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“Sorted,” he says with a nod, clearly relieved that the key was where he was told it would be. He lets us inside, then barks out a laugh as Colby and I both abandon our cases in excitement to run inside.
“We’ll come help in a second!” I promise as we rush through a sleek open-plan living room and kitchen. Colby is making a beeline for the French doors that lead out onto a large gray deck where I can see a black patio set of a table and chairs.
As Colby gets the door open and sprints out, I slow to a halt.
“There’s a hot tub!”I scream in excitement. Although I’m sure Andreas was already aware of this fact when he booked it, and Colby hasn’t stopped running.
Ithink it’s amazing, anyway.
There’s a short set of steps that leads down to a path that runs along the left of another neatly kept lawn. Hedges run either side of the back yard as well as the end of it, but the path finishes at a cute wooden gate. It’s slatted so we can see through it.
I jog after Colby, who stops when he gets to it, reaching up to shove his fingers into his sandy blond hair. Then he wails.
“Look, Jay!”he yells back at me tearfully. I have to admit that I gasp as well as I reach the end of the yard.
The gate opens out directly onto the pebble beach.
We’re literally by the sea.
I cover my mouth as I arrive by my best friend’s side. It’s a breathtaking view, and it’s all ours. The gate is high, and there’s a padlock on it for security reasons, but even between the slats, it’s still spectacular.
“Do you like it?”
I whip around to find Andreas right behind us. Apparently, he’s not mad that we left him with all the bags. He’s grinning from ear to ear, his hands on his hips. He knows how good a job he’s done here.
Colby and I throw ourselves at him, and we all find ourselves tangled in a fierce three-way hug.
“I love it,” Colby sobs against Andreas’s chest. I rub his back, knowing how tired I am and thinking he’s probably not far off the same. “Thank you, Andreas. Thank you!”
To an outsider, it might seem strange that Colby is so emotional. But I think I understand exactly what’s happening.
He can never go home. It was never really his home anyway, not in any of the ways that mattered. But being this close to the coast—even if it’s the English Channel instead of the Pacific Ocean—might feel like a homecoming to him. Except this time, he’s with someone who loves him—meeee—and someone who cares enough about him to give him this gift.
I think that’s a kind of love.
I look up at Andreas, my heart full. I am definitely a BIG fan of this holiday home. But if I’m being honest, it’s seeing how moved Colby is by Andreas’s thoughtfulness and generosity that really makes me tearful. I bury my face against Andreas’s neck for a moment, taking it all in.
He did this just for us. He really is amazing. But that uncertainty is still writhing in my stomach. He said that he cares for me and Colby equally, but what does that mean?
Because I want everything. I don’t just want his time and attention. I want more of his touch. I want all he can give us and more for as long as he can. I want to share it with my best friend.
But I don’t know if that’s even going to be possible.
I’m uncertain how to convey so many thoughts, so I say the only thing that makes sense. Quietly. I’m not sure if Colby hears me or not, but soon enough, I hope I can say these words loudly and freely.
“Thank you, Daddy,”I whisper into Andreas’s ear.
CHAPTER13
Andreas
I wasaware when I managed to nab this holiday rental at the last minute that I was incredibly jammy. Even if I’d have booked it months in advance, I still would have considered myself lucky to find something that was close to my parents’ house, newly refurbished, spacious, with a hot tub, and not just a sea view but a garden path that leads directly to the beach.
Normally, I wouldn’t say I’m a particularly superstitious person. But when this listing popped up in my search, I couldn’t help but feel it was a sign from the universe.
I know it was a last-minute cancellation because the owners told me so. They had offered it at quite a reduced price in the hope that they wouldn’t lose everything they should have made from the people who had to drop out after a medical emergency. When I insisted on paying the usual price, I could feel their relief coming through their emails.
Somewhere along the way, I think I picked up that Colby, in particular, liked the sea. Not from anything specific I can remember, so it must have just been a comment or two in passing. Therefore, I wasn’t prepared for how emotional he got when he realized we’d be staying right on the coast. The poor little thing is practically sobbing against me.
