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“I can get her,” Skylar spoke up, surging forward. “I’ll go get her right now.”
Since both Skylar and Nia’s two daughters went to the same daycare, and they had picked up each other’s children numerous times before, we already knew Skylar would be allowed to take Drea from there now.
Nia smiled at her gratefully. “Thank you.”
Skylar nodded and took her hand, choking out the words, “I love you.”
“Love you too, sis.”
Once she was gone, Nia looked up at Julian again. He was plastered to her side and holding her hand. He looked haggard and drawn, barely able to hold himself together.
“My mom?” she asked next.
“I…I called,” he answered with a rasp. “And she’s starting back from her vacation now, but…” He shook his head.
Nia’s expression fell. “She’s not going to make it, is she?”
He sniffed and shook his head. “I’m sorry.”
Nia shook her head as well, but then lifted her lips to smile at him in adoration. “It’s okay,” she assured. “I still have your family here. Your huge, wonderful, crazy family.” Turning to us, she kept smiling as tears sparkled in her eyes. “I love you all so much, and I’m so grateful that you welcomed me into this group and shared Julian with me. He’s been my rock for the past—God, how long have we been together, babe?—eighteen years?”
Julian nodded with a small smile of his own. “Since we were sixteen, yeah,” he murmured fondly. “Married for the past twelve years.”
Nia grinned big and then glanced around at the rest of us again. “I just need you guys to do me a favor, okay? I need you to help him through this. He’s going to be a single dad now. He’s going to need you more than ever.”
“We’ll help him,” my mom promised. “Always.”
Nia nodded gratefully, then looked up at Julian again. “And you…” she told him. “My beautiful, amazing husband. My mother’s going to want to take custody of Drea, but you don’t have to let her. You can handle it. You can raise her. I know you can. You’re going to have this huge network of people helping you, and you can do it. Don’t let her convince you that you can’t. Because you’ll regret it if you do. And you need Drea. Okay? Plus, I don’t want her to losebothher parents.”
“Okay,” he promised, his voice almost completely hoarse now as he nodded passionately. “I’ll keep Drea with me. I swear.”
“Good.” She smiled dreamily and nodded before adding, “And I want you to move on and remarry. Be happy. I don’t want you to carry on with some miserable, lonesome life. I need to know you’ll be okay.”
“Ni…” His voice cracked, and he shook his head insistently. “No. I… I can’t even…” Tears filled his eyes. “Jesus, God. I can’t think about that right now.You’rethe love of my life. I don’t want anyone else.”
“But time will pass,” she assured him steadily. “And you’ll get lonely. I don’t want you to be lonely. Julian, promise me. You’ll move on and find someone. You’ll be happy.”
“No.” Weeping openly, he fell to his knees and pressed his face against her hand that he was gripping. “I can’t. I…I can’t do this. Nia, please. I’d do anything for you, but not this. Don’t leave me. I don’t want to go on without you. Don’t leave me.”
Next to me, Luke made a sound in his throat and turned toward me, seeking comfort. I could see the anguish in his eyes as he remembered me saying those very words in Dax Freston’s basement to him.
Don’t leave me.
I hugged him close, and we started to cry together.
I honestly don’t think there was a dry eye in the room. Except maybe Nia’s. She remained passive as she stroked Julian’s bowed head and stuck firmly to her request.
“I want you to try anyway,” she insisted, her words starting to slur. “Find some happiness. For me. Okay?”
He lifted his face and wiped it with one hand. “I’ll try.”
His wife nodded. “Thank you.” She glanced at the rest of us again and her smile started to look weaker. “I feel like a queen right now, holding court.” Stretching out a hand toward Trick who was standing not far behind Julian, she said, “Like everyone is here to pay their homage.”
Trick sent her a watery grin and took her fingers, bowing over them before kissing the back of her hand. “Oh, we are, Your Majesty. You’ll always be our royal Nia.”
“You need to settle down and find a good woman too,” Nia told him. “Maybe you and Julian can look together.”
“I’ll be the best damn wingman he could ever have. You can count on me.”
