When I walk into the room and see my fatherโs face rather than Auburnโs, my heart sinks. I havenโt seen or spoken to her in over twenty-four hours. I have no idea whatโs transpired or if sheโs even okay.
I take a seat in front of my father, not even concerned with whatever it is he wants to discuss with me. โDo you know where Auburn is? Is she okay?โ
He nods. โSheโsย ne,โ he says, and those words instantly put me at ease. โAll the charges against you have been dropped. Youโre free to leave.โ
I donโt move, because Iโm not sure I understood him correctly.ย e door opens and someone enters the room.ย e o๏ฌcer motions for me to stand and when I do, he removes the cu๏ฌs from my wrists. โDo you have any belongings you need to retrieve before you leave?โ
โMy wallet,โ I say as I massage my wrists.
โWhen youโreย nished in here, let me know and Iโll sign you out.โ
I look at my father again and he can see the shock still registered on my face. He actually smiles. โSheโs something else, isnโt she?โ
I smile in return, becauseย how did you do it, Auburn?
e light is back in my fatherโs eyes.ย e light I havenโt seen since the night of our wreck. I donโt know how, but I know she had something to do with this. Sheโs like a light, unwittingly brightening up the darkest corners of a manโs soul.
I have so many questions, but I save them until after I sign out and weโre outside.
โHow?โ I blurt out before the door closes behind us. โWhere is she?
Why did he drop the charges?โ
My father smiles again, and I didnโt realize how much I missed that. Iโve missed his smile almost as much as I miss my motherโs.
He hails a cab as it rounds the corner. When it stops, he opens the door and tells the cab driver her address. He takes a step back. โI think you should ask Auburn these questions.โ
I eye him cautiously, debating whether to get in the cab and head to Auburn or check him for fever. He pulls me in for a hug and doesnโt let go. โIโm sorry, Owen. For so many things,โ he says. His hold around me tightens and I can feel the apology in his embrace. When he pulls back, he ru๏ฌes my hair like Iโm a child.
Like Iโm his son. Like heโs my dad.
โI wonโt be seeing you for a few months,โ he says. โIโm going away for a while.โ
I hear something in his voice that Iโve never heard before.ย Strength.ย If I were to paint him right now, I would paint him the exact same shade of green as Auburnโs eyes.
He takes several steps back and watches me get inside the cab. I stare at him from the window and I smile.ย Callahan Gentry and his son are going to be okay.
 |
Saying good-bye to him was almost as hard as this moment. Standing in front of her apartment door, preparing to say hello to her.
I lift my hand and knock on her door. Footsteps.
I inhale a calming breath and wait for the door to open. It feels like these last two minutes have taken two whole lifetimes. I wipe my palms down my jeans. When the doorย nally opens, my eyes fall to the person standing in front of me.
Heโs the last person I expected to see here. Seeing him in the doorway to Auburnโs apartment, smiling up at me, is deย nitely a moment Iโm going to paint someday.
I donโt know how you did it, Auburn.
โHey!โ AJ says, grinning widely. โI remember you.โ
I smile back at him. โHey, AJ,โ I reply. โIs your mom home?โ
AJ glances over his shoulder and opens the door wider. Before he invites me in, he crooks hisย nger and asks me to bend down. When I do, he grins and whispers, โMy muscles are really big now. I didnโt tell anybody about our tent.โ He cups his hands around his mouth. โAnd itโs still here.โ
I laugh, just as he spins around at the sound of her footsteps approaching.
โSweetie, donโt ever open the front door without me,โ I hear her say to him. He pushes the door open wider, and her eyes lock with mine.
Her footsteps come to an immediate halt.
I didnโt think seeing her would hurt this much. Every part of me hurts. My arms ache to hold her. My mouth aches to touch hers. My heart aches to love hers.
โAJ, go to the bedroom and feed your newย sh.โ
Her voice isย rm and unwavering. She still hasnโt smiled. โI already fed him,โ AJ says to her.
Her eyes leave mine and she looks down at him. โYou can feed him two more pellets as a snack, okay?โ She points in the direction of her bedroom. He must know that look, because he immediately retreats toward the bedroom.
As soon as AJ disappears, I take a quick step back because sheโs running at me. She jumps into my arms so hard and fast, Iโm forced to take several more steps back and hit the wall behind me so that we donโt fall. Her arms are locked around my neck and sheโs kissing, kissing, kissing me like Iโve never been kissed before. I can taste her tears and laughter, and itโs an incredible combination.
Iโm not sure how long we stand in the hallway kissing, because seconds arenโt long enough when theyโre spent with her.
Her feet eventually meet theย oor and her arms lock around my waist and her face presses against my chest. I wrap my hand around the back of her head and hold her like I plan on holding her every day after today.
Sheโs crying, not because sheโs sad, but because she doesnโt know how to express what sheโs feeling. She knows there arenโt words good enough for this moment.
So neither of us speaks, because there arenโt any words good enough for me, either. I press my cheek to the top of her head and stare inside her
apartment. I look up at the painting on her living room wall. I smile, remembering theย rst night I walked into her apartment and saw it for the
rst time. I knew she had to have the painting in her possession somewhere, but actually seeing it displayed in her living room was an incredible feeling. It was surreal. And I wanted to turn to her that night and tell her all about it. I wanted to tell her my connection to it. I wanted to tell her my connection to her.
But I didnโt, and I never will, because this confession isnโt mine to share.
is confession belonged to Adam.
