Page 110 of Forever & Always

“Well, I was diagnosed when I was three. And I gave it a name. It was real to me because it was always there. I called it Leuky,” she said.

I’d heard the story, but I was enjoying hearing her speak. We were allowed to remove the masks while we had dinner, which was nice.

“Long story short, my parents weren’t together, but my mother was married to a wonderful man, who was my dad’s best friend.”

Bethy and Josie both looked incredulous while Bill attacked his hot beef sandwich.

“It’s not what it seems. My mom was pregnant, and my dad had an opportunity to play professional soccer with Arsenal in London. She was in nursing school at the university, and they decided he’d go, and she’d join later after she got her degree.”

“Who is your dad, Remi?” Bill asked. “I loved watching soccer when I was younger.”

“Chase Forrester.”

“I’ll be damned!” he exclaimed. “Ace was a superstar, no one could touch him.”

“He still is,” I put in. “He still coaches the USMNT.”

Remi’s eyebrows rose at the pride in my voice. “Yes, and he’s been coaching Dylan since we were six, and now Dylan is on the team.”

“Looks like I’m going to have to start following the sport again, mother,” he told Josie, before laughing and scooping up another bite of his meal.

“Oh, boy,” she moaned good-naturedly. “Sorry for the interruption, Remi. Continue.”

“Okay, well, my mom knew she was pregnant when my dad told her about the offer to join Arsenal mid-season due to an injury of another player. They both thought it was a temporary position, but they wanted to keep him on the team. When my grandfather found out, he threatened to ruin my dad’s reputation. And so, his best friend took responsibility, telling my grandfather that he was my mother’s baby daddy; both thinking they were protecting my dad.”

Bill looked up from his plate. “Your grandfather sounds like a first-class prick, and I bet your dad was pissed.”

“Bill!” Nancy exclaimed.

He just rolled his eyes. He must have been used to being reprimanded by both his wife and her sister.

“Yes, to both. I don’t really know my mother’s father, though he was decent enough to test for a match for me. I don’t remember all of it, only what my mom has told me. But anyway, no one was a match. So, my mother had no choice but to try my real dad. He came to Atlanta and tested even though he didn’t know about me. I was five at the time. Jensen, who I still call Jensey, was amazing because he took care of me like I was his own, and how lucky was I, because now I had two daddys. And they both loved me so much. I worked and I was cured. It was the first of many miracles. And… the best part came a year later, was that after Jensey and my mom got a divorce and he met Missy, who had a little boy named Dylan!” She smiled brightly and reached out to me. I took her hand and kissed the top of it.

I smiled. “And Jensen adopted me because my dad was a…” I cleared my throat, “a first-class prick.” Everyone laughed and I continued. “Remi and I grew up together and I’ve loved her my whole life.” I couldn’t help the love in my voice, and I was sure it shone in my expression. “She’s amazing. And,” I decided to bring up the thing I’d been dying to say to them all day. “If you decide you need help raising Rory, we both love her, and we are willing to foster her and if possible, adopt her. Whatever she needs. We love her, and before we found you, we made plans to take care of her. If you do decide to raise her, we’d love it if we can be part of her life. We have a large extended family that includes aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and they would all welcome Rory, in either circumstance.”

Once again, Josie was crying. “I don’t think we could ever compete with that,” she said.

Remi spoke up. “It’s not a competition, Josie. The most important part is Rory, and I can see that you’re already in love with her. We all want what’s best for her. Can’t we just share her? You’ll be part of our family, either way. There’s enough love to go around.”

I was so proud of her at that moment. I felt like I would burst with it. “That’s for sure.”

We were all finishing up our meal when Marcia came running into the cafeteria. She stopped and looked around and when she located us, she rushed over. “Oh, my God, oh my God, oh my Gooooddddddd!” She exclaimed. “There is a match! I mean we have to do about six other tests, but there is a match.”

“Oh, thank God!” Remi said, then she put a hand to her mouth as she started to cry hard, unable to control her emotions.

I stood, pulling her up by her hand and into my arms. Her arms slid up my arms and around my shoulders. I kissed the side of her face, cupping the back of her head with one hand. “This is great news!”

“The best!” she answered. “I can’t wait to tell Rory and Jonathon.”

Bill and Josie were smiling, robbed of words.

“Well? Who is it, for crying out loud?” Bethy demanded. “Do we get to know in this century?”

Remi and I separated, laughing and we stood back, all six of us waiting for the answer.

“It’s you, Bethy!” Marcia said excitedly. “You’re the match!”

The salty young woman paused then a slow smile slid across her face as it dawned on her, and she nodded proudly. “Well, alright! Let’s get this show on the road! What do I have to do?”

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