Christy-Lynn watched him go, feeling suddenly bereft. He was giving her a few moments with Rhetta, to say whatever needed saying. But what was there to say at this bittersweet moment that hadn’t already been said over the past weeks and months?
“Iris,” Rhetta said evenly, stooping down with arms extended. “Come say goodbye to Nonny.”
Iris melted into Rhetta’s arms, her violet eyes brimming as her great-grandmother pressed one last fierce kiss to her cheek, then handed her off to Christy-Lynn. “Take care of each other,” she whispered brokenly.
Christy-Lynn stifled a gasp as Iris landed in her arms. The sudden weight of her, warm and slight and already clinging, was sobering. “It would be so much easier if you were coming with us today, Rhetta. For Iris and for me.”
Rhetta forced a smile. “Easier isn’t always best.”
“What if there’s something I need to know, like how she likes her oatmeal or what vitamins I’m supposed to buy?”
“We’ve talked about all that, Christy-Lynn. And if there’s something we missed, there’s always the phone, though I doubt you’ll need it. Aside from the nightmares, she’s an easy child, and I expect those will stop soon. She just needs to feel safe, and she will with you. You’ll see. Now get gone. You’ve got a long drive.”
“You’re not coming out to the car with us?”
Rhetta closed her eyes, throat bobbing convulsively. “I don’t think I can. I know I’ll see her in a few weeks, but we’ve never been apart, and it’s . . . hard. Just know how grateful I am to you. Everything changed the day you knocked on my door.”
Christy-Lynn blinked back tears of her own as she pressed a kiss to Rhetta’s cheek. “It’s me who should be grateful. We’re family now, and that’s something I’ve never had.”
Rhetta reached into her pocket, fishing out a tissue. “Stop that talk or you’ll really have me blubbering. Now go on. I’ve got packing to do, and you’ve got a little girl to get home.”
Iris clung to Christy-Lynn’s neck, propped on one hip as they stepped off the porch and out into the bright afternoon sunshine. Wade was waiting, the back door of the Rover thrown open, ready to buckle Iris into her car seat. Christy-Lynn met his gaze as she handed Iris over, grateful for the unspoken reassurance she saw there. She was going to be fine. They . . . were going to be fine. And in that moment, perhaps for the first time, she knew it was true.
She glanced back at the house as Wade turned the Rover toward home, recalling Rhetta’s words of gratitude. Everything changed the day you knocked on my door. The thought brought an unexpected sting to the backs of her lids.
Everything had changed for her too.
EPILOGUE
Iris sat wide-eyed on the edge of the pink princess bed, sparkly sneakers drumming rhythmically against the dust ruffle. Christy-Lynn eased down beside her, a small velvet box tied with silver ribbon in her lap.
Poor thing. She still looked a bit shell-shocked, as if afraid this new world might evaporate at any moment. And why shouldn’t she be afraid? When she’d just been whisked away from everything she had ever known. If anyone knew what that felt like, it was Christy-Lynn. But she also knew she could change that for Iris, and she would.
Wade stood watching from the doorway, a shoulder pressed against the jamb. He smiled as Christy-Lynn caught his eye, shooting her a wink that sent a ripple of warmth and gratitude through her. She hadn’t expected to feel nervous, but then she never expected to be sitting in a pink bedroom with a three-year-old gazing up at her.
“I have a present for you, Iris,” she said softly, holding out the box.
Iris continued to stare, her violet eyes wide pools of uncertainty.
“Would you like me to open it for you?”
Iris nodded then ducked her head, as if suddenly shy.
Christy-Lynn’s hands shook as she tugged the ribbon free, then lifted the lid of the box.
Iris’s eyes shot even wider as she caught a glimpse of what lay inside—a pair of silver necklaces that when fitted together formed a single shiny heart. But a crease suddenly appeared between her pale brows, her gaze shifting from the box to Christy-Lynn.
“It’s broken.”
“Oh no, baby—look.” Christy-Lynn lifted out both necklaces, placing them side by side in her palm. “They’re part of the same thing—two pieces of the same heart. There’s one for you and one for me. I’ll put yours on if you hold up your hair.”
Iris stared at the necklaces with a kind of wonder, then fumbled to rake her hair out of the way, holding very still as Christy-Lynn snaked the silver chain around her neck and fastened it.
“Good girl. Now I’ll do mine.”
On cue Wade stepped in, taking the remaining necklace from her hand. After several failed attempts, he finally managed to clasp it. Christy-Lynn grinned at Iris, then pointed to the mirror over the dresser.
“See—we match.”
Iris gazed at her reflection with enormous eyes, mesmerized as she stroked the necklace at the base of her throat. After a moment, she turned to Christy-Lynn. “Match.”
“Yes. You have one half, and I have the other. Because from now on, you’re going to be a part of my heart. And I hope that one day I’ll be a part of yours.”
Iris seemed to weigh what this might mean, her little brow puckered. Finally, she cocked her head to one side, regarding Christy-Lynn quizzically. “Are you my mama now? My real mama?”
Christy-Lynn blinked down at her, not sure how to answer, or if she’d even be able to find her voice. “Would you like that?”
Iris nodded, but her tiny face was clouded with questions. “Will you still be my angel if you’re my mama? Nonny says God sent you to take care of me.”
Christy-Lynn couldn’t help thinking of the dreams that had once plagued her almost nightly—dreams that hadn’t returned since she agreed to take Iris—and wondered if Rhetta had been mistaken.
“I think Nonny got it backwards, sweetie. I think I’m the one who needed taking care of, and now here you are, my own little angel—just like a dream.”
There was no warning, no time to brace for impact before Iris launched herself full force into Christy-Lynn, clinging so tightly that it was impossible to say who was hanging on to whom. But suddenly it didn’t matter. Suddenly it felt like the most natural thing in the world, as if this child had somehow always been a part of her life.
Peering over Iris’s blonde head, she found Wade again in the doorway, her heart full as their eyes locked. She’d been living with nevers for far too long, holding happiness at bay with both hands. But now there was Iris. And Wade.
It seemed never had come after all.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
No book is written in a vacuum. There’s always a long list of people to thank, ranging from the professionals whose job it is to get a book on the shelves or onto your Kindle, to the helpful contacts who aid us in research, to the loved ones who feed us, make sure there are clean clothes, and otherwise sustain us throughout the process. And so, I will begin my list, praying as always that I don’t forget anyone.
As with all my writing projects, there is one person without whom a finished book would never come into being. Her name is Nalini Akolekar of Spencerhill Literary Agency, and she is without a doubt the best agent in the biz. Thank you for all of it: for the books, for the journey, for the guidance, for the smarts, and for the support!