Total pages in book: 122
Estimated words: 115706 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115706 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
“That’s my firm hope.” She looks at Aubrey with sympathy. “I’m sorry for your loss. Wherever Claudia is, I’m sure she feels lucky to have you caring so deeply for her baby in her absence, the same way she would have done herself.”
Aubrey sniffles. “Thank you, your honor.”
The judge nods. “Best of luck to all. This hearing is adjourned.”
With my hand clasped in Aubrey’s, I pull her up and bear hug her; and for the next several minutes, we cry, rejoice, and whisper softly in each other’s arms.
“I love you, baby,” I choke out, thrilled to say the words I’ve been dying to say out loud for so long. “I couldn’t have done this without you.”
“I love you, too. I’m so happy.”
Aubrey’s parents, my sister, and Amy appear, and we break apart and gratefully accept their warm hugs and congratulations. When all combination of hugs have been administered, we tearfully head out of the courtroom as a group, with Aubrey and I leading the way with our hands firmly joined.
“Let’s go to a restaurant and celebrate,” I suggest, and everyone in our group expresses enthusiasm about the idea.
“Which room is Raine in?” Aubrey asks her mother, since Raine’s apparently been watching Monster’s Inc. with a kind-hearted court clerk for the past hour.
Barbara opens her mouth to respond to her daughter, but before she gets a word out, Ralph appears in front of me, glaring and wagging his finger in my face. “I’d watch my fucking back, if I were you, C-Bomb,” Ralph hisses. “Nobody disrespects Ralph Beaumont like this and gets away with it.”
I push Aubrey behind me to protect her from whatever’s about to go down. But before I’ve wrapped my hands around the old man’s neck, Ralph is dragged away by that same brawny bailiff from the court room.
“Go get your daughter, C-Bomb!” the officer calls to me, after he puts a chokehold on Ralph. “I’ve got him. Go enjoy your family and forget this piece of shit ever existed.”
Chapter 34
Aubrey
“I’ve been waiting all day to do this,” Caleb murmurs, as he closes his bedroom door behind him and starts stripping off my clothes like they’re on fire.
“I love you so much,” I gasp out breathlessly, right before Caleb takes my face in his large palms and kisses me with such passion, with such intimacy and love, my knees buckle in response.
“I love you so fucking much,” he whispers into my lips.
We’ve been saying those magical words to each other on a running loop, all afternoon and evening. First, when we hugged in celebration of the judge’s ruling. And then, repeatedly, during our celebratory dinner with family and friends. Somehow, Caleb quickly managed to arrange a private room at his favorite restaurant in Beverly Hills at the spur of the moment, and we wound up having an incredible, joyful dinner party with an enthusiastic, celebratory group.
Everyone who made today’s victory possible was in attendance, plus Amy’s husband, Colin, who drove right over after his wife called him with the good news. Caleb’s three bandmates, Dean, Clay, and Emmitt, also came straight over, even though Dean was in some important business meeting when he got the news. As we ate incredible food, we replayed the day’s events for everyone, soliciting raucous reactions to all of it. And of course, everyone who hadn’t yet met Raine before the dinner party fell under her adorable spell.
Not gonna lie, I felt starstruck when Caleb’s famous friends first showed up at the restaurant. 22 Goats is one of my all-time favorite bands, and seeing the rest of Red Card Riot made my brain melt. Not to mention, seeing those three with Caleb, like I’ve seen countless times online, made me remember just how world-famous Caleb is, and that kind of messed with my head for a minute. Eventually, however, when conversation started flowing and it was clear all the rockstars at the table put their pants on, one leg at a time, I was finally able to settle down and start feeling like myself again. And from that point on, the celebration dinner was nothing but magical for me.
Toward the end of the party, Raine fell fast asleep against her handsome Dadda’s strong chest, and it was the cutest thing, ever. Of course, I snapped a heart-melting photo of the vignette for Caleb’s family photos shelf and Raine’s bedroom wall. Today’s a momentous day, after all. Another first. But when I told Caleb my intention for the one-of-a-kind photo, he insisted on taking some more with “our whole family.” First off, a photo including Miranda, my parents, and me, along with Caleb and his girl. And then, another one featuring only Caleb, Raine, and me. Be still my heart.
While posing for that second “family” photo, the one featuring only the three of us, I almost cried. Posing for that photo somehow made today’s victory feel real to me. I realized the past is finally put to rest. The future, a blank page we’ll fill in together. No more looking back. No more stressing and worrying about what’s going to happen at the hearing. No more wondering if our feelings are real and mutual. We’re officially a family now, and deeply committed to each other and our future together.