s a low drone in the

the State of Oregon, I now p

face was calm, professional. She wore a simple dres

w he imagined g

fading. Her one wish was to see hi

loyment, family expectations. She' d been direct, practic

e," the judge said, a

rk, steady brown, met his. She gav

press of lips against hers. It

s hand was firm as she wrote h

firefighter paramedic. Now, he was als

ed to Chloe Davis. His

made his sto

in Havenwood. The familiar street, the rose bush

om, scrolling on her phone. She

" he

. She finally looked at him, a flicker of a

re he'd been. He

g came up

and. "Whatever. Listen, Ri

t her. "What?

her boutique's alarm malfunctioned at night. Chloe had called it

bject. "His apartment situation fell through. He' s a si

sation hung in th

ady married. This new development, as shocking as

, his voice dev

She probably expected a

he said. More hers than his,

certificate tucked in his w

of detachment

She'd called Ethan, frantic. He was on shift, a bad multi-car pile-up on

check back, she was

Chloe looking scared through the window, and "bravely" went in to chec

t complex two blocks from the boutique. He also heard Ri

y voiced his concern

nwood Sunday market. People stared. "Ricky is kind and brave! He actually ca

biological parents, their work

been his rock after Sarah told him the

placed by this stranger who

was moving her new

st room. "I'll sleep in here

e, to tell her about Maya

est room door. "Chl

again, a small smile playin

icky' s bringing some of Leo' s things over. I wan

n his small office, where he kept hi

t say a

st room door. The

. Not like this. She

wasn't just physical. It w

married to a captain in the U.S. Army. And his

become a co