And she smiled.
“Hi Daddy,” she said. King opened his arms and she ran into him, closing her arms around his neck. King’s shoulders rose and fell as she buried her head in his neck. He held her tightly, his hands on the back of her head.
Looking up at my father in complete disbelief, I found him smiling warmly at Max and King’s long awaited reunion.
“Hi, Max. Hi, baby,” King said, pulling back so he could get a good look at his little girl, tears on her little red face.
“Why are you crying, princess?” King asked.
“Cause I happy,” she said in between short intakes of breath.
“Me too, baby,” he said, pulling her in again for another hug, this time standing up with her in his arms. “Me too.”
I hadn’t realized I was crying as well until Sammy reached up and wiped a tear off my cheek. “No cry mommy.”
“They’re happy tears, sweetie. Very happy tears,” I told him.
“How?” King asked.
“I called in that favor to the judge. Turns out I could do more than just write a letter of recommendation after all,” my father said.
“She’s ours?” King asked. I could tell he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. For someone to come and take her or for my father to tell him that this was only a visit.
My father nodded. “You’ll have to meet with the counselor, take some parenting courses, and there will be some home visits. That stuff I couldn’t get you out of.” He laughed nervously. “But the judge has already singed off. She’s all yours.”
King stood up and came over to me.
And there we were.
King was holding his daughter in his arms.
I was holding my son in mine.
Our baby growing in my belly.
“Hi,” Sammy said to Max.
Max pressed the side of her face into King’s chest. “Hiiiii,” She sang, between the fingers in her mouth. She looked over to me and her eyes went wide with instant recognition and her eyes shot to my wrist.
“I still have it,” I said, holding it up so she could see. “What about you?” Max held up her wrist and giggled.
“Mommy, are you still making pancakes?” Sammy interrupted, tugging at the ends of my hair to get my attention. Tears formed in my eyes as I looked around from face to face of my family.
My real family.
The one I was always meant to be with.
I pushed Sammy’s hair out of his eyes and planted a kiss on his forehead. I looked over to King who smiled a rare ear to ear smile, his eyes glistening with his own happy tears. King reached out and grabbed my hand.
I gave him a squeeze and smiled.
“Because, Pancakes.”
I was finally home.
Epilogue
King
“I’m glad I didn’t just kill you the first chance I had. It turns out that keeping you alive has served a greater purpose. So in a way, I’m grateful that you’re here right now, still breathing.” I leaned over the chair and stared into the motherfucker’s black soul.
“You’re going to let me go?” Eli asked, his face swollen and bleeding, covered in burns from the fire pit explosion.
“Not a fucking chance, you piece of shit. You’re going to die. But not right now and not by my hand. I’ve got special plans for you.”
“Ww-hat are you going to do?” Eli stammered.
“I’m going hand you over to a friend of mine. Who in exchange for a little playtime with you this evening, helped me kill another stupid motherfucker who decided to fuck with the wrong trailer trash.” I stood and cracked my knuckles, clearing room for Jake to step up. Eli’s eyes went wide.
“I know you!” Eli said. “They call you…The Moerdenaar.”
“Good. I said, clapping my hands together. Then you two are already acquainted.” I pushed off the wall and headed for the door, leaving Jake staring silently down at Eli, his eyes black, the demon within him ready to do what it does best.
Kill.
“But you just said that I wasn’t going to die right now,” Eli called frantically to me as I opened the door of the shed.
“You’re not,” I said. “Jake here has cleared his schedule.” I tipped my chin to Jake. “He’s got all fucking night.”
With miles and miles of nothing but the Everglades in every direction, Jake could make Eli scream as loud as he wanted. Which was exactly what he did because I hadn’t walked ten steps before Eli’s scream tore through the night. I stopped to light a cigarette and smiled to myself.
I whistled the entire way to my bike.
That night, with my girl tucked in close to me, my hand over her growing belly, Max and Sammy sound asleep in Preppy’s old room; I was able to take a very long awaited deep breath.
The sounds of Eli and Tanner begging and screaming for their lives lulled me into a very deep and very happy sleep.
Doe
Five Months Later