Page 50 of You’re Mine

“No sweetheart,” is my growl. “Those are proof that you had a baby. Our baby. And they’re also proof of the incredible woman you’ve become.”

Her eyes fill with tears.

“I love you, Jace.”

This time, I can’t even speak the words. Our love sounds out loud in the bathroom, ringing throughout the tiled space, and I thank my lucky stars again and again that this woman is mine.

It’s night, and Haley and I are lying companionably in bed together. Today went over better than I could possibly expect. I wasn’t sure if the gestures were too grand and would come off as trying to ‘buy’ her love, but it seems like things have worked out. My girl grins cheekily at me.

“I really like Maya. She seems nice, and it looks like Elena and Jamie had a fun time.” I’m happy my family got on so well with my friends. I know it’s kind of weird to consider your employees your friends, but this Connecticut home is really the only place that feels untouched by my own bullshit. When I come here, there’s a sense of peace.

“Yeah, they’re amazing. They make you feel like family.” Haley cuddles closer to me, resting on my chest. I wrap my arm around her, softly placing my chin in her hair.

“We’re going to need to figure out what to do with Jamie,” she murmurs. I hold her tight.

“What do you mean?”

Haley sighs.

“Well, I’ve been homeschooling him, and I thought I could possibly finish out the year, but seeing how much fun he had with Elena, maybe he should start going to a regular school sooner? He’s never had a chance to interact with kids his own age and I don’t want to deprive him anymore.”

She’s right, and there are probably going to be a lot of different little things we’ll need to adjust once everyone’s situated. I nod.

“We can get the process started when we get back. I think he’ll have a great time at school. You’ve worked hard, sweetheart, and were a wonderful teacher. I completely understand if you want him socialized though.”

She nods.

“It’s just crazy, you know? With Herb being the way he is, he didn’t want our son to go out in Lenville. It was like he was ashamed of us, and we were his dirty secret,” she says in a quiet voice, looking down.

I tilt her chin up.

“You’re nobody’s dirty secret, least of all mine. I’m going to stand on the rooftops and proclaim that the two of you belong with me. I want everyone to hear it, and I want everyone to know that we’re a trio. You got that, Haley? Your dad was a complete asshole, and I only wish I got you out of there sooner.”

She smiles a little sadly.

“I know, Jace. I also wish things happened a little faster for us, but later is better than never, right? I love you,” she says, laying her head on my chest. “We’ll figure this out, no matter what.”

And Haley’s right. School, her dad, and all that are merely distractions now. What’s important is our son, and our life together. After all, we were separated for seven long years, and I’m never going to let that happen again. Long ago, I let myself be intimidated by a man who was nothing but a bully. He was a vicious animal with a fear of being wrong, and he took it out on his family to make himself feel better.

But Haley and I endured. We stayed true to one another despite the separation, and even time couldn’t pull us apart. As a result, I have everything I want with this woman, and will never let her, or our son go, again.

Haley’s still asleep in the bedroom, but that’s no problem because I’m a pro at getting Jamie ready for school now. After our quick trip to Connecticut, we were able to get him into a school pretty easily considering it was the middle of the year. Sure, it took the little guy some time to get used to waking up so early, but he got into the groove of things, and now after a few months, he’s up before me most of the time.

I peek into his room, but my son’s not there. I hear some splashing in his bathroom and find Jamie already brushing his teeth.

“Hey, space cowboy! What time did you get up this morning?”

He grins at me, showing a mouthful of bubbles.

“Six thirty!”

“Darn,” I click my tongue. “You beat me again.” He shakes his head, giggling. “When you’re done in here, I’ll see you in the kitchen?”

“Okay,” he says. “Lucky Charms!”

I laugh. “No, your mom doesn’t like you to eat the sugary stuff, so we’re having Cheerios.”

He frowns, but I merely press a kiss to his head and head downstairs. I’m so lucky to have a son. Imagine if I hadn’t gone back to Lenville. I never would have known what awaited me, and discovered the gift that is my child.

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