Page 63 of The Homewrecker's Fate

“She’s here now, too,” I stated quietly, so as not to disturb my daughter.

“I know, but she’s still not real to me yet. Gavin and Gwen are a part of the years when I was a decent person.”

“I see.”

“If you want me to sign papers, I will.”

“Just like that?” I questioned. “You’ll give up your daughter without a single fight.”

“I think it’s the best thing to do for her.” Rich insisted.

“I’m not going to fight you on that. If you want to relinquish your parental rights, have the paperwork drawn up and bring me an official copy.”

Rich stood and nodded his head, but refused to look at the little bassinet that held our sleeping daughter. “I am sorry, Avi, for everything.”

“Sorry is just a word, Rich. It doesn’t fix the things you break. It will never fix the people you've broken either.”

He nodded again, then turned and walked right out of my life.

Epilogue

Two Years Later

“Are you sure you have everything?” Mel asked as Brax helped me into the Jeep.

“Positive.”

“Okay, we’ll see you guys up there in a few hours. Once the kids are out of school, I’ll head that way.”

We were all meeting up at the cabins on Juniper Lake again. The occasion was different, but the people were all the same. Sort of. Janine’s second birthday was on Saturday, and we were all going to celebrate one last hurrah, since the weather had warmed back up. Mel would bring the kids later, once school let out and Trent came to pick them all up. His son was bringing a girlfriend along, too. So, technically, and with Janine and Geo – Mel’s youngest son – we had four more people with us than during our first trip to the cabins.

Mom and Amelia had become best friends, and while mom had made a bit of a miraculous recovery, thanks in part to Amelia’s stubborn insistence on speech therapy, along with a healthy change in diet and intense physical therapy, Mom had made a remarkable recovery. It was hard to believe that three years ago I didn’t think I had much time left with her at all.

“Are you ready for this?” Braxton asked me as he slipped his right hand over my left and thumbed at the rings that rested on my finger.

“It should be interesting, to say the least.” Two months after Janine was born, I married Braxton in a quiet little ceremony in the same church where my mother had married my father once upon a time. Braxton was able to adopt Janine, since Rich signed his parental rights away.

“I hate when you think about that asshole,” Brax admitted, obviously knowing where my thoughts wandered to.

“Yeah, but the thought was adjacent. My real thought was of the day you officially made Janine your daughter.” Brax smiled at the mention of that day.

“One of the happiest days of my life, sweetheart.”

“Mine too,” I agreed.

Brax lifted his hand off mine and smoothed it over where my belly protruded out further than it ever had when I was pregnant with Janine. “Mel was right, I started showing way earlier with this little guy.”

“Maybe, but you’re still every bit as beautiful.”

“My sweet talker,” I swooned playfully in my seat with my hand held up to my forehead.

“Only for you,” he added.

“I love you.”

“Love you too, Mrs. Halford.”

“I can’t wait until our little boy is here,” I admitted.

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