Page 107 of When You Stayed
The bell over the door rang as Royce entered the shop with her blond hair swept up into a sleek pony tail.
“Hi, Callie!” She called sweetly.
My son trailed her, holding her hand as he entered and locked the shop door behind him.
Things were on edge, which was partially why I had closed down the shop.
“Hi.” I stood and pulled her into a hug. My eyes landed on Ford as I did and the soft way he watched us made my heart flip. My son was in love and he had finally got the girl who had taken up so much of his heart and hope throughout his life. Countless conversations with him and Wes where he’d encourage him to move on for the sake of his happiness but our boy never would.
Once we broke apart, I set Royce up first for her tattoo. She wanted hers printed along her wrist, and from what she described it would be small.
I got to work slowly drawing the numbers into her skin while he talked about the club apartment they were in and the different houses they had gone to look at. There wasn’t anything yet although Ford had a house that he’d started building in secret that I knew would eventually become their home.
He was going to surprise her with it but I wasn’t sure when. I just listened and continue to ink the date onto her skin. Once I was finished I sat back and wiped it. “Okay what’s the significance of?—”
“Mom, will you do mine before she tells you?” Ford asked. He slid out of his jacket and took Royce’s spot in the chair. Royce sat in the waiting chair with a secretive smile on her face and my stomach had that ball of excitement churning inside of it. I had so many hopes anddreams for my children, and with how much Royce loved Ford, it was everything I had ever hoped for.
Ford instructed me to begin tattooing the same design into his wrist that Royce did. Once I was finished, I sat back and glanced between the two.
“Okay tell me why you both got December twelfth tattooed onto your wrists.”
Ford smiled, and that’s when I realized Royce tugged something out of her back pocket.
“Because it’s our wedding day.” She held her hand out to me, revealing a rose-colored diamond ring.
My nose burned as I swung my gaze back to my son who was smiling at Royce in a dopey, happy way that made a tear fall down my cheek. My son was getting married.
Ford was marrying the girl he’d loved since he was old enough to understand what love meant.
“Are you serious?” I asked on a sob.
Ford sat forward and pulled me into a hug.
“Yeah, Mom, we’re serious.”
My little boy was getting married.
Laura’s little girl was getting married.
Another sob came out of my chest as Ford held me. With a sniff I pulled away. “Does your mom know?”
Royce smiled and then glanced up. Wes, Killian and Laura were all crowding the back hall, waiting until the time was right. I swiped at my face as a laugh bubbled up from my chest.
“You all were in on it?”
Wes made his way through the group and pulled me into his arms. “No, we were told to meet here. I was supposed to unlock the back for Laura and Killian.”
“We had no idea.” Laura cried as she made her way over to Royce. She pulled her daughter into a hug and I watched as Killian shook Ford’s hand. “Congratulations.”
I leaned against Wes while I watched Royce curl into Ford’s chest. The two were completely enamored with one another.
Laura caught my eye as a tear slipped down her face. “Well, I guess this is official. We’re family, Cal.”
“We’ve always been family.” I laughed even as a new burning sensation claimed my nose and throat. I knew what she meant but I meant it. Laura was my chosen family was my sister in every way that mattered.
“But now we’re going to be grandma’s together, and share holidays. I used to hope for this when they were kids.”
I did too. Especially when Royce began coming over as frequently as she did, and I began learning how special of a person she was. Something happened when the kids were fifteen and sixteen though and all that hope fled when Royce began dating Connor and my poor son merely watched from the sidelines.
