Page 112 of Trusting Easton

“Are you okay?” Nova asks as I drive out of the neighborhood.

“No. I’m not.” I glance at her. “Are you?”

She shakes her head. “I was almost adopted.”

“By my parents. What the fuck?” I blow out a breath. “They wanted you, not me. They came to Liz’s house and acted like they didn’t know you, after almost adopting you. How could they do that? If my mom wanted you that bad, how did she see you there and not break down?”

“She didn’t see me. When they came to meet you, Liz came and got you and took you out to them. I stayed in my room. When they took you for ice cream, I ran to the window so I could see them. But they didn’t see me.”

She’s right. I thought she was there when I met them, but she was in her room. Liz told her to wait there.

“But when they took me for good,” I say. “You were there. I remember you being beside me in the living room when they came in the door.”

“Your dad was there. Your mom wasn’t. I think she was outside with the lady handling the adoption.”

“Shit, that’s right. It was only my dad. I remember introducing you to him. He shook your hand.”

“Like he’d never met me. But I guess he hadn’t. Only your mom had. Your dad only knew me based on what your mom told him about me.” Nova pauses. “She was at the store that day. I remember her. She was the first person who helped me. I was scared and crying and your mom knelt down and asked me what was wrong. She took a tissue from her purse and wiped my face. Then she offered me a donut. She said I could pick which one I wanted. There were all different kinds in the bag. Getting to pick one distracted me enough that I stopped crying.”

“How long did she stay with you? Do you remember?”

“It wasn’t long, maybe a few minutes. She kept looking around for any guy that could be my dad, but there were only ladies around. She took my hand and brought me to an older lady that worked there. She talked to her while I ate my donut. I remember feeling better when your mom was there, like I’d be okay, but then she left and I got scared again.”

“Did she say anything to you before she left?”

“I don’t remember. I just remember she gave me a hug, which I thought was strange because I wasn’t used to being hugged. My dad didn’t do that.”

“Your dad never hugged you?”

“No. His girlfriend didn’t either. Nobody did.”

I pull onto the freeway. “It’s about an hour’s drive.”

“To where?”

“Jace’s cabin. I don’t know where else to go. The cabin doesn’t have heat, but there’s sleeping bags there and I’ve got the blanket in the back.”

“Are we spending the night?”

“Maybe. I can’t be around my parents right now. I feel like I don’t even know them. How could they not tell me they knew you were here? We’ve been living in the same city. We could’ve been friends this whole time.”

“If we had, your life might’ve been totally different.”

“Yeah, I would’ve been happy.”

“I mean you may not have played hockey, or you would have, but you wouldn’t have been good enough to get a scholarship.”

“Because I’d be spending all my time with you instead of the rink?”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t care about that. I love hockey, but I’d give up my scholarship if it meant having you in my life all those years. And if you were in my life, I would’ve seen how Ted treated you. I would’ve told my mom and she would’ve got you away from him.”

“But then what? I’d be in another foster home? Your parents wouldn’t have taken me, not if your dad thinks I’m going to turn out like my mom.” She pauses. “Do you think it’s true? What he said about her?”

“Doyou?”

“Maybe. My dad used to say she was crazy and would talk to herself. He never told me she tried to kill me.”

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