A Missing Heart(74)

“Knowing Cammy, I’m sure it’ll go very smoothly,” Hunter assures me. “What happens after that?”

“Ever has to declare her statement to the judge.”

“Isn’t she kind of young for that?” he asks, hammering at the end of his question.

“Any kid over the age of twelve is required to be questioned. It’s for their safety.”

“And once that’s done?” Hunter continues.

“She’s Cammy’s.”

“God, they really dragged this process out. I’m just glad it’s moving along again.” You’re telling me. These months have been dragging slower than I ever could have imagined. Cammy had to get an apartment out in Philadelphia so she could provide a suitable home for Ever. They’ve let Ever stay with Cammy for the past three months, as long as she agrees to check-ins and counseling. I feel left out. “I’m sorry, bro. I know the clock is ticking, and this seems like it’s taking forever,” Hunter says, moving across the room on his knees.

“Yeah. I’m just on edge, waiting for good news today. We’ll see.”

“Anything from Tori?” Work days all start with a therapy session with Hunter. I know he cares, but he’s now so slowly turning into Mom, who likes to involve herself in everyone’s business.

“Not since I received the divorce papers last month.”

“Unbelievable,” he sighs.

“I’ve tried calling her but her number doesn’t work or something.”

It’s not even the part about having a second failed marriage that bothers me the most, it’s the part that I tried really hard to make something broken work for so long. It was all for nothing.

“I hate to say this, bro, I do, but you and Gavin might be better off. If she has issues this serious to figure out, it’s best to do so without a baby and husband in tow.” I know he’s right but none of this feels right. I can’t help but take the blame. Every bit of it. “Things are going work out for you, you know? It will.”

Like I do every day, I push it all to the back of my mind and focus on getting the job done. If there’s anything I’ve realized in the last year, it’s that I can’t control anything. It’s not even worth trying.

“Dude, your phone’s ringing,” Hunter shouts over my drill.

I see it lighting up on the bottom step of the stairwell, and I race over to grab it, finding Cammy’s name lit up on my screen.

“Hey? What’s going on?”

“She’s ours!” Cammy shouts into the phone with utter excitement.

“Wait, what? I don’t understand. I thought there had to be another trial for her to speak at or something?”

“She spoke at the last hearing, and I guess that was suitable enough. They’re making it official on Friday. This Friday, AJ!”

“I’m going to be there,” I tell her. “Don’t tell me no, Cam. I’ll head out there tomorrow.”

“I want you here,” she says, breathlessly. “We’re getting our second chance, AJ. This kind of thing almost never happens.”

“It was meant to be,” I barely get out.

“See you soon,” she whispers.

I end the call and carefully place the phone down on the step, facing Hunter with a look I only wish I could see on my face. “What happened?” he asks.

“She’s ours…Cammy’s, but—”

“She’s yours,” Hunter says, walking over and throwing his arms around my neck. “This is f*cking awesome, AJ.” My arms lock around Hunter’s neck, and it feels so good to hold onto my brother as my heart pours out of me in the form of tears. Everything I have gone through over the past few years has finally led me here, in the direction I wanted. “You’re going to go there, right?”

“Yeah, I have to go,” I tell him. “I’ll be back before Monday for that job.”

“What about Gavin?” Hunter asks.

“He’s coming with me. My family needs to be together.” My family. All of them.



Leaving after rush hour and driving through the night worked out pretty well. I feel bad dropping in so late at night, but I wasn’t about to wait another day to see Cammy and Ever. I follow the directions on my phone, pulling into a nice complex of apartments. I’m not sure what Cammy’s car looks like now, so I’m squinting through the darkness for the building numbers. I reach the end of the row, finding her building last and settled between thick bunches of trees. I hop out of the truck and sling Gavin over my shoulder. He couldn’t be less aware of where he is right now. He’s out cold. At the front door, I scroll my finger down the list of names, finding Cammy’s, but I take my phone out and text her instead. Those buzzers can be so loud inside, and I don’t want to wake up Ever.



Me: Can you buzz me in?



Cammy: What? What do you mean? It’s not tomorrow yet.



Me: I know it’s not. Please let me in, anyway. I’m outside your door.



A light glows through the privacy glass of the door, and I hear footsteps pounding down the steps. I almost get knocked out by the door flinging open as Cammy jumps out and into my arms without a word. Her legs are tangled around my waist and her arms loop around my neck. She rests her head on my shoulder, and all I smell is lavender or lilac. I always confuse the two, but she always smells like one of them. I’m still holding Gavin awkwardly, not wanting her to release her grip, and when she finally takes a breath, she sees Gavin and wraps her arm around him too, kissing him on the head. “Oh my goodness, you’ve gotten so big,” she says.