Page 114 of Peppermint Bark

“Still a grumpy overprotective teddy bear. He lives in Albany,” I met Mallory’s huge eyes, both of us surprised that my oldest brother lived within an hour’s drive. “He and his wife Rachel have a 5-year-old daughter and she’s pregnant again. He’d probably have come with me to every studio to look for you if she weren’t on bed rest. I was on the phone with him when you —”

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and stifled a grin, then held it up: Fourteen missed calls, seven texts.

Isaac

You found her?

Are you serious?!

Call me back

If this is a joke, I’m gonna be pissed

You can’t just say that and hang up on me

Call me back, now

ELIJAH

“Still bossy as ever,” I said fondly.

The phone rang again. My twin lifted a mischievous brow, offering the chance to talk to our protective oldest brother. My nerves fluttered, still disbelieving that Isaac was calling … and now I got to mess with him, just like old times.

With shaking hands, I swiped. Before I even took a breath, he was ranting. “Elijah, you can’t just hang up like that, don’t you know that I —”

“Hey Isaac,” I said, grinning at my twin.

“Jerem —” His rant halted and his breath stuttered. “Shit, I mean, Grace. I’m sorry, Mama said you’re Grace now. And now I said shit. Twice. Oh no, I don’t know if you still —?”

“It’s ok to swear. You should meet my best friend, I’ve heard far worse,” I laughed, meeting Mallory’s gaze and seeing joyful tears in her eyes.

I reassured Isaac that yes, I was happy and healthy, and no, he didn’t need to drive up in the storm to see me right away, and yes, I’d visit soon with Elijah, and no, I wouldn’t run away again.

Before we hung up, Isaac said, “Hey Grace? I love you, kiddo.”

“Love you too, Isaac,” I said as my voice cracked.

When I hung up, Elijah’s gaze fixated intently on my profile. “I always wondered if I’d recognize you.”

I twisted to face him, searching his eyes. “Would you have?”

“In a heartbeat, and not only because of how you look. When Mama said you visited, something dormant woke up. Even though this studio was closed, I felt you nearby. When I heard footsteps, my heart knew they were yours.” He placed his hand over his chest, warmth spreading across his face.

“I’ve spent five years working with a traveling nurse agency. Every new city I moved to, I hoped somebody would say, ‘You know, you look just like my friend,’ but nobody ever did. When my last contract ended, I felt drawn back to New York. I’ve been staying with Isaac and Rachel since November, when she got put on bed rest for her pregnancy. Maybe it was kismet. Maybe my heart knew you were ready.”

He looked at the champagne bottle on the coffee table. “Were you two celebrating tonight?”

I hesitated. It was one thing to accept my gender, especially with eight years to come to terms with it before having this conversation.

It was another to believe that I was fit to be a single parent, without the traditional heterosexual, two-parent family that we’d been told was the correct way. “I have this patient at the hospital, Ruby. Her mom died last month and her grandma —”

“Grace is going to be her foster mom!” Mallory squealed in delight.

I winced. I loved her so much, but wow, was she impatient.

“A foster mom?” Elijah’s eyes widened, and his hand ran slowly over his mouth. As his fingers wrapped around his chin, his mouth tilted. He stood and lifted me off the couch into a giant hug that elicited a shriek of surprise as he rambled excitedly into my ear. “I never thought — I mean, I prayed for you to have a family, but I never —”

He released me, face still beaming with joy, and said, “Now I have to meet this boyfriend if you’re going to do this together.” His smile turned coy as he added, “Mama called him drop-dead gorgeous.”

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