoulder as we lean back against the headboard.
He stares ahead when he speaks. “I know you just adopted Trey, but you told me you wanted another child as well.Children,if I’m certain.”
