Page 113 of A Better Place

“I just… I’m sorry. I want you to know that. Leaving is my greatest regret in life.”

I nod my head, completely done with this. “Bye, Nicole,” I tell her, finally able to get the words out that she selfishly didn’t allow me to give her so many years ago.

She picks up her purse from the chair and sighs heavily, which just raises my irritation level.

Lily looks at me and raises her eyebrows which causes me to have to pinch my lips together to keep myself from laughing.

With a weird parting look from Nicole, where I’m pretty sure she was hoping for us to yell out for her to stop, she walks through the door and out of our lives once again. Only difference this time is that we got to see her leave, got to tell her goodbye, and we’re both pretty damn happy about it.

Lily doesn’t miss a beat before she turns to me and grabs my hands in hers. “Well now, that was fun.”

I almost choke on a laugh. She’s such a good kid. I can’t imagine my life without her. For a second, I feel sorry for Nicole. For leaving, for not experiencing a world where Lily was a part of it. It’s a very, very brief second.

“Wasn’t it?”

“What was she thinking?”

“Not a clue. You doing okay? With all that?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I don’t know. Because despite everything I just said, she is your mom. Maybe not in the way either of us think of as a mom, but still.”

“Yeah, I’m more than okay with that, Dad. You gotta know I moved on from her long ago. I was lucky. I had you. I had Aunt Tess and Aunt Meredith. I had Nana Deb. And now? Now I have Carly.”

At her mention of Carly, my entire being relaxes.

“Carly?” I ask her, needing to be sure that it’s not just me. That we both feel it.

“Yeah. She’s great. I would love her even if you two weren’t together. You don’t even realize, but she and I text or talk on the phone every day.”

Just then my phone starts ringing, and she smiles, as if she knows exactly who would be calling me.

I don’t hesitate.

I answer.

To my future.

To the love of my life.

To my forever.

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