I hold Jameson’s hand in mine and we leave my bedroom together. I can hear Cal watching the news downstairs. My heart thuds in time with my footsteps, making me feel a little nauseous.
“Morning!” Cal calls over his shoulder as he hears me approach, but doesn’t turn around. “Did you sleep okay?”
I can’t seem to find any words. I fall silent. The strangeness of the moment isn’t lost on Cal, and he turns around slowly. He blinks when he sees Jameson standing next to me. He blinks again when he sees we are holding hands.
“Cal...we have to tell you something.”
Jameson
This was a terrible idea. I can tell by the look on Cal’s face. He must be so angry with us both. I pull Liberty closer to me protectively. No matter what happens, I’m going to make sure she’s okay. She’s mine now, and I’m going to make sure that her life is perfect, even if Cal rejects us.
He stares at us both, his brow furrowed. Then after a long moment, he sighs.
“I knew there was something going on.”
I wasn’t expecting that. I frown and Liberty chews her nail.
“You did?”
“I knew something was off at dinner,” Cal says, looking at me with uncertainty in his gaze. “You seemed different, Jameson. And you spent all night staring at my sister. Now I know why.”
“Cal...we want you to know that we didn’t do any of this to hurt you,” Liberty whispers. “We really care about one another. It might seem crazy to you when we haven’t seen one another in so long, but the connection between us...I can’t ignore it. He makes me happier than I ever thought I could be. And as much as I don’t want to upset you, I can’t let that go.”
Cal’s lips tighten. “The thought of the two of you together...it occurred to me last night. I thought about the way you were looking at one another and it made me feel sick. Then I swore I was imagining what I heard coming from your bedroom...but now I see that was real.”
Liberty’s cheeks turn red, but Cal isn’t finished. He takes a deep breath.
“I thought I couldn’t handle it. I barely slept a wink last night. But when I really thought about it I realized that if this makes you both happy then who am I to stand in the way? You both mean a lot to me and I want you both to find happiness. I guess I just didn’t think you’d find it with each other. But if that’s the way things pan out, then I think I can handle it.”
I breathe a sigh of relief as Cal offers his hand out for me to shake. He grips my hand hard.
“You take care of her, man,” he growls at me. “She’s more than my little sister. She’s the only family I have. If you ever hurt her…”
“I never would,” I snap right back. “She’s everything to me. I’m going to make her the happiest woman on earth.”
“You’d better,” Cal says, though his tone is lighter now. “Or you’ll have me to answer to.”
Liberty hugs her brother hard and I know that everything is going to be okay. I never imagined things would pan out this way, but I guess we must have done something right in our lives to deserve happiness like this. Cal offers me a smile and I know that nothing has been ruined. Nothing has been lost, and everything has been gained.
This is the life I’ve been waiting for.
Epilogue
Three years later...
Liberty
“Mommy presents please!”
I open my blearily eyes to find my little girl, Eliza, standing beside my bed with an angelic smile on her face. I glance out of the window and see snow drifting down from the sky. I smile to myself. It’s Christmas morning, and everything is perfect.
“It’s six am, Liza,” Jameson groans as he opens his eyes. He’s never quite adjusted to how early Eliza likes to get wake up. She giggles at his pained expression, clambering up onto the bed.
“But it’s Christmas, Daddy! Presents! Presents!”
Jameson glances at me with a tired smile on his face. “How can a child so cute be such a little demon?”
I laugh to myself. It’s true, our baby girl is a handful at times. She came into the world kicking and screaming and hasn’t settled down since. But I wouldn’t change her for the world. She’s our baby girl, and she’ll always be our pride and joy.
“Alright, honey, we’re getting up,” I tell Eliza. Jameson swings his legs out of bed and moves over to my side, scooping Eliza up over his shoulder so she’s hanging upside down. She screams so loudly that I’m sure she’s burst an eardrum, but she loves it. Hanging upside down like a bat is one of her favorite things, and she’s not afraid of a little rough play.