Page 81 of Letters of Faith
When Nate died, I gave up. I didn’t want to dream anymore, but he’s healed me through his letters, and Grayson has helped—but mostly, I’ve finally healed myself enough to let love in again.
Chapter 36
Grayson
My family is gathered around me, singing Happy Birthday to my niece.
Kip is to the left of me, his hand on my shoulder like a proud father, and I’ve finally accepted that it’s exactly what he is. When I first met him, I cast him as the bad guy. I was willing to let him be the villain in my mother’s story, and the truth is, he probably was—but that doesn’t mean he has to be the villain in mine. I want to get to know him and let him get to know me.
Brooks and Emryn are on either side of Avery, smiling at their daughter with pure love on their faces as they look at each other. There’s a tightness in my chest as I watch them. I hope my life looks just like that with Georgia by my side one day. It’s the future I want for us—the one I pray we can find.
The door to the front door squeaks open down the hall, and I watch, holding my breath with my heart beating so hard that I’m afraid if anyone were to pay attention, they would see it through my shirt. Just when I’m worried I may pass out from the anticipation, Georgia appears in the doorway, and it’s like my heart whispers, “There she is” at the sight of her.
There are streaks of black under her eyes where she’s been crying, but my eyes are drawn to the smile on her face. It’s watery and a littlesad, but when she sees me, all that sadness disappears.
Kip claps me on the shoulder and moves aside as the singing ends. Georgia walks towards me, slipping in beside me and wrapping her arms around my waist, and as Avery blows out her candles, I make a wish too—or maybe it’s a prayer because I’ve come to realize that while a lot of things have been hard in my life, God made sure I had good things too. He gave me Nate and Georgia, and when I lost Nate, he left me the girl standing beside me—so I pray that he keeps giving me the good things with the bad, and I’ll take it all in stride with the sweetest peach I’ve ever known.
Georgia pushes up so that she’s standing on her toes. Leaning in, she whispers, “I want forever, too.”
Then she kisses my cheek, and I know I’ve made it.
“I love you, Georgia,” I say, turning my head to capture her lips with mine.
Her words are mumbled against my lips when she says, “I love you, too.”
“Ewww,” Avery says, turning away from her birthday cake and catching me kissing Georgia.
“Yeah, ewww,” Brooks adds, placing his hand over his daughter’s eyes.
Lifting my head from Georgia’s, I glare at Brooks. “Is there a return policy on little brothers?”
“Not on your life, Gray. Not on your life,” he says, punching me on the shoulder and making a run for it.
With Georgia still in my arms, I watch him run away, my narrowed eyes tracking his movements. Georgia laughs, jarring my attention back to her.
“Go on,” she says, dipping her head towards where Brooks just disappeared through the door.
Laughing, I press a kiss on her forehead and take off running after the brother I never realized I wanted.
Epilogue
Grayson
6 months later
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” I ask again.
Avery rolls her eyes, “You’ve said it a hundred times, Uncle Grayson. I know what I’m doing.”
Sweat gathers in my hairline, and I don’t know if it’s from the heat or my nerves.
Georgia will be here any minute, and I have to get myself together. Brooks dropped Avery off this morning, and I didn’t mention my plans to him when he left. If I had, he would have stuck around for sure.
A car door closes on the other side of the house, and now there’s no question—it’s the nerves.
Taking a deep breath, I bend down so I’m face-to-face with Avery. “It’s show time, kid. You ready?”
“Duh,” she says, and I almost laugh. Brooks is going to have fun with her when she’s a teenager.
