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I can hearVan and Sadie bickering before I enter the kitchen. I’m guessing their school day didn’t go as planned. The second Sebastian and I enter the room, they both stop speaking.
They have been as thick as thieves their whole lives. It’s why when Sebastian opened a new firm in River Oaks, we all moved here together. They might not be blood, but you’d never know it. Those two even gang up on Sebastian and me.
“I assume the second day of your new school wasn’t as good as the first?” I felt bad sending them to a new school so late in life.
They’re seniors, so it wasn’t the ideal situation to move them, but I thought it might be okay since they had each other. Plus, Sadie wasn’t feeling her old high school. Van, on the other hand, didn’t care where he went to school.
He has always been more quiet, not that he misses anything. He likes to take in his surroundings. So often he reminds me of his father. When I first met Cooper, everyone told me he strolled through life not giving a shit about anything except what was in his path.
I didn’t see that in him… until it was too late. I try not to dwell on that part.
I’d been in Cooper’s path at one time, so I was treated differently. He was always sweet and loving to me. I ate it up. My parents had always been cold. There was never affection shown toward me. Cooper showered me in it, and I soaked all of it in. So much so I ended up pregnant.
It seemed like in a blink of an eye I wasn’t in his path anymore; he was on to other things. What those other things are, I have no clue. I told myself I’d never forgive him the day those documents turned up showing he’d signed his rights away to our baby. I only pray I don’t run into him.
River Oaks isn’t far from where I met Cooper, but that was a lifetime ago. Even if in my dreams it feels like yesterday. Sometimes I swear I can still taste him on my lips or feel his lips against me. I know it’s insane to even think of him in that way after everything, but unfortunately, the heart wants what it wants.
Those papers giving away custody of our son had flipped a switch in me. I went into protective mode. I promised myself I’d never waste another second on him or another man that could hurt me in that way.
Van is my world now. As much as I hate Cooper, he gave me one of the greatest gifts I’ll ever have. Our son. He also gave me a family. It wasn’t one I pictured, but Sebastian, Sadie, Van, and I do fine together.
“Sadie has a crush,” Van blurts out.
“Van!” Sadie hisses at him. Her whole face turns bright red. She may be outspoken, but she’s shy when it comes to these sorts of things.
“Really?” I perk up. Sadie has never had a crush. Not that I know of, anyway.
“He’s a dick,” Van mutters.
“Oh.” Okay, that’s not so good.
“He is not! He was nice to me.” I’m not sure which one of them to believe. If anyone knows a girl can be blind to what a boy wants from you, it’s me.
“Well, I asked around. They say he’s a dick,” Van clarifies. It does not surprise me that he’s done his research on this kid. Van doesn’t miss much, if anything.
“You’re listening to gossip?” I give him a stern look.
Maybe I should have listened to gossip once upon a time. I shake that thought away. No, then I wouldn’t have my Van. I wouldn’t change one second of what happened if it meant not having Van. It doesn’t matter if it left a hole inside me that I can’t fill. It was worth it. Even in those moments that might have been fake for Cooper, I’d felt cherished.
“I poked around. She’s my baby sis.” Van shrugs, confident it’s his God-given right to do so. I won't admit it out loud, but I love how protective he is over Sadie.
“You’re like two seconds older than me.” Sadie rolls her eyes at him. “Why are you even snitching on me?” she growls. Sometimes I’m not sure how she’s not my daughter because Sadie sounds so much like me at times.
“Cause I saw how he was staring at you.” Van doesn’t sound the least bit happy about it.
“He was staring at me?” Sadie’s face lights up.
Van isn’t wrong. She really does have a crush. I worry about her. She has a tender heart and always gives people the benefit of the doubt. And sometimes people take advantage of that. Again, she’s a lot like me.
“It’s fine. We all have our first crushes.” I try to cool the room.
“But never a second?” Sebastian whispers beside me so only I can hear him. I elbow him in the side. As much as he wants us to marry for his family’s sake, he also hates that I close myself off to the opportunities of dabbling in the world of dating, if only for fun. He does but very discreetly.
In fact, I’ve pondered a few times why he picked River Oaks to expand his business. I’m pretty sure he’s seeing someone, but he’s not giving up any details. I don’t push for them. If he wants to tell me, he will. Both of us know what it's like to have family push into your life when you don’t want them to. As close as we are, some wounds never heal. The scars left behind may fade, but they always remain to remind you every day.
Van and Sadie don’t have those scars. They will be all up in each other's business to make sure the other is okay. Sebastian and I might not be able to do that, but thankfully we’ve given our children a life without those wounds.
We gave them what we never had. Unconditional love.
