Page 44 of Yearn
She raised her eyebrows.
“But. . .we can discuss that later.” I let a smile touch my mouth. “Please open your card.”
“Now?”
“Yes.”
“I have other things to discuss.”
“Then, let’s do that after the card.”
“Okay.” She slid a finger under the flap and eased it open.
The front was embossed with a single rose stem. Inside, my handwriting filled the left page—gratitude in ink.
On the right, a check peeked out from the fold.
“Umm. . .” She tugged the check free, glanced down at it, and then stiffened. “Dominic, what is this?”
“A little something.”
“It says fifty thousand dollars.”
“I think that will take care of your bills for a while and get you a lawyer outside of town but still in jurisdiction.”
“I can’t take this.” Her hand went rigid; she extended the check back to me like it burned. “What is this. . .your life savings?”
“I grew up very well off, and then my parents left me with so much money that I would never have to work again. This check is nothing to me.”
Her hand stayed out. The check trembled between us. “Yes, but this isyourmoney.”
“Take it.”
“Dominic, if I took this, I would feel like I was taking advantage of you—”
“Why?”
“You don’t need to help me—”
“I do.”
“You don’t.”
“Teyonah,” I said, hearing the edge in my own voice, “I know I’m not family or anything, but I do care about you.”
Her eyes lifted, meeting mine with something I’d never let myself hope for. She lowered the hand holding the check but didn’t put it away. “You don’t think you’re family?”
I blinked. “Well. . .”
“I. . .see you as part of the family.” She exhaled, startled by her own confession. “Oliver and J do too. Is that weird?”
I stared at the floor for a beat, collecting myself. “No. . .I want to be part of your family.”
“Then you are, and Dominic. . .” She tried to offer the check again. “Thank you so much for everything, but this is too much. I know it looks like I don’t have it together but I do.”
“You’ve got it together. No one said that, but you need help. Now take the check.” I let my voice drop, sharper than any scalpel. “And I’m not asking you nicely.”
“Dominic—”
