Page 110 of When We Are Falling

I exhale deeply, breath fogging the air in front of me. “Yeah, he was so brave. It can’t have been easy. But he did it.”

The courthouse doors swing open, and David steps out, looking lighter. His face is paler than usual, and there are dark circles under his eyes, but there’s a quiet determination about him, a sense of peace that wasn’t there before. He spots us and walks over.

“How’d it go with the prosecutor?” Ethan asks.

David shrugs, stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets. “She said it could go either way but to prepare myself that Sylvia might not be deemed competent to go to trial. But honestly, I feel like I’ve already won. No matter the outcome, whether or not we go to trial, I did what I needed to do.” He glances between the two of us. Ever since that night outside the Tavern, he and Ethan have had something almost like a friendship. “I finally spoke up—giving my statement to the police, getting the truth out there. And that’s enough for me.”

There’s a lump in my throat. “I’m so proud of you. You were brave. You’re doing the work.”

He smiles. It’s a little shaky but reflected soul-deep in his eyes. “Yeah, well, therapy’s helping. And being clean. It’s like seeing the world in color again. I’m not saying it’s easy, but I’m feeling better. I’m better.”

I blink back the sting of tears, not wanting to get all emotional on the courthouse steps. “You are better. And things are going to keep improving.”

Ethan steps in closer, clapping David on the shoulder. “You’ve got a lot of people in your corner, man. You’re not doing this alone.”

David’s expression softens. “I know. And thank you both. For everything. You have no idea what it means to have you guys supporting me.”

I glance at Ethan, then back at David. “Come for dinner tonight? We’re meeting the Valiant Hearts boys for a Christmas Eve dinner at the Tavern.”

David grins, his eyes brightening. “I would, but I’ve actually got a date.”

I raise my eyebrows in surprise, then laugh, pulling him into a tight hug. “A date? Look at you.”

He hugs me back. “Yeah, well. It’s time to live again, you know?”

Releasing him, smiling. “I’m so happy for you. Really.”

David says goodbye and heads toward the boardwalk, his stride more confident than I’ve ever seen. My thoughts drift to my dad, how addiction took him from me, how he was never able to dull the pain no matter how many times he got high.

But David faced his pain head-on. He confronted his demons and slayed them, and he’s still standing. Addiction isn’t going to take him, not like it did my dad.

I glance at Ethan beside me, basking in the warmth of his presence despite the frigid air. He’s been there for me in ways I didn’t even know I needed, and it hits me all over again—I confronted my own demons too. When I let Ethan in, when I allowed myself to rely on him, to trust him, it was like I slayed the fear that had been holding me back for so long.

Ethan looks down at me, giving my hand a squeeze. “You okay?”

I smile, feeling more whole than I ever thought possible. “Yeah. I’m more than okay.”

His face grows serious. “Seeing David give his statement to the police, hearing from him what he went through.” He shakes his head. “That just about broke me. We should do it one day, you know, become foster parents. Do something to help all those other kids out there without a safe and loving family.”

“We should,” I reply, loving the waywefeels on my lips.

He leans in to kiss me, and as the cold wind picks up around us, the world feels fresh, alive in the best way possible.

A few hours later, we’re at dinner with the Valiant Hearts crew, which is always an experience—loud and messy, and tonight is no different. After the grueling months of the oil-spill cleanup, everyone’s in a jovial mood, and the air around the table is filled with a sense of relief, especially after we all had fun last week at the Founder’s Day Festival. There’s a sense of new beginnings, and we’re ready for a fresh start in the new year.

The entire team is here—Ethan, Patrick, Liam, Jake, Mike, Antonio—all crammed into the big corner booth at the Tidal Tavern. Emmy’s here too, and we hug tightly before sitting next to one another, Ethan on my other side.

Plates of burgers, fries and wings are scattered across the table between glasses of beer. As we eat and chat, Ethan’s warm hand wraps around mine under the table. He gives my fingers a gentle squeeze, and I glance over at him, taking in his impossibly handsome face, his broad shoulders as he tells the boys about the charter boat he took out on the weekend, he and Liam getting louder and more animated as they talk over one another.

We’re not the only raucous table—the Tavern is packed tonight, Christmas lights strung along the walls and over the bar, while the air smells like pine and cinnamon. Lucy waves at me from the bar, and there’s a cozy, familiar feeling of being surrounded by the people I love.

Patrick’s voice booms across the table, pulling my attention. “Hey, Carter, remember when we were at the wetlands and you had that little tantrum? I thought you were going to throw your shovel clear across the marsh. Maybe even at me. Did you ever tell Blake about that?”

Ethan raises an eyebrow as he sips his drink. “Oh, you mean right after you forgot to check the booms and oil leaked into the wetlands, doubling our work-load? Yeah, real heroic moment for you, O’Connor.”

Patrick grins, leaning back in his chair. “Hey, gotta keep everyone on their toes.”

“Yeah, well, next time, how about you focus on keeping the oil out of the wetlands and less on testing us, huh?”

---