Page 96 of Could Have Been Us
Jack appears in the doorway, not entering, and she looks at him and then back to me. “So you’re together?”
“Now we are, but we weren’t when you were born and not until recently.”
She plays with the edge of the blanket. “So you’re not married or have another kid?”
Jack answers. “No, we’ve spent every minute apart until about two months ago.”
“What changed?”
I smile. “Time.”
“Time?” Her voice squeaks.
“Yeah, we fought it for a lot of years before we gave in. However, we were both in love with each other before that, we just stayed away.”
“Why?”
“Well, a lot of reasons. We both struggled with your adoption and the secrets we kept.”
“Oh.” Kinsley releases a heavy sigh. “This is really weird, and I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do.”
Jack enters the room and leans against the dresser. “You’re not supposed to do anything. If you want one or both of us to let you have time, just tell us. If you need to ask questions, we’ll answer. None of us know what to do right now. Stella and I are just as stunned by how this has gone as you are.”
She looks down at her fingers. “Why don’t I see letters from you?”
Jack grips the back of his neck, watching Kinsley with apprehension. “The only way I could live with the decision we made was to let you go completely. It may not make sense to you, and I know it’ll probably sound horrible, but after I placed you in your mother’s arms and you were gone, I couldn’t look back. I had to go on with life, knowing that the decision I made that day was irreversible. It was the hardest thing I have ever done, and if I could see you, know you, I would’ve wanted you back, and that was never an option.”
Kinsley’s eyes mist over, and her lip quivers again. “I want to be angry, but then I don’t know how to be. I loved my mom. I love my dad. They love me and have been good parents. I thought . . . I don’t know . . . that you didn’t love me, but now I’ve read these letters and you’re talking and I don’t know what to think.”
I clench my hands together to keep from pulling her into my arms. “We love you more than we loved anything else, Kinsley. I know that it’s hard to believe that when you think we abandoned you.”
She shakes her head, not able to meet our eyes. “They didn’t talk about you guys much, and I never asked. But they did tell me that you loved me and that’s why you gave me to them. I’ve had great parents.”
“We know,” Jack says. “It’s why we chose them.”
The day we met Misty and Samuel, we knew instantly that they were the right people. We could feel how wonderful they were and were positive that they would raise our child the best way possible.
He walks toward the two of us. “Today has been really intense, so why don’t we get some food, and tomorrow we can all figure out a plan that works?”
“Okay.”
I take a few breaths and nod.
Now to figure out the plan.
Chapter 29
Jack
Stella and I are sitting in the living room, staring at the cell phone on the table. We’ve put it off as long as we can. Kinsley is asleep, and we’ve run out of excuses.
“We have to call,” I say, lifting my phone.
“Wait. I should tell him.” Her hand grabs mine and then she trembles.
“No. This time, it has to come from me.”
I’ve thought about this, and I’m not going to let her be the one who deals with this brother. Grayson may not handle this well, but I’ll be the one he yells at, not Stella. She’s done enough today.
