He moved into the foyer, his bare feet silent on the wood, and looked out the door to see Faye in her nightie, one of his sweatshirts and a thick pair of his socks, sitting on a rocking chair like he sat on them, pulled up to the railing of the porch, feet up.
Her eyes were aimed at his plain.
It was near May and they were caught in a valley but it was still cold. Her legs had to be freezing.
He moved back through the house, pulled on his own sweatshirt and socks, went back to the family room to grab a throw and then down the hall to the front door.
Her head turned when he opened the storm door.
“Hey,” she whispered.
“Hey,” he whispered back, moving to her and throwing the blanket over her legs, tucking it around her h*ps before he nabbed the other rocker, pulled it up beside her and sat his ass in it.
He tipped it back, cocked his knees and lifted his feet to the railing.
He wasn’t surprised she was here. She’d held it together for Miah so he could hold it together for Becky during dinner.
Therefore, it had gone well.
It had been the miracle Cap said it would be.
DNA tests were fast-tracked and pending but they already knew there was no denying it from the pictures. The meeting made that solid. Miah and Becky’s grandparents recognized them the second they saw them and they were beside themselves, both women and one of the men breaking down instantly, necessitating Silas and Sondra leading them out to pull them together.
But they did, returned and they had dinner.
It had been a strange night.
That didn’t mean it wasn’t beautiful.
Three years ago, those four people thought they lost everything worth anything in their lives in the expanse of two months.
At the Goodknight table, they got some of it back, it was precious and they didn’t even try to hide it.
There was definitely a spark of recognition for Miah thus he seemed open to them in his distant way. Becky had been five when she’d been taken, her nightmare had just ended so she either didn’t recognize them or couldn’t yet process the fact that she did but she followed her brother’s lead. Dr. Carruthers was pleased and approved another visit the next morning. Breakfast at the diner with Sondra and the grandparents.
Soon, they’d go home.
Faye had been welcoming and friendly to the grandparents and supportive to the kids, openly loving to Miah as was her way and as affectionate to Becky as she could be. When they left, she’d been quiet.
Chace had given her that play.
On their rockers, he kept giving it to her. He let her find her time to end the silence and after taking that time, she did.
“It’s over,” she whispered to his plain.
“It’s over,” he agreed quietly.
“They love them.” She kept whispering.
“Yeah,” he replied gently.
“Loads.”
“Yeah.”
She was silent a long moment then, “Love heals.”
She needed to believe that. Luckily, she was right. He knew this because she taught him that too.
“Yeah, baby,” he whispered.
She fell silent.
Chace let her, eyes on his plain.
Then he heard her soft sob and it was his turn to have his play.
He got out of his chair and lifted her out of hers. She instantly curled into him, her chest in his, her face in his neck, her arms around his shoulders. He pulled open the storm door, kicked the front door shut and walked her to his bed. He laid her in it and joined her there, gathering her close as her body rocked gently and the tears flowed.
When she quieted in his arms, he tipped his head so his lips were at her hair and he asked, “You cryin’ ‘cause of all of it or somethin’ in particular?”
“All of it, I think.”
“You’ll miss him,” Chace noted gently.
She nodded and her breath hitched.
He gave her a squeeze.
She took in a shaky breath and whispered, “I’m glad they’re nice people.”
“Me too.”
“Did you see the pictures?” she asked and he gave her another squeeze because he did. Both sets of grandparents brought pictures.
Miah and Becky, their Mom and Dad. Happy family. Half of that gone.
“Yeah,” he answered.
She pressed closer, burrowing in. The loss was too much to bear in the dark before dawn.
Chace gave it time.
Then he asked, “You get me?”
Her head tipped back and she caught his eyes. “Get you?”
Quietly, Chace explained, “For whatever reasons, life took away their parents and led them to a nightmare. Then God was done and He sent an angel to put a stop to it. That angel bein’ you, a woman capable of performing a lot of miracles. Now, when I call you an angel, do you get me?”
Tears filled her eyes again, she dipped her chin, shoved her face in his throat and her body bucked with her sob.
She got him.
* * * * *
One week and two days later
Chace stood and watched Sondra give Becky a hug while Silas stood close to Miah, grinning at him, probably teasing him but the despondency could still be seen around his eyes. Faye was standing beside Chace, smiling at her parents and the kids but her sadness was a great deal more pronounced.
They were standing outside and the cars were packed.
The kids were going home.
“Chace,” he heard and turned his eyes to Miah and Becky’s paternal grandfather.
“Ezra,” Chace muttered as the man got up close and stopped.
He tipped his chin and smiled at Faye then he looked up at Chace.
Then quietly, he said, “It’s come to my attention, son, you covered Miah and Becky’s hospital bills.”
He heard Faye make a muted noise and felt her shift into him, her arm brushing his, her fingers curling around his but she said nothing.
He hadn’t told her. He also didn’t intend to.
Shit.
“Yep,” he replied casually, hoping that would end it, knowing from getting to know these people it would not.
Ezra nodded before saying, “We’ve been talkin’ and we –”
Chace cut him off, “Don’t worry about it,” and Faye’s fingers around his grew tighter.
Ezra’s eyes grew wider. “But, that had to –”
Chace shook his head. “I have a trust fund. My grandparents gave it to me. They were good people. My grandfather worked hard all his life. He was a good man. If they knew the money they worked hard to earn went to that, they’d be pleased. Trust me. If they were alive, they’d do it themselves. Now, it’s done. You got enough to see about setting right. But that’s not part of it.”