Page 99 of Call You Mine
I didn’t want to interrupt, so I waited until she was finished and took that full breath she does anytime she gets to seventeen, and I offered to help her plan how we could tackle the week.
That’s when I realized that CPS believing Ava wasn’t a stable enough guardian, or didn’t have enough of a support system, proved they didn’t know Ava.
She would do anything for Georgie, and she has four people who will help her do just that.
We pull into the parking lot next to the record store just as Georgie finishes up talking me through the last day in enough detail to make me feel like I was there. “And then Rumi gave me thirty dollars instead of twenty like she promised, so I can probably buytwovinyls today!” She unbuckles her seatbelt the moment I put my car into park just outside the record store, not even waiting for me as she slams the door behind her and heads inside.
As I follow her into the shop, I can’t help but think about what she said about her dad asking her questions, which made her feel like he cared about her.
Something so simple yet so meaningful.
Something I do without really thinking about it.
Georgie and I make our way through the aisles of records, just like we did the first time we were here—neither of us in any rush, enjoying the comfortable silence between us as we listen to the music playing through the store, thumbing through bins next to each other.
Once in a while, I show her something I think she’d like, getting a grin each time I do, reminding me I will do anything to keep that smile on her face.
Because she deserves to feel cared for and like she has someone to lean on.
I know she has Ava, and I know Ava is enough.
But I’m here for both of them—and I’m not going anywhere.
Now knowing about Ava’s OCD, I’ve been trying to learn all I can about it. I know there are different types, and Ava shared that her compulsions mostly surround checking and doubt, and that she relies heavily on counting. She has a needfor things to be “just right”, and I can’t imagine how exhausting that must be for her.
I want to be able to help in whatever way I can, and understanding is the only way I really can right now. Not until she and I have time to talk about ways I can best support her.
I’m hoping she lets me go with her to one of her therapy sessions. I read that it’s something partners can do to support their loved ones with OCD.
And as far as I’m concerned, this partnership of ours is real.
This marriage is real.
This family—me, her, and Georgie—is real.
And I plan on doing everything in my power to prove it to Ava.
CHAPTER 34
AVA
“If everything goes to plan,the adoption should be finalized in as soon as thirty days,” Patricia explains over the phone, and I find myself at a loss for words. When I emailed her a copy of mine and Anderson’s marriage certificate last night, I didn’t expect everything to move so quickly. I knew it could, but I thought we’d have more time.
“Wow,” I say on an exhale, not sure what else to say. I’m in my office at Hey Honey’s, in the middle of scheduling a few interviews for this week, when I get the call from Patricia, and my mind is all over the place—partly on this conversation, partly on the draft of next month’s schedule on my desk, partly on how many times I tap my heel against the foot of my office chair.
It’s our first day back from Vegas, and after Rumi dropped Georgie off at the house this morning—she was already asleep over there when we got back, and I didn’t want to wake her up—I headed straight here to put out fire after fire.
I need two new baristas within the next week if Emerson, Rumi, and I want any days off for the foreseeable future.
Shaking my head as if to reset my brain, I ask Patricia, “What else do you need from me?”
“Now that we have your and Anderson’s marriage certificate, the kinship adoption is officially recommended. We’ll be finalizing some background checks and safety screenings, and then we’ll have the final court hearing, most likely at the end of April.” When I don’t say anything—my thoughts racing too quickly for me to even figure out which one to voice—she adds, “This is good news, Ava.” Her voice is kind and steady, just like it’s always been, and it grounds me for a moment. “Congratulations. You have a lot to celebrate.” I can hear the smile in her voice, the same one she had when she congratulated me on my marriage before she gave me the news that the adoption was on its way to being finalized.
I fill my lungs with air, despite how shaky it feels to inhale. I close my eyes, focusing on the way my chest lifts and then falls as I breathe out. “Thank you, Patricia. For everything.”
“You’re welcome, dear. I’m just happy things worked out the way they did.”
I hesitate, wanting to ask, but not sure if I want to know the answer. “Have you heard anything more from my mom?”
