Page 136 of Healed
Angelle swallowed visibly, her eyes wide and a little afraid as she looked at him. “Oh.”
“So you’ll know, I love fishing. I love camping and sleeping in the woods with the stars above me. I love being alone, in the quiet peacefulness of the woods. I don’t like to be around a lot of people, other than my immediate family. What you’ve described sounds like exactly the life I’ve always wished for.”
“It does?” she asked quietly.
“It does. You don’t have to be alone unless you want to be.”
She blinked and looked away, before slowly looking back.
“Breathe. Take your time. Weigh each word, each thought one at a time. When it feels right, months from now, weeks from now, hours from now, it doesn’t matter when. You let me know. But for now. This is enough. Just talking with you. Being in your company. I’m happy.”
Angelle offered him a shaky smile. “I think… I think I might be, too.”
Epilogue
Three months later…
Remi finished packing his clothes and his tool chests, a few things that made him feel a connection to home, and placed them in his car. He put his laptop in his backpack along with all his chargers for his electronics and put it on the front passenger side floorboard of his car. He stood back and looked at the car. There wasn’t much there. Yet, it was all he was taking. Clothes, shoes and boots, tools, phone and laptop.
“You got it all?” Daniel asked walking out and draping an arm over Remi’s shoulder.
“Looks like it,” Remi said. “I even took my photo album, and the family picture from my bedroom wall.”
“We’re going to miss you so much, son,” Daniel said.
“I’m going to miss you, too. But I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t try.”
“I understand. And we can be there in a day if you need something. Right away if it’s an emergency. Tempest can blink us over there, or whatever it is that she does.”
Remi laughed. “I will let you know. And don’t worry, I’m not going off the deep end again. I will not.”
“If you do, I’ll make Tempest find you, she’s not pregnant anymore. And when I get my hands on you, I will embarrass you so badly,” Daniel said.
Remi laughed. “Deal,” he said, glancing down at his boots. “I really am sorry about all that.”
“It’s alright. It brought you to here, right?”
“That it did. Humbled me more than I thought I needed to be humbled,” Remi said. “But also introduced me to a great job,and some awesome people. On the one hand I hate to leave, but Giada has a good grip on it. She fully grasped everything I was doing, and if it’s about building, she knows to go to you. She’ll do you proud.”
“I think so, too. She’s really come into her own since she moved into the shelter and started working for us. She can handle it,” Daniel said.
“She loves her little house. It’s perfect for her and her two little ones,” Remi said.
“Here you go! I loaded you up with sandwiches, brownies, chips, protein bars, and there’s a small ice chest for you sitting just inside the door that’s full of drinks, too,” Avaleigh said.
“I’ll grab that for you,” Daniel said.
“Mom, you didn’t have to do all that,” Remi said.
“Yes, I did. I won’t get to do it for a long time, and I needed to make sure you’re taken care of for the drive, if nothing else,’ Avaleigh said.
“I might be back sooner rather than later.”
Daniel shook his head as he handed over the small ice chest. “Nah, just dig your heels in and fight.”
Remi nodded.
“You talk to anybody yet?”
