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“You’re both the worst mistakes I ever made,” he practically spits. “I’m sorry I ever gave either of you a minute of my time.”
“And I’m sorry I ever let you take a minute of mine,” Abby says quietly, her voice small but steady. Her hand reaches up to squeeze mine, which is curled around her shoulder, and she stands a little straighter. “I don’t need you.”
“Neither of us do,” I agree.
“I think it’s time for you to go,” Jack calls from closer by the door. “Leave with some dignity, for Christ’s sake.”
My father looks from me to Abby to Lila and even to Jack, his confidence slipping away with every second as he realizes there’s nothing here for him. I want to hope that he feels some regret throwing away the only family he has left, but I know better. I’m just above letting it affect me anymore.
“This isn’t over,” he growls, stalking away. “Not by a long shot.”
“Tell it to the papers, man,” Jack says cheerfully, bowing slightly as he gestures out the open door. “I’m sure you’re going to be hearing from them a lot.”
“Useless. All of you.” My father stands in the open door, curling his lip. “You’re all a bunch of fucking—”
Jack slams the door in his face, smiling blithely. He regards the rest of us. “Anyway.”
I turn to Abby, who is swiping at tears still leaking from her eyes, wrapping my hands around her shoulders and looking her over.
“Are you okay?”
She shakes her head. “No, but I will be.”
“I’m so sorry, Abby.”
“He wasn’t wrong,” she hiccups. “Not totally. This will hurt you. Your mom too. I should have thought it through. God, did he mean it when he said she might lose her owner’s rights? What the fuck? I could have done something different. I could have—”
“It doesn’t matter now,” I tell her. “It’s done. What did we say about being sorry?”
She lets out a watery laugh. “Don’t be sorry, be better?”
“Exactly.”
“I have plenty of that to do too,” I admit. “You aren’t the only one who had a hand in hurting my mother. I have things of my own to mend.”
“I didn’t mean to hurt anyone,” Abby says in a small voice.
“I know,” I say, meaning it. “You should have never been in the position to do it in the first place. I should have never kept you a secret. You’re an amazing person, Abby. Too amazing to live your life in anyone’s shadow. Now you can live it as loud as you want, and I’ll be right there with you, every step of the way.”
“We all will,” Lila adds, curling her hand over one of mine still clutching Abby’s shoulders.
Lila’s eyes meet mine, her smile bright enough to cast a light on the darkest parts of me, and I know right then that a future with her in it will be just as bright.
“I am happy to provide enthusiastic high fives and ill-timed comments,” Jack adds.
Abby laughs again, her chin tucking into her chest. “God, this has been a weird day.”
“And it’s not over yet,” I sigh, stepping away from her. “I still need to go check on my mother.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” Lila asks, her voice full of concern.
God. I don’t even know what I was doing with my life before she burst back into it. She’s too good for me, more than I ever thought to hope for, but at this very second it fully hits me that she is mine, and I vow that she always will be.
I pull Lila to me, wrapping my arms around her and letting her immediate return of my embrace bring me strength and comfort. “I think I need to do this alone, but thank you.” I pull back slightly, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Wait for me?”
That smile. That fucking smile. It’s all I’ll ever need for as long as I live.
She doesn’t miss a beat when she says, “Always.”
