Page 118 of Exposed

Damn straight, he does. He won’t find a better family than us.

“That’s what I’m talking about,” I smile and ruffle his hair.

“We want you to stay with us,” Jasmine adds, and I pull them both in for a hug. Shani pushes with her nose until we let her in the mix, then Simon squirms after a few minutes to let us know he’s done hugging.

“Guess you get to pick out what your room looks like now, Rafe,” I say, looking on the bright side, and he nods.

He’s been through a lot in the last six months. Hell, he’s been through a lifetime of trauma in his short eight years. I’m glad he wants to stay with us, because Jasmine and I will be the best parents we can be to him.

When we moved here, I thought that was the start ofour new life. But getting Rafe, having another baby soon and rebuilding our house feels like we’re embarking on a new adventure again. Apparently, life is full of new beginnings.

“No matter how many times we have to start over, as long as we’ve got each other, we’ll be good,” I assure my family.

“Whatever happens, we’re a family, and we’ll always be here for each other,” Jasmine agrees.

Jasmine smiles at me, and I kiss her. I thank God that we all got out of the house alive. I’ve got my dream team, and I’m nevergiving them up.

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