Page 30 of Raven

“He’ll be four tomorrow,” Dana said softly. “He’s smart—just like you. I put together a folder with everything you’ll need to know about Olly. As you can see, he’s full of energy. The moment I found out I was pregnant, I knew I’d made a mistake by leaving you. I’m sorry for everything. I always felt like I was last on your list of people you loved. That was childish of me, and I’m sorry.

Oliver didn’t respond. He stepped out, walked around the truck, and gently lifted Dana from the seat. I noticed his hands trembling. He was trying to hold it together for her, but I could tell it was hitting him hard.

As soon as Olly spotted us, he jumped out of the pool and ran over. He stopped short, wide-eyed, and stared at Oliver. Neither of them said a word at first.

Then Oliver crouched down to meet him at eye level.

“I’m glad my dad is here,” Olly said quietly. “I missed you, Dad.”

Oliver pulled him into his arms, holding him close. “I will never leave you, Olly. If I ever have to go away, it’s only because of my job—but I’ll always return. I love you, son. I’ll always love you.”

“I love you, too, Dad. I will miss Mom when she goes to live with Jesus.”

Oliver glanced at Dana. “Your mom will stay with us until that time,” he said gently.

Dana shook her head faintly, but Olly turned to her, hopeful. “Yeah, Mom, you can live with us until you go to heaven, okay?”

Dana managed a soft smile. “Sweetie, we’ll talk about it later. I need to stay at the hospital so the nurses can help take care of me.”

Then Olly looked up at me. “Hi, are you Raven?”

I smiled. “Yes, I am. How did you know that?”

“I have a picture with you in it. Mom told me stories. I know all of the Golden Team.”

“I’m happy to meet you, Olly.”

“I’m glad to meet you, too. I’ve been waiting a long time for Mom to bring me here.”

Oliver looked toward Dana’s cousin. “Let’s get your mom somewhere cooler to sit. I’m taking both of them home with me. I’ll take care of Olly and Dana. Can you bring her things to my place?”

Dana’s voice cracked. “Oliver, I don’t want Olly with me when the time comes. It’ll be too hard on him.”

Oliver shook his head. “He’s going to hurt either way. But at least this way, you get more time together.”

“I only brought a small bag,” she said. “I sold or gave away everything else. That’s all in the folder. But… who’s going to take care of me?”

“I will,” Oliver said simply. “At least until I can find the right help for you. Do you want your mom to stay with you, too?”

Dana lowered her gaze. “She passed away last year. And… why would you even want to help me?”

“I’m so sorry about your mom. I know how close you were. And I want to help because you’re the mother of my son. You’ve done a good job with him, and you shouldn’t have to go through this alone.”

Tears welled in Dana’s eyes, and she reached up to wipe them away.

“Mommy, I’m glad you can live with Dad and me,” Olly said, wrapping his arms around Oliver’s neck.

Oliver kissed him on the cheek and smiled. “How about you both stay with us for a few days?” he asked, glancing at the cousins.

“I wish I could,” the woman said. “But I need to get back to my kids. I’ve already been gone a week.”

They said their goodbyes, and I drove the three of them to my place, where Oliver had left his vehicle. The rest of the team was outside, and the moment Olly saw them, he lit up and ran over like he’d just discovered his best friends.

He knew all their names. One by one, they bent down to shake his hand, still stunned, jaws practically on the ground.

I slipped inside and called Beatrice. My mind was spinning. I was worried about her helping the Fire Marshal track down the bomber. Her phone rang and rang, but there was no answer.

I’ll talk to her tonight.

---