“You handled it fine.”
We’d talked at length about what to do if she showed up and I wasn’t there. How he should react. What he should or should not say to get what we wanted. The signed termination of parental rights was all we needed.
“I wanted to shake her. I wanted to demand she tell me the reason why she left him, why in her eyes, Declan wasn’t worth her time.”
I pulled back slightly, cupping his cheek. “It doesn’t matter because she’s not worth Declan’s time.”
“I wanted to rip open that car door and yell at whoever that asshole driving was.”
“But you didn’t. You held it together because Declan needs you to be the strong one. The responsible one. You’re a great uncle, a great dad.”
“Thank you.” His chin rested on my head and I closed my eyes. I was right where I was supposed to be, in Griffin and Declan’s house, by their side, supporting them, loving them forever. I was lost before I met them.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Griffin
I hadn’t realized how much stress I’d been under while Erin’s threat to take Declan hung over me. The release of tension in my muscles took a couple of days. The sick feeling in my stomach that Erin could be so blasé about her son took longer to dissipate.
As infuriating as Erin’s actions and words were, I had Declan. He was mine. If at some point, she changed her mind, we’d have to reconsider our position on her seeing Declan, but for now, it was just us. Declan, Avery, and me.
Right after Erin signed the termination of parental rights, the judge dismissed her guardianship motion, and we heard from the insurance company that they’d ruled Julian’s death an accident. It was like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I’d fulfilled Julian’s wishes, I was caring for his son, and Declan would receive his father’s insurance money.
Over the fall break, we visited my parents in Florida. We spent a few days in Disney World, a few days at the beach, and a few days in my parents’ home.
The three of us felt like a family. When we returned from vacation, we fell into a groove. Declan went to school, Avery went to work, and I worked from home. I hadn’t lost any momentum. I was filled with new ideas for my own projects.
Avery spent every night with us. We never officially discussed her moving in, but I hoped it was only a matter of time.
I’d gotten an engagement ring soon after we’d returned from Florida, keeping it in a safe spot until the time was right. If I learned anything about Avery over the last few months it was that slow and easy was better.
Avery was there when we needed her when our world was threatened. I wanted that next step with her, marriage, a family, maybe even children, but the choice was hers. If she didn’t want the piece of paper I’d have to be okay with that. As long as we were together that’s all that mattered.
Avery
Eight Months Later
He reached across the console to cover my hands that I’d been twisting in my lap. “What are you worried about?”
His voice was low, even though Declan was listening to a movie with headphones on.
I shook my head, looking out the window. “I don’t know. That he won’t like me. That he’ll think seeing me is a waste of time.” I bit my lip, my eyes misting. “He won’t want a relationship.”
“Why would he agree to meet you if he thought it was a waste of time?” Griffin’s voice was even and reasonable.
I shifted in my seat so I could see his profile. “I don’t know. Sometimes my anxiety gets the best of me. I can’t help it.”
He squeezed my hand. “Mason hasn’t given us any indication he wasn’t serious about reconnecting with you. We’ll be next to you, supporting you, no matter what happens. We’re your family.”
I closed my eyes, letting his words linger in the air around us. “I’ll never get tired of hearing that.”
He glanced at me quickly before turning his attention back to the road. “If Mason wants to keep in touch, it’s a bonus. Declan will have a cousin to play with.”
I didn’t correct him, because Declan technically wasn’t Everett’s cousin, but I loved the sentiment. I loved he wanted to include him in our lives.
We pulled into the driveway of a small cottage. “This is it?”
I’d talked to Mia on the phone to get her address and directions. She’d mentioned it was a cottage, but I couldn’t imagine my brother living here. It was cute, quaint, almost feminine. “This doesn’t fit what I remember of my brother.” To be fair, all I remembered were the pictures of him in his Naval uniform, hair cut close to his head, a serious expression on his face.
That Mason had always seemed unreachable to me. We had nothing in common, nothing I could talk to him about. We’d kept in touch first with emails, then phone calls. We talked about our lives, the boys, and our significant others. It seemed like he’d changed or I’d never known him at all.
Griffin shut off the car, touching Declan’s knee to tell him to take the earphones out. “Maybe your brother has changed.”
“It seems like it.” We stepped out of the car. I took Griffin’s outstretched hand and we walked up the sidewalk to the porch together. Declan followed with Potter, who was bigger but still very much a puppy.
“Are you ready for this?” Griffin asked me.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” I knocked on the door, answered by the sound of a dog barking inside.
A woman with long brown hair, wearing a sundress and a smile, opened the door. She held back a larger chocolate lab by the collar.
“Mia?”
“That’s me. You must be Avery, Griffin, and Declan?”
I held my hand out to her. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you as well. Come on in. This mutt is Stark and Mason’s cooking outside on the grill. He thought you might be hungry after your drive.” Mia closed the door after we stepped inside.
“I am,” Declan said.
“Who’s this adorable pup?” Mia dropped to her knees, letting Potter sniff her hand before scratching his ears.
I absently patted Stark’s head while I watched their interaction, curious who this woman was who won Mason’s heart. She seemed so happy and carefree, nothing like Mason. Had she changed him?
“It’s Potter. He’s still a puppy,” Declan said.
Potter licked Mia’s face. “I can see that. He’s so sweet.”
Mia pushed to standing, brushing off her dress. “You can follow me outside. Mason is excited to see you.”
I followed her through the house, gazing at the numerous photographs on the walls of Mason, Mia, Everett, and a large dog. “You have a beautiful home.”
“Thank you.” She opened the slider to her deck.
Mason turned, his hair longer than I’d seen in his pictures, but he wasn’t in the Navy anymore. When he saw me, he smiled. “Hey.”
“Hi. It’s good to see you. Thank you for inviting us.” I was stiff, strangely formal, because he was my brother, yet at the same time he was a stranger.