Page 97 of Forever

The wind blew and the city felt so still.

“But I do promise to keep Brooklyn safe. And I promise to take care of Jacob. And to love them both. I promise you that.”

The wind blew again and I closed my eyes.

“I’ll pick up where you left off. Loving them.” I exhaled slowly and opened my eyes again.

The stars looked a little brighter in the sky.

And I could tell why this helped Brooklyn and Jacob so much. Because the stars felt alive. Like they were listening. Hell, maybe they were.

I cleared my throat and stared at the stars. “Thank you, Miller. Thank you for taking care of Brooklyn when I couldn’t. Thank you for being what she needed. And thank you for trusting me to be what she needs now.” I nodded. I hoped he understood. I hoped he knew that Brooklyn wasn’t just moving on. That her heart was still broken. And that she was letting me help heal her. That she was giving me a second chance that I probably didn’t deserve. But I wasn’t going to fuck it up this time. This time it was forever.

I nodded at the stars once more and then went back inside. It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Like I’d somehow gotten Miller’s permission.

I didn’t move any of the pictures on the mantel, but I grabbed the couple I had framed and added them. One was of me and Brooklyn back in high school. I’d pulled it from the photo album Kennedy had made for us as awedding present. It had been taken after one of my football games. In it Brooklyn was kissing me even though I was still in my uniform and all sweaty. I loved that photo. And I added one from prom too.

Tanner had brought over a huge stack of photos from prom that he’d gotten the photographer to print out. And he and Nigel were only in a few. And always on the end. He specifically asked me not to frame any of them.

I asked him why he really didn’t like being photographed. He’d just shrugged and said it was a billionaire thing. And that I wouldn’t understand until I was a billionaire.

So I put one of all the Untouchables on the mantel instead. One with Rob jumping on my back and kind of ruining the photo in the best way. Then I added one of all of us with our wives and girlfriends. It was definitely missing Tanner. But I respected his billionaire wishes. Hell, maybe I would understand one day. It was probably just a privacy thing.

I grabbed the big picture I had framed and walked into the entranceway. I’d moved the naked portrait of Brooklyn to our bathroom. I lifted up the new frame and hung it in the portrait’s place. It was another picture from prom, of me dipping Brooklyn backwards as she laughed. God I loved the sound of her laughter.

I stepped back and stared at the photo.There.I took a deep breath. Now it felt like my home too.Ourhome. Together. For our family.

I heard the key in the lock.

Shit.She was back early. I ran into the kitchen and turned on the music, low enough to not wake Jacob.

“What is this?” she said with a laugh.

I hurried back into the entranceway and dipped her like in the picture.

She turned toward it and smiled. “Seriously, what is going on?”

I leaned down and kissed her and then pulled her back upright. “Oh, this is how I’m always going to welcome you home,” I shimmied my shoulders.

“Hmm, I’m reconsidering everything now,” she said with a smile.

I pretended to look shocked. “Baby, I know you love my dance moves.” I broke out the robot and she laughed again.

“I truly will expect this every time I come home now,” she said.

“Done.” I twirled her around and pulled her in close.

The music was upbeat, but we started swaying in the entranceway.

“I like the new picture.”

“I like you,” I said. I’d been worried about her when I left her at Justin’s studio. But she looked do damn happy right now. I’d planned a whole night around making her smile again. But I was sure I could make her smile even bigger.

“I should go say goodnight to Jacob,” she said.

“He’s sound asleep.”

“Yeah? He was okay tonight? I was worried…”

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