“How can someone be so evil?” His tears hit my shirt and soaked through instantly. I tighten my hold on him. “I was just a kid. We were all just kids.”
“I don’t know. I wish I did, but I don’t. What I do know is that we will make sure that every person responsible for this pays.”
“Not in the way I want them to,” he says on what is basically a growl.
“What do you mean?”
“I want to kill them. I want to rip all of their heads off their bodies, but not before I dig their eyes out, snap their arms in two, and peel their skins away from their bones. But that’s not the plan.” The monster inside roars to bring Trent’s vision into reality.
“What is the plan?”
Trent turns his head to look at me. “To make sure that their justice is broadcast worldwide, so that all the kids who suffered know justice was finally served. That the demons that haunted them are no longer able to get their claws into them.”
He lays his head back down on my chest, and I’m left speechless because I’m not sure how everyone sitting out at thattable is okay with leaving these people breathing. “Tell me about Alabama,” Trent whispers.
“You sure?”
“Yeah, I don’t want to think about all of this right now.” Trent wiggles closer as the door to the room opens. Harley walks in with her head down.
“Daddio…”
Lifting up my right arm, I say with a broken heart, “Come here, Firecracker.” Instantly, she is in my arms, her head right next to Trent’s, and her tears wetting my shirt. “I’ve got you. I’ve got you both. I love you two so fucking much.”
Trent raises his arm and wraps it around Harley as I start distracting him with the mess that is Boe and Bec.
At some point in my story, their breaths evens out, and they fall asleep. I don’t stop talking, even when my throat goes dry or I tell the whole story. I then tell them how much I missed them, how I see our future together, and all the stuff I want to do with them. The sun slowly sinks lower and lower in the sky, but I still don’t move. My stomach starts to grumble with hunger pains, but I push it aside, perfectly content to lie here holding my loves. The door slowly opens, pulling my gaze from the window as Dad slips through the crack. The air smells of spices, tomatoes, and cooked beef, making my stomach growl louder. Dad is holding two huge bowls full of what I hope is his homemade chili.
“How are they doing?” Dad asks, setting the bowl on the small desk beside the bed.
I look down at Trent and then Harley before I let out a sigh because right now they look at peace, but I know it isn’t going to last. “He’s hurt and confused. I think the same thing could be said about Harley.”
The bed dips when Dad sits on the edge, but I can’t pull my attention away from the strongest man I know. He might feel like he can’t continue right now, but I know he will becauseTrent Anderson never gives up. “That’s understandable. He’s been through hell, and sadly, it will get worse before it gets better, but I’m glad he has you. As for Harley, she’s the bravest kid I know. They both will make it out of this and be stronger for it.”
“They have more than just me,” I say, finally looking up. “They have our whole family.”
“I noticed something earlier that I wanted to talk to you about.” I raise my eyebrows but don’t say anything. Dad continues, “Both you and Trent are wearing rings around your neck…”
“Yeah, we are.” The small simple of mine and Trent’s love sits heavily on my chest. “We were going to surprise everyone on Valentine’s by getting married.”
If he is surprised, Dad doesn’t show it, but he does smile at me. “You finally found the one.”
“I did.” I sigh and lean back, trying to find the right words to tell him how Trent makes me feel. “It’s like I’ve been searching for something my whole life, but didn’t know it. Like I lost my favorite toy and only found it when I walked into the living room at Nana’s and saw him. The way he makes me feel…” I take a deep breath and let the tears stinging my eyes fall freely. “He feels like home to me. He’s my safe place, my comfort on the hard days, the light in the darkness, the sun after rain… He’s the love of my life. Without him, there is no hope.”
Dad places his hand over mine on Trent’s back. “I’m glad you found that, and I’m happy for you. It’s all a father wants for his kids.”
I look at him and notice that his eyes are shiny. “Thank you.”
“For what?” His voice is as thick as mine.
“Everything. Being an amazing dad. Not leaving once you found us. Continuing to show up and help us. You are the best dad I could have ever asked for.”
“I’m just doing what any dad would.” His eyes drop and bounce between Harley and Trent as I say what we both are thinking.
“Not every dad. How could Josiah look at him and feel nothing? How is it possible that someone could be so fucking evil? I look at Harley, and something deep inside me grows at the thought of anyone hurting her. This entity would burn the world down with everyone in it if it meant I could protect her.”
Dad sighs and says, “I don’t know and I’m not sure any of us will ever know, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. We will all be here to shower him, Betty, and Harley with so much love that they never question their worth. They all belong to us now, and we are never letting them go.”
“Including Eve?”