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As we’re coming into the driveway, a pretty older woman who resembles her daughter steps out onto the porch. I’m getting a glimpse at how beautiful my woman will be when we grow older. She’s got silver-gray hair and sparkling eyes and is petite like her daughter, and nervous. She doesn’t seem to know what to do with her hands and has them clasped tightly in front of her. Stepping out to join her, Douglas stands by her side with a cane in hand. The effects of the heart attack is apparent, but he’s still a strong-looking man eagerly awaiting his daughter’s return.
I open Sabrina’s door as she stares out the car window, frozen in her seat. “Go, baby. They’re waiting for you,” I urge. She takes my hand and steps out, her eyes glued to the porch. The next few moments are like a scene out of a movie. Sabrina races up the steps and settles in her mother’s arms, and her father embraces them both. All three of them ramble on about how much they love and missed each other.
Don pops open the trunk, and I help him with the bags. He jostles my arm. “Thanks, man. They’ve been praying for this day.”
“She would eventually have gotten here on her own.” It’s Sabrina who’s done the work. It was her decision to get the help she needed to get past this and her courage to follow it through.
“Yeah, but I’m also certain it would have been a much longer wait,” he replies. He leads the way to join the others. “Are you guys going to break it up so we can get through?” he jokes. They come apart, and immediately, Sabrina comes to link her arm through mine.
“This is Alejandro Manuel Perez. Alex for short. He’s my best friend and fiancé.” She turns to me, “Here they are, my parents.”
“Chloe’s not going to be too pleased. She thinks she’s your best friend.” I give her a grin, then extend a hand to her father. “It’s an honor, sir. Sabrina talks about her family all the time. It’s good to meet you.”
“Come on in, son,” he says, and makes room for Sabrina and me to enter.
The day moves along, with everyone a little tentative at first. The conversation’s a little disjointed but Don fills in the gaps with really bad jokes. Eventually, Sabrina starts to share about her job and the patients she helps. Her father talks to her about the exercises he was taught for his recovery. Before long, they’re talking about everything and anything. Sabrina shares about Chloe and Damian and the story of how they got together, and about Caleb and how desperate his mother is to see him married. And of course, Zeke and his mad skills with technology.
Cheryl fusses over us, a natural reaction to hide her nervousness, but eventually, she calms down and starts updating Sabrina about the news in town, who married who and all that stuff. I totally tune out. I asked Don about his job, and it’s clear that he loves what he does. I like him. He’s a man who understands family and community.
“I’ve been really fortunate to find great people. If it weren’t for Chloe catching on to what was happening with Cameron, I’d still be running,” Sabrina tells them. “Then Alex took over from there.” She reaches over and links our fingers together. “He’s the one who found him and all the evidence needed to lock him away.”
Her mother looks at me and says, “I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to thank you enough.”
“No thanks necessary. I’m only sorry that Sabrina had to go through any of it at all,” I reply. “He’s been put away for a long time, and even longer now since his latest stunt.” I don’t go into detail, but I want them to know that Cameron will probably never see the outside of a prison again.
“We set you up in your old room. Did you want to take your things upstairs?” Doug suggests. Later, I find out that he must like me, because only his friends call him Doug. The rest of the world calls him by his full name.
Her room is that of an idealistic high school girl. It hasn’t been changed since the day she left home. A couple of trophies are sitting on a shelf, a white desk sits in the corner, and, according to Sabrina, they swapped out her twin for a queen-size bed.
I sit on the edge of her bed and tug her close to stand between my parted legs. “How many boys snuck into your bedroom?” I tease.
“Not a one.” She bends at the waist and playfully kisses my nose. “But I did sneak out once and nearly broke my neck trying to climb down from the trellis.” She giggles.
“Oh yeah.” I pull her down onto my lap. “It’s a good thing you didn’t break your pretty little neck. I like it. A lot.”
She folds her arms around my neck. “Thank you for coming with me. It made it easier.”
I kiss her soft and slow. “I’m glad. You’ll have to reward me with something special when we get home. No way on earth am I fooling around with you in your parents’ house.” I chuckle and watch as her face lights up as she laughs along with me.
“That doesn’t include necking, right?”
“Tease. We’d better get back down there. I got a feeling that a search party will be along any minute.”
We go back down, and Doug invites me to go with him for his walk. I know this is his way to get me alone and ask questions. I’ve been waiting for it. Sabrina looks concerned and is about to pipe up, but I jump in before she has a chance.
“Yeah, sounds good.” I kiss Sabrina’s cheek. “We’ll be back soon.”
Doug and I head down the block and veer off to a park close by, walking along the pathway. He wants to talk, yet he hesitates.
“Ask me anything. I’m an open book,” I start off.
“Sabrina told us you lost your parents. I’m sorry about that,” he begins.
“Thank you. I was sixteen, and I was fortunate to have great people in my life who took me in and showed me the same love as they did their own son. Damian and I are like brothers. Actually, I need to add Caleb and Zeke to the mix. We’re all solid.”
“I’m worried about my baby girl,” he admits. He slows down and takes a seat on a bench, and I join him.
“I’m not sure what I can do to ease that worry. What I will tell you is that I fell in love with her the moment I saw her. This was before I knew about her past trauma. I lost it when I found out that Cameron was still after her, and wouldn’t rest until we got him. There’s no crystal ball. I can’t tell what the future will bring, but I will say that I’m a man with a job I love, with people I respect, in a nice home in a good neighborhood where Sabrina and Chloe see each other all the time. She sits on the back deck, face toward the sun, and smiles. Christ, it’s one of the most beautiful things about her. Or the way she pours so much into her patients and how every step they take to recovery is a celebration for her. But you know all this because she’s your little girl. I don’t want to take her away from anything. I want to join her in everything.” I mean every word, and Doug sits back, gazing intently, taking it all in.
