Page 98 of Ruthless Possession
Matthew catches her hand as she passes. "Only if I get to choose the snack."
"Popcorn?" Charlie's eyes light up.
"With extra butter," he confirms, and she throws her arms around his waist in a quick hug before darting off to the living room.
I watch her go, marveling at how much she's changed in just a few weeks. The shadows under her eyes have faded, her smiles come more easily now, and the nightmares have become less frequent.
"She's going to be okay," Trenton says quietly, coming to stand beside me. "We all are."
I lean into him, feeling the solid warmth of his body. "I know. It's just… tomorrow is such a big step."
Matthew joins us, resting his hand on my shoulder. "It's the right step. For all of us."
Together we move to the living room where Charlie has already arranged the cushions on the couch in her preferred configuration. She sits in the middle, Princess Sparklehoof tucked under one arm, remote control held like a scepter.
"I picked the movie," she announces.
I glance at the TV to see she's selected Up, one of her favorites. "Good choice."
Matthew disappears into the kitchen to make popcorn while Trenton and I settle on either side of Charlie. She immediately leans into Trenton, her small body fitting perfectly against his side.
"Trent, can you do the voice?" she asks, looking up at him with those big blue eyes.
He raises an eyebrow. "Which voice?"
"The grumpy man voice. From the movie."
Trenton's face breaks into a rare smile. "You mean Carl?"
Charlie nods enthusiastically.
"For you, I'll try," he says, and launches into a surprisingly good impression of the curmudgeonly character.
I watch them together, my heart swelling with emotion. When I first brought Charlie home, Trenton had been so careful around her, so unsure of himself. Now they have their own routines, their own jokes.
Matthew returns with a huge bowl of popcorn, the buttery aroma filling the room. "Movie's starting," he announces, settling between me and Charlie.
She immediately reaches for the popcorn, stuffing a handful into her mouth. "This is the best part," she mumbles around her full mouth.
We settle in to watch the movie, the four of us curled together on the couch. Charlie's small body is warm between us, occasionally shifting to lean against one of the guys then the other. By the time the movie reaches the emotional montage of the beginning, I feel Matthew's arm slip around my shoulders, drawing me closer.
"Family means you stay," Charlie says quietly, echoing her words from the cabin. She reaches for both my hand and Matthew's, forming a chain between us.
"Even when it's hard," I finish, squeezing her small fingers.
Trenton leans down to press a kiss to the top of her head. "Especially when it's hard."
The movie continues, but I'm barely watching now. Instead, I'm memorizing this moment, the weight of Matthew's arm, the sound of Trenton's breathing, the smell of Charlie's strawberry shampoo. This is what family feels like. Not the biological connection that will be formalized tomorrow, but this quiet certainty that we belong together.
When the movie ends, Charlie is fighting sleep, her eyelids drooping.
"Time for bed, sweetheart," I tell her softly.
"Can Trent carry me?" she asks, already reaching for him.
Trenton lifts her easily, her small frame looking even smaller in his arms. She rests her head against his shoulder, Princess Sparklehoof dangling from one hand.
"Up the stairs we go," he says, his voice gentle in a way I've only heard him use with her.
