Page 43 of All of Me

Owen starts the van, the hum of the engine breaking the silence. He glances at me, his expression filled with quiet concern.

“You okay?” he asks gently.

I shake my head, the tears I’ve been holding back finally spilling over. “No. What if he says something he shouldn’t? What if?—”

“Callie,” Owen interrupts, his voice steady. He reaches over, taking my hand in his. “Listen to me. You’ve done everything you can to prepare for this. Ruby and Sara know how much you love them. I don’t think Adam is going to do anything to hurt them.”

I nod, though his words don’t fully ease the anxiety. “I just… I hate not being there. I hate that I can’t control what happens in that house.”

“I know,” Owen says.

His hand tightens around mine with three consecutive squeezes, grounding me in the present. I take a deep breath, the warmth of his touch soothing the sharp edges of my fear.

“Thank you for being there for me,” I whisper, squeezing his hand back twice in return.

Owen smiles, his eyes never leaving mine. “Always.”

We pull out of the driveway and the house disappears in the rearview mirror. The drive back home is quiet, aside from the faint hum of the engine. Owen doesn’t let go of my hand the entire way, his thumb tracing gentle circles against my skin. Even without words, his presence calms me in a way nothing else can.

When we pull into the driveway, I hesitate before getting out of the van, the weight of the day settling over me like a heavy blanket.

Owen cuts the engine and turns to me. “Callie, I can stay home tonight,” he says softly.

I blink at him, surprised. “What?”

“The guys’ night,” he explains, his eyes searching mine. “It can wait. Vince will understand. I don’t want to leave you alone if you’re not up for it.”

His offer is so genuine, so thoughtful, but I shake my head. “You should go. Vince needs this. He’s going through a lot right now, and you’ve been looking forward to spending time with him and the guys. I’ll be okay.”

“Are you sure?” he asks, his brow furrowing. “Because if you need me here?—”

“I don’t,” I interrupt gently, squeezing his hand. “You’ve been here for me all morning, and I’m so grateful for that, but I’ll be fine. I promise.”

Owen doesn’t look convinced, but he nods slowly. “Alright, but if you change your mind, just call me. I can come home anytime.”

“I know,” I say softly, my voice steady even as my emotions churn inside me. “And that means the world to me, but I want you to go. Vince needs you. You need this too.”

His lips tug into a small, almost disbelieving smile, his dark eyes locking onto mine. “You’re pretty incredible, you know that?”

I shake my head, a small laugh escaping despite myself. “You’re wrong, but I’ll let you believe that for now.”

“Not wrong,” he murmurs, his voice dipping lower. “Just lucky.”

The quiet greets us like an unwelcome guest as we step into the house. The absence of Sara’s laughter and Ruby’s coos hangs in the air, making the space feel too still, too empty. I glance toward the living room, where the throw pillows are still askew from Sara’s morning antics, but the usual mess of toys and baby blankets has been tidied away.

It feels unfamiliar. Lonely.

Owen closes the door behind us, his hand brushing against the small of my back. The warmth of his touch pulls me back to the present.

“It’s weird, isn’t it?” he says, his voice breaking the silence.

“Yeah,” I admit, my voice quiet. “I thought I’d enjoy the quiet, but it just feels… strange.”

He steps closer, his hand trailing from my back to my hip. His touch lingers, deliberate and gentle. “We haven’t had the house to ourselves in… forever,” he says, his tone thoughtful. “Maybe it’s not so bad if we make the most of it.”

I look up at him, his words hanging in the air. There’s something intentionally playful in his eyes that sends a shiver through me.

“Make the most of it, huh?” I ask.

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