Page 110 of Lose You to Find Me

Standing with my coffee, I point out what he obviously doesn’t see. “You already were. This is just another option to explore. For you and whatever future you decide to have.”

He glances at his phone, then at the door, before turning back to me. “You’ve probably heard this a lot from your mom, but I know your dad would be proud of you. I’ll miss bugging the shit out of you on campus, but I think the move you’re making is a good one. Selfless.”

Even if I have heard it before, it still means a lot to me. My tone is a little gravelly when I offer a thick “Thanks” in response. “Hey. Before you go…”

He waits for me with raised brows. “You okay?”

I swipe a palm down my leg. “You’ve had a good life, right? Being adopted didn’t make any big changes that you regret or anything, did it?”

Matt blinks. “Wow. Uh…”

I haven’t told him or DJ about the situation with Raine or what the future holds. That’s not necessarily my story to tell. Not yet anyway. So I understand why he’s looking at me like I’m insane for asking that question.

“No. All the changes I went through were good ones because of my parents. I doubt I’d say the same if I were with my biological ones, whoever they are. My dad says life has a funny way of putting us where we need to be. We may not always understand it, but we should never fight it.”

Yeah, my dad would always say the same thing to me. “Thanks. Again.”

He dips his chin in acknowledgment as he backs toward the front door. “Oh, by the way, DJ texted about the celebration party for Shelldon. They’re doing RSVPs so they know how much pizza to order. It’sTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesthemed.”

Why am I not surprised that he’s throwing a party for his new tortoise? “I still can’t believe Skylar agreed to getting him one.”

My friend snickers. “The things we do for love. Am I right?”

I find myself smiling, thinking of everything I’ll do for Raine to make sure she knows I’m in this no matter what. “Right.”

Epilogue

RAINE

The soft knockfrom the doorway has me lifting my smiling face from the sleeping six-month-old in my arms to the old man watching us rock in the chair he made from scratch. “Told you he’d love the rocker,” Leon says, walking in slowly with his cane.

I bend down to press a kiss against Bentley’s head. “He hasn’t been as finicky since we started using it. And those bottles you suggested have been a godsend. He doesn’t puke as much as he did. My mom had to come help me with laundry when I was going through all the shirts he was getting sick all over.”

Leon stops beside me, carefully reaching down to brush his fingers along Bentley’s plump cheek. “Jenna swore by those bottles. Their youngest had the same problem with colic, so I was hoping they’d help.”

Bentley coos, making my heart melt. He’s had a chokehold on me ever since Skylar put him into my arms for the first time. I always knew she and DJ would have cute babies, but I never expected them to bethisperfect.

“You know,” I tell Leon quietly, hugging Bentley a little tighter to my chest, “you’re basically his honorary grandpa. Sky said so herself when she picked him up last time. She’s glad he has a grandparent figure since hers are so far away in Cali.”

Leon’s lips twitch. “God help the child.”

I snort, shaking my head at the man I’ve grown close to. He likes to bring over food for us even though I’m getting better at cooking these days, but I think it’s really an excuse to see the baby since he makes appearances whenever we’re babysitting for the new parents. It was a few weeks after the birth that he met little Bentley Lucas for the first time, and he brought over a goody basket of diapers, binkies, and hand-me-down clothes that Jenna wanted to pass along to someone who needed them. Like the rest of us, Leon has been wrapped around Bentley’s finger ever since he was born during Sky’s junior year.

When DJ and Skylar told us that they were expanding their family beyond their four-legged tortoise son, I was ecstatic. Shocked but ecstatic. Apparently, we weren’t the only ones surprised by the news. The parents to the adorable infant were too when they found over the summer how far along Skylar was. And when DJ invited Caleb and me over for dinner shortly before he was born, the last thing we expected was to be asked to be their son’s godparents.

What made it even more special was the name they chose. DJ went as far as finding someone with a 1938 Bentley like the one Richard wanted to restore and getting a picture with a custom-made onesie for their future son to frame for Caleb and his mother. They wanted to honor a man so many in Lindon loved.

And they did.

Caleb’s mother has the picture in her living room, hanging next to the other images of her, Richard, Caleb, and me over the years.

Even though he was worried about his mother being alone in his childhood house, I can tell Denise is happy to be surrounded by so many good memories. She’s even come back to the store, which is good since the website has boosted business for them like Caleb hoped it would.

When I’m not at Bea’s or school, I try popping by to help whenever I can too. But it’s easy to see the mother-son duo have things handled. And it gives them time together that I know they need now more than ever.

I get it. Every Friday, I see my father for our usual lunch dates, and every Saturday, I see Mom for homecooked meals in. Even though we still burn a third of what we try creating, it’s fun. They’re both doing better than they ever have, and it makes me happy for them. For all of us.

“Want to hold him?” I ask, standing up and gesturing toward the rocking chair. I wait until Leon’s carefully seated before putting the baby in his arms. “How’s Jenna and the family?”

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