Page 74 of The Rest is History

“It’s something we want to explore, and I wanted to tell you first.”

She smiles. “You’re not asking for my approval or opinion.”

“No, ma’am.”

“You don’t think it’s too soon?”

I lift my shoulder in a shrug. “Sometimes, yes. But if we know that we want this, why should we wait?”

Nodding thoughtfully, my mother says, “Yes. And Sawyer is a simple boy. He doesn’t complicate things. He doesn’t ask for much in life, does he?”

“No, ma’am, he doesn’t.”

“But when he does ask for something, he’s usually very sure, isn’t he?”

“He is. I think that’s why I trust him with this.”

“Well.” She takes a deep breath and pats the table. “I raised a damn good man. So, I trust that the decisions that you make with Sawyer are good for you.”

Then, with a smile, she adds, “Honey, I don’t mean to be a prude about things, but are you really saying it’ll be the three of you?”

“Yeah.” I utter a short laugh and cover my eyes with the back of my hand. So awkward.

“So, when can I see my other baby, Reece, then?”

I laugh again. “You get on with things quickly.”

She joins in. “It’s definitely strange, honey. But life is short, and love is wonderful in all its forms.”

Chapter 33

Reece

Everything has changed. My life before this no longer exists. I’ve found a home here, in Iowa. It doesn’t feel like it’s been only a few months. It’s like I’ve always lived here, like this has always been my life.

I’m still ignoring the nasty texts from my father demanding for me to get over my shit and come back home. Maybe I’ll have the courage one of these days to tell him that I’m doing just fine without him.

Elaine texted to say they have an offer on the house. Everything should be wrapped up in a few months.

With Julie, I find myself gathering more and more courage to talk about Abby. After a good morning text from her today, I had the urge to talk about our daughter. So, I told Julie that I’d been thinking about her.

Julie: Her eyes, Reece. Are you sure they were closed the whole time?

Me: I’m sure. But I always imagine her with your blue eyes.

She sent me a hug emoji after that and told me to have a good day and take care of myself.

“Hey, where’d you go?” Sawyer asks. I turn at the sound of his voice. He pauses his stirring – creamy chicken for dinner tonight – and comes over to me, where I’m standing by the window.

He puts a glass of Pepsi in my hand. “You’re inside your head. I can see the wheels turning.”

I shake my head. “Sorry. It’s nothing.”

“Are you sure?”

I take a sip. God, this man is wonderful. He’s so wonderful that I want to climb into his heart and search for all the things that caused him to be so beautiful on the inside. No one is born this sensitive and kind and I want to explore him and get to know him and drown in his heart, and I want to give him everything I could ever offer another human being.

“I was thinking about Abigail,” I say after a while. What kind of life did you have that made you like this? I want to ask. Why do you feel like the future, the life, I’ve always dreamed about? How is it possible that you fit into my heart equally with Asher? And why is there, in such a short space of time, no distinction between the way I feel about you and the way I feel about my first love?

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