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The five of us walk into the courthouse, and Emily slips her hand in mine as we pass through the entryway and Claire leads us to the clerk’s office. A storm of papers finds its way into my hands, and forms get filed, re-filed, checked, and double-checked, all while Charlie alternately naps, craps, and eats. He gets cranky near the end, not that I blame him — the clerk’s office is a cramped, fluorescently lit, toyless and joyless place — and, eventually, there’s one last form placed in front of me.
“This is it,” Claire says. “You sign this, we file it, and once it’s processed — which takes some time, because the law is the law and it moves at its own pace — Charlie is your son.”
I hold my pen over the page, looking down at the little guy who alternately scares me shitless and fills me with more loving pride than my heart can handle.
I sign, then pick him up. “Welcome to the family, little man.” For a moment, I hold him, feeling an upswelling of love within my chest that’s so strong it feels like it could lift me off the floor. Gently, I kiss him on the forehead. “I’m proud to have you as my son. I love you, Charlie.”
Epilogue
Hunter
Two weeks later
“Holy fu—" Diesel pauses, catches himself. “Holy fungus, Hunter, you’ll never guess who just texted me he’s coming to town.” Diesel holds his phone out to me. Charlie reaches for it, deciding that the shiny screen is more interesting than the jar of pureed baby food in front of him. They’re carrots and peas, I think, so I don’t blame him. Especially not when Diesel, Emily, and I have burgers and fries on the plates in front of us. “It’s Tank.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Tank? He’s finally emerged from the wilderness, huh?”
Diesel nods, returns his eyes to the screen, reading. “He sent me a full freaking manifesto of a text. Considering he still uses a flip-phone, it must’ve taken him forever to write this. Says he was up near the Arctic circle doing something he can’t tell me about for a group that he’s sworn to secrecy to protect, but also apologizing for taking forever to get back to us. He’s about an hour away and says he’ll need a few beers. Wants to know where we want to meet. Also wants to know if we can bring him a crowbar, a bicycle helmet, and some nail polish remover when we see him.”
“What does he want with all that stuff?” Emily says.
“It’s Tank. Sometimes it’s best not to ask questions,” I say. “Remember when he disappeared for six months and came back with that scar on his arm that was a foot long? Never told us what happened there."
Diesel chuckles. "Yeah, and he kept muttering something about 'the damn penguins' for weeks after."
Emily looks between us, her brow furrowed. "You guys have some weird friends."
"Tank's special," I explain, reaching for a fry. "But he's got a heart of gold. Once you get underneath all the conspiracy theories and survival gear."
"So, where should we meet him?" Diesel asks, already tapping away at his phone. "The Rusty Nail?"
I nod. "Seems fitting. Plus, they've got those onion rings. If he goes off the rails, we can just shove a basket of those in his face and he’ll eat himself into a coma."
As if on cue, Charlie starts babbling excitedly, smearing carrot-pea mush across his cheeks.
"Sorry, buddy," I say, ruffling his hair. "No onion rings for you tonight. Keep eating those peas and carrots, grow a little, and maybe some other time we can talk about onion rings."
Diesel finishes texting and pockets his phone. "Alright, it's set. We meet at The Rusty Nail in an hour.”
I settle the bill, and we head out into the cool evening air. Charlie rests nestled in my arms. As we walk towards The Rusty Nail, a sense of contentment washes over me. The weight of Charlie against my chest, Emily's hand intertwined with mine, and Diesel's easy presence beside us — it all feels right. For the first time in my life, I feel truly rooted.
Ironwood Falls has become more than just a place to live; it's become home. The streets are familiar, the faces friendly. I've found my place here, with this makeshift family we've created. I glance down at Charlie, his eyes wide as he takes in the world around him, and my heart swells. Adopting him was the best decision I've ever made.
As we round a corner, I catch Diesel's eye. There's a tension in his gaze that I recognize immediately. He tilts his head slightly, a question in his eyes. "Do you see them?"
I give a subtle nod, my body tensing. We're being followed by a black SUV, its tinted windows hiding its occupants. My mind races, old instincts kicking in.
"Emily," I say, keeping my voice calm as I pass Charlie to her. "Get ready to run."
She looks confused, but takes Charlie without question. I see the moment realization dawns in her eyes, and she holds Charlie closer.
Diesel and I exchange a quick glance before stepping into the middle of the road, our hands on our guns, drawing the attention of our pursuers. At that moment, I see Emily dart to safety, disappearing around a corner and down a crowded street with my son. I release a small sigh of relief, knowing that I can do what needs to be done without my son being at risk.
As the SUV pulls to a stop alongside us, I see out of the corner of my eye two other black cars approach from behind.
“On our six,” I say through clenched teeth.
“Fucking miracle they haven’t started shooting at us, yet. Wonder why? Also, fucking love that I can say ‘fucking’ right now. No offense, Hunter, but censoring myself around your kid ain’t the easiest thing to do.”
