Page 52 of Scooter's Endgame
“I know exactly what you mean, because I didn’t either. Yet here we are. I want to spend the rest of my life taking care of you and Luke. And on the subject of Luke, I’m putting it out there that when we reach that point, I’d like to adopt him and raise him as my own. I know we’d have to get Gonzo’s permission for it to happen, but that’s a topic for another day’s discussion – I just want to be open and transparent with you.”
“Knowing him, he’ll probably try and block you at every turn.”
“I have resources but, like I said, that’s for another day. I just wanted you to know how I feel.”
Tears tremble on Kathleen’s eyelashes. One tiny droplet rolls over and slides down her face. Swiping it away with my thumb, I lean down and rest my lips on hers. I savor the taste of her as I trace the plump, pillowy softness. On a soft sigh, she opens up to me, and I sink into a kiss that’s both a surrender and a commitment to each other.
“From a young age, life taught me not to rely on others. That was a path to disappointment and unhappiness. Words are worthless – you can make all the promises in the world, but unless you come through on them, they’re meaningless.
“But you – thinking back on all that’s happened since things with Jeff went sour, you’ve not made a single promise. You’ve just quietly gotten on with showing me you care. It’s only now I realize that’s what you were doing all along, and I love you all the more for it.
“And for the record, if we can make it happen, I would be honored for you to adopt Luke. You’ll be a terrific dad and he’d be blessed to have you.”
Standing in the middle of Kathleen’s kitchen, my arms securely wrapped around her, I feel my soul settle, as if this is the single moment I’ve waited for my entire adult life to this point. There’s no way of knowing what the future holds for us, but the one thing Idoknow for certain is that I will spend the rest of my time on this earth showing her how much I love her.
