Hold on to Hope

“Okays!” He hopped down the step at my side, and we followed the walkway to where Evan had moved to the backdoor of the car.

He opened it, dipping down for a minute before it shut.

The little boy stood there with his hand wrapped up in Evan’s.

Scared and unsure and nervous.

Evan heard about this little boy who’d been in the system for the last two years.

Abandoned.

Forgotten as if he couldn’t be heard.

His dark eyes met mine. My spirit shivered. And I realized my breaths had gone short and my heart was racing and the world was spinning a little faster than it had been before.

I got down onto my knees in front of him.

Gravity.

He tightened his hold on Evan. Evan watched down on me with a tender smile.

I lifted my hands. HI, DOMINIC.

His eyes lit. Shyly, he signed, HI, before he buried his face in Evan’s leg. Warily, he peeked out.

Nerves and hope.

And that was the only thing we wanted to give him.

Everett chattered at my side, going on about all his toys and asking Dominic if he wanted to play.

My smile was soft, and I edged forward a fraction. WE ARE SO HAPPY YOU ARE HERE.

I gestured behind me before I turned back to him and lifted my hands with the promise.

THIS HOUSE IS LOVE.

It was, and the only thing Evan and I wanted to do was fill it with more.

Let it overflow.

I took Dominic’s hand.

Energy flashed up my arm.

I felt staggered.

Unprepared for what I would feel.

I glanced back at Evan. My heart clutched in my chest.

The man so beautiful and strong and right.

I was floored by the love.

By the joy.

By the belief that this was where we were supposed to be.

No. None of us knew the number of our days. None of us knew what each of those days would bring.

But Evan and I?

We chose to live for every single one.

We chose to live life loving with everything that we had. Chose to never let go of the ones that we loved most.

And no matter what life brought our way, we would forever hold on to hope . . .

THE END