Page 4 of All of Me

“I’ve got you,” I whisper, my voice barely above a breath. “And Owen’s got us. We’re going to be just fine.”

The quiet stretching around us is starting to feel a little less empty. It feels like a new beginning, and I cannot wait to spend my life with Owen, Barrett, and the girls.

two

LITTLE WONDERS - ROB THOMAS

OWEN - OCTOBER 31, 2013

Cool air hits me as I walk out of the hospital. My mind is still back in the room with Callie and Ruby, but I need to focus. Barrett has been waiting for Halloween all week, and I promised him we’d go trick-or-treating like we always do.

When I reach the parking lot, I spot Adam standing near the entrance in a very heated argument with his girlfriend Katie. Great. I really don’t want to listen to this, it’s not my business, but there’s no other route I can take to get back to my truck. I turn to walk toward the outer edge of the parking lot to take the long way around when I catch part of their conversation.

“You need to get a paternity test for that baby, Adam. I don’t believe that baby is yours,” Katie says, her voice sharp and venomous.

I stop dead in my tracks, my chest tightening. Did she really just say that? My first instinct is to step in, to shut that shit down, but I hesitate. This isn’t my fight. Adam and I don’t know each other well, and what I do know of him I don’t like. Still, the urge to intervene is there, simmering down my skin.

Before I can decide what to do, Adam snaps.

“Katie, stop. You’ve got no right to say that,especially after everything that happened yesterday,” he says, his voice cracking slightly but still full of anger. “Ruby is my daughter. End of story. You need to leave.”

For a second it looks like Katie’s going to argue, but she just glares at him, then turns and storms off. The tension between them is thick, and it lingers in the air after she’s gone. Adam stands there for a moment, looking after her, possibly contemplating going after her. Instead, he stumbles over to a bench and sits down, his hands covering his face.

If I didn’t know what I know about Adam, I would feel bad for the guy. Yesterday was hell for all of us. I can only imagine what Callie must have been going through when Ruby came out, and she didn’t hear her cries. I know it was hard on him, too.

Adam and I have barely spoken more than a few words to each other. him. We ran into him two months ago at a Halestorm concert, and it took everything I had not to deck him. But right now… I don’t know. He looks like a guy who’s completely falling apart.

I could walk away. I’ve got my own problems, and I need to get to Barrett, but something makes me stay. Maybe it’s Ruby. Maybe it’s the fact that, like it or not, Adam’s tied to this family. I’m not sure. Taking a breath, I walk over to the bench, not sure if this is the right move or a mistake.

“Hey,” I say, keeping my tone neutral.

Adam doesn’t look up, just wipes his face and mutters, “What do you want?”

Okay, it's not exactly the warmest reception. I shove my hands in my pockets, standing there awkwardly. “You alright, man?”

It’s a stupid question, and I already know the answer. How could he possibly be alright? I let out a slow breath, glancing around the nearly empty parking lot. “Look, I’m just–”

“What?” he cuts me off, standing up abruptly. “You think you’ve got it all figured out? I don’t need your pity.”

My jaw tightens, but I don’t bite back. This isn’t about me. “I’m not offering pity. You have two beautiful little girls. Ruby’s here now. She is okay. She’s your daughter, and that’s what matters.”

Adam scoffs, pacing in front of the bench. “Yeah, and Katie’s already making it harder than it needs to be. She’s convinced Ruby isn’t mine.”

I can’t help but think he has something to do with why Katie might have an idea like that in her head but I say nothing. I don’t know Katie. I’ve maybe said two words to her in the three months Callie and I have been together. But making those kinds of accusations rubs me the wrong way. I get it.Adam and I are never going to be friends, but this is a fucking mess.

“You need to figure things out with her,” I say, my voice steady but firm. “Not for your sake, but for Ruby and Sara’s. They’re the ones who will be caught in the middle if you’re with someone who doesn’t treat them like they’re your children.”

Adam stops pacing and finally looks at me, his gaze steady and searching. For a moment, I brace myself for another outburst. Instead, he lowers himself onto the bench, his shoulders slumping as though the fight has drained every ounce of energy from him.

“I know,” he mutters, rubbing a hand over his face, the weariness in his voice unmistakable. “I just don’t know how to deal with this shit right now.”

For a second, I consider walking away, but something stops me. Maybe it’s the exhaustion I see in his face. Maybe it’s because we’re stuck with each other in this new blended family. “You don’t have to figure it all out right now,” I tell him. “But you can’t ignore it either.”

He stares at the ground and stays silent for a moment. “Yeah,” he finally says in a low voice. “I know.”

An awkward silence stretches between us. I glance at my phone, Barrett is waiting. He’s excited for Halloween and I can’t be late.

“I’m heading out,” I say, stepping back. “But if you need to talk, I’ll be back later tonight. I’m taking my son trick-or-treating.”

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