Page 71 of The Forever Game

“Just paperwork at this stage. No emergency calls I’ve had to deal with, so that’s great.”

“Good.”

Damn, I love her sweet voice so much.

My breath catches just before I blurt, “You know the accident I told you about? The one that made me late for the rehearsal dinner?”

“Yeah. There’s an article about in the local paper. I was just reading it online. Those poor kids. Have you heard how they’re doing?”

“Actually, that’s why I’m calling. I haven’t spoken to social services yet, but… how would you feel about a foster-care situation?”

She pauses, and I can picture her face. She’s probably blinking while she thinks, or maybe brushing her bangs aside like she does when she knows she’s going to say something I might disagree with. “I don’t know, Liam. I’d much rather adopt, even if that means waiting longer. I just can’t bear the thought of falling in love with kids I’ll then have to lose or give back or say goodbye to.”

I lick my lips, nodding my understanding. “Thing is, there’s a chance this situation could turn into an adoption. The family is from El Salvador, and they’re saying they don’t want the kids sent back.” I let out a soft sigh while Rachel gasps.

“They don’t want them back? Why?”

“Right now, they’re saying the kids have a better chance in the States. More opportunities, you know?”

“But… they need their family.”

“I know.” I nod, picking up my pen and tapping it on the desk. “Or they needafamily. People who can love and care for them while they deal with their trauma.”

Rachel doesn’t say anything, and I let that thought sit for a minute.

“Ray, I think we should take these two. Even if the family changes their minds later, these kids need us right now, and that’s more important than our fear of getting hurt down the line, you know? We can give them a safe home. A place to heal. We’d just have to take one day at a time.”

Rachel’s swallow is thick, followed by a trembling breath.

I grip the phone, pressing it to my ear while I give her time to think this through. I’m just opening my mouth to say more, but she speaks before I can.

“Okay,” she whispers. “Let’s do it. If social services will let us, let’s take them for as long as we can have them.”

A rush of emotion swamps me as I suck in a breath and start to nod. “Okay. I’ll call now.”

“Okay.” Her voice is soft and breathy, matching mine.

“I’ll call you back as soon as I’ve spoken to them.”

“Okay.” She lets out a wispy laugh. “I’ll just be the one pacing by the phone.”

“I’ll be as quick as I can.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Hey, Ray?”

“Yeah?”

I grin. “I love you.”

I can picture her smile and swear I hear her teeth brushing over her bottom lip before she whispers, “I love you too. No matter what. Always.”

“Always,” I gently reply, then hang up to make the most important call of my life.

CHAPTER27

ETHAN

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