Page 181 of Unravel Me

“Uh-huh. You wanna try that again?”

“I-I-I-I went to visit Piglet on my way over and take her for a walk, but she wasn’t there. She-she-she—” I swipe the heel of my palm against my nose. “She got adopted! It’s so good, right? That’s so good. It’s excellent. It’samazing.She found a-a-a—” A choking sob hurls me forward, and I bury my face in Adam’s chest. “She found a family!”

Adam slips his hand beneath my sweater, his cool palm a heavy weight on my back as it glides up and down, over and over. He doesn’t say anything, just holds me close while I cling to him. Then, he takes my hand and my bag, pulling me toward the front steps.

“C’mon, Connor. Let’s show Mama how we filled our home today.”

I scrub at my raw eyes as Connor dashes to the front door. “What do you mean, filled our home?”

Adam smiles, and even in my borderline hysterical state, I recognize what a beautiful sight it is.

If home is a feeling, I feel it when I see that smile.

When he opens the door, a chorus of barks greets us as Bear leaps forward, showering us in kisses, soothing my sore heart. And then a flash of brown and black fur catches my eye, and I look up as the most beautiful German Shepherd steps forward, happy pink tongue hanging out of her mouth as her gorgeous brown eyes blink up at me. She takes three steps before leaping into the air, whacking Bear right in the face with her butt when she spins, and I drop to my knees as I wrap my arms around her neck and bury my cries in her fur.

“Piglet.”

A crocheted pink peony is fixed to her collar, and I take the heart-shaped tag with her name on it between my fingers. On the back is my phone number and a simple message:If I’m lost, please call my mom.

“You did this for her?” I whisper, staring up at Adam through blurry eyes.

He shakes his head. “I didn’t do a damn thing but fall in love with a girl and her dog one day in the forest. And then they brought me that little boy, and together, all of us, we made a family.”

“Meow!”

My head whips up at the tiny mewl, just in time to catch a tiny blob of grey fluff that launches itself off Bear’s head and scurries up my shoulder. The kitten nudges my jaw with its little head and then digs its piercing claws into my sweater, hanging down my chest and dropping into my lap.

Adam rubs the nape of his neck. “Oh, and, uh, that’s Dinosaur. We went to visit the cats while we were waiting for Piglet, and I, uh…well, Connor looked up at me with these hopeful eyes, and I…” He sighs, a sheepish smile as he shrugs. “He wanted to name him Dinosaur. I couldn’t say no.”

And then he grins, scooping Connor into his arms, helping me up, and tucking me into his side. He takes my chin in his hand, tipping my face, dropping the sweetest lips to mine as another puzzle piece slowly clicks into place.

“Welcome home, Rosie.”

EPILOGUE: OOPS

ROSIE

MAY

“Doyou think she’ll like it?”

I step back, my bare feet warm on the hardwood planks, the early morning west coast sun streaming through the windows in our living room, bathing the scene before me in light. Pink foiled balloons, spelling out her name and what this day means to us. Her favorite breakfast laid out on a blanket on the floor, because picnics are our favorite way to eat as a family.Upready to go on the TV, because there isn’t a movie she loves more.

Warm hands land on my arms, coasting up to my shoulders where his fingers slip beneath the straps of my tank top. Adam guides me back against his chest, broad arms coming around me as he drops kisses along my shoulder, up my neck.

“She’s going to love it. She’d love it without all this, Rosie, because she loves you.”

I smile, swaying against Adam as he kisses my cheek. “I love her so much. It feels like we were made for each other.” I turn into him, draping my arms over his shoulder as he grips my hips. “That’s how I knew she was it for us, the same way I knew you were it for me. Your mom told me people are like puzzle pieces, and when you find the pieces that fit with yours, you don’t let go.”

“She’s our puzzle piece.”

“The perfect fit.”

He threads his fingers through mine, tugging me toward the staircase. “C’mon. Let’s go get the kids up.”

Adam pauses outside of Connor’s room, his ear at the door. Small voices drift through to us, and he smiles as our gazes collide. When we open the door, everyone is exactly where we expect them to be.

Connor is tucked beneath his blankets still, huddled up by the pillows, his thumb in his mouth. Bear and Piglet are curled up together at the foot of the bed, and Dinosaur—who is a bit of an asshole, by the way—is draped over the edge of the mattress, belly up, his head on the floor, paws stretched out overtop.

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