Page 65 of Auctioned to the Prisoners

“It’s cute,” I say. “But are you sure the people around here are ready for that kind of hippie shit?”

“Sunshine is your name, honey.” James has been adamant about that.

“And for a boy?”

“Ray.”

“As in Ray of sunshine.” James shakes his head. “I feel personally responsible for this train of thought.”

“How about Liberty for a girl?”

We all pause, shocked and a little overwhelmed by Colton’s idea.

“Liberty. Libbie…” Lory sounds it out. “I like it.”

“I like it, too,” I add, relieved that Sunshine could be off the table.

“And for a boy?”

“Would you consider Ethan after my grandfather?”

“Ethan…” Lory gives it a similar consideration.

“I can’t believe you’re listening to him like this, and you rubbished all my ideas,” James says indignantly.

“I’m not naming my kids after Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash,” Lory huffs.

Colton burst into laughter. “Johnny, I could get behind, but Dolly? I mean, I love the woman, but her name isn’t good for a kid.”

Libbie or Ethan. I don’t care which it is, as long as the baby’s healthy and, most importantly, Lory comes through safely and soundly. She’s so tiny that I doubt her physical ability to give birth to a baby, but she keeps reminding me she has childbearing hips, so there’s that.

“Anyway,” James says, around his last bite. “We should get Colton upstairs before his nuts explode.”

“That’s a segue and a half.” Colton shakes his head. “But I wouldn’t say no if Lory’s game.”

“If you don’t mind doing all the work, I’m all yours.”

We all laugh, and I rise from the table.

“I’ll put the dishes inside, or we’ll get an ant infestation. You guys head up and show Rock—Colton—around. He might want to take a shower.”

Carrying a bunch of plates back into the kitchen, I smile as Colton and James escort Lory upstairs. I take my time, stacking the dishes into the washer and soaking the pans in the sink, needing a few minutes to get my head in the game. We’ve been building towards this moment for so long, and now that it’s here, I’m overwhelmed.

Lory tells me it’s normal to find happiness hard to deal with sometimes. I spent so much of my life in a state of fight or flight, trying to survive the hardship and not get swallowed by the darkness, that now my life has reset, I struggle to know how to handle it. My nervous system doesn’t know how to operate without threat. James is the same, and maybe Colton, too, although James has fewer issues around control. He’s been able to shed his volatility, and now there are fewer triggers to his moods.

I lock up the house, still not used to the open-door policy and the trust that comes with living in this community. Keeping Lory and the baby safe will always be a source of anxiety for me, even though I’m going to have to learn to share the responsibility with my friends.

When I finally climb the stairs, the sound of their soft conversation and laughter travels. The three of them haven’t started without me. They’re just hanging out in bed talking.

“There he is,” James says, tugging off his shirt. “Time to get this party started.”

“I thought you’d be halfway through by now,” I smile.

“No way.” Lory reaches for my hand. “This is our first time together since...” She pauses, realizing that mentioning Blackstone would be a mistake. “Since our last time together.”

“What she’s saying is we need a group hug.” James throws his arms around me, and I struggle to escape his grip.

“Jesus, man. We’re not in prison anymore. The only person I want to hug is Lory!”

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