Page 134 of The Rest is History

I turn back to the two men in the stands, their eyes shining with pride and love. I have so much to be grateful for. My life is full.

Nothing more is needed.

Epilogue

Sawyer

Three months later

Ash, Reece and I drive to the Chillicothe Correctional Center early to avoid the long lines. Ezra isn’t feeling well, so Pippin had to skip our visit to Faye.

I thought Reece would be more nervous than this, but he’s not the same man who walked into our home two years ago looking like he might cry if he broke his nail. Brennan still teases him about it. His eyes no longer have that shy hesitancy he came to Iowa with. I fell in love with those eyes, but I don’t miss them. Reece’s happiness is a magnificent thing to observe.

I, too, am different. It’s taken a year to gather up the courage to bring him to meet Faye. The tightness in my chest over what he might think is no longer present. He won’t judge me. We’re all the same, in different ways.

Between the three of us there is a kind of consideration for each other that churns out love and acceptance. I care about Reece’s feelings, how things affect him, and what he needs. Asher too. And they are the same with me.

Now, I’m desperate for Reece to know all of me. All my secret shame and the things about my life I hated. But I want him to know the good things too, and, despite it all, Faye is one of the good things.

When she comes through the door, Reece rushes forward and grabs the phone.

“Me first, so you don’t change your mind about wanting to meet me.”

Ash and I hang back, my hand captured tightly inside Ash’s. She looks up, her eyes bouncing between me and Asher. All we can offer her are stupid grins because our boyfriend has just ambushed her, and we don’t mind.

“You can’t even fool me and say I got the wrong person, cos, you know, you look like Pippin.”

Faye puts her hand to her mouth to cover her smile. He tells her his name is Reece Carter and he’s waited almost two years to meet her, and that they’re family now, and he heard how stubborn she is, but he doesn’t care.

He makes her cry before she’s even said one word and that’s how I know that Faye will love Reece forever.

He asks her a dozen questions about her sentence and how old she’ll be when she comes home. She’s taken aback at first by his directness, but in the end, she tells him everything.

Finally, Ash has to coerce him away so he and I can have a chance to talk to her. “He’s absolutely beautiful,” Faye tells me when I finally get a chance.

“I told you.” I grin, my chest filling with pride. “He’s rich folk, but he’s not like them.”

“Keep him. I want to see him when I get out of here.”

***

Three days after we went to see Faye, Asher arranged for an estate planning attorney to meet at our house. Pippin will come over too.

I arrive home after work with Reece, and he heads straight for Ezra. He squeals and giggles when he sees Reece, yelling, “Yeeeece.”

“Hey, Ezzie,” Reece says, scooping baby Ezra up. “I’m so glad you’re here. Did you miss me?”

Ezra shrieks and nods his head, and Reece gives him a thousand kisses. I can barely get one in.

“Hey,” Asher says.

I greet him with a kiss. Reece does too, but not with as many as he gave Ezra. Pippin throws her arms around Reece and kisses his neck. They are like our kid siblings when they’re together.

Asher introduces Norman Gayle. “It’s nice to meet you,” he says. “I’m looking forward to working with all of you.”

“He'll be handling all our insurance,” Asher tells Reece.

“And our estate planning, power of attorney and drafting of our wills. If anything happens to any of us, we need to know that the remaining two will be taken care of,” I add.

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