Chapter Twenty-Eight

Now…

Trent paced the living room of his family home, where his entire family was gathered for dinner. The kids played ball in the yard, but he felt too nauseous to join in the fun. Conversations and laughter drifted from the kitchen, but he couldn’t bring himself to participate when his mind was preoccupied.

Angel had told Eddie the truth the day before when he’d come back from L.A., and she was supposed to text to let him know whether they were coming to dinner with his family that evening or not. They thought it might be the next logical step. Let Eddie meet everyone. Let everyone meet Eddie…his son. Trent still couldn’t quite get the news to settle. He was happy about it but sad about the lost time. Lost opportunity.

Apparently, the teen had taken the news okay. He’d always known that Brad wasn’t his biological father, so it hadn’t been a huge shock. But Angel had said that he’d voiced his disappointment at her not telling him sooner. Especially since they moved here and he’d gotten to know Trent under somewhat false pretenses.

Trent shared that sentiment with the kid, so maybe that was one thing they could connect on. That and their passion and skill for football. It wasn’t a lot, but at least it was a starting point. He wasn’t sure what he expected from the relationship, but he was keeping the bar low and being open to Eddie’s pace, Eddie’s boundaries. He’d follow the kid’s lead. With Angel’s help, maybe they could form a deeper connection in time.

He wanted that.

His sister Kara approached and wrapped an arm around his waist as he stared outside the window, hoping to see her car approaching. “Either way, things will be okay,” she said.

He squeezed her tight, appreciating the strength from his tiny baby sister. “Thank you for being here.” She was taking the weekend away from school to be here, and that meant a lot. This was important to all of them.

“Look, the kid is family now. So is Angel. We’ll figure it out. Families come in all shapes and sizes, right?” she said.

The words registered with him more than she could possibly know.

“Speaking of family, have you spoken to Whitney?” Kara asked, sounding pained. He knew his sister was missing Whitney almost as much as he was. She’d texted him nonstop while Whitney was recovering, and he knew she’d been hoping to see her here today.

That would have been far too much to expect. He needed to sort these things out separately first, then maybe someday find a way to merge the important aspects of his life together. He was holding on to faith that he could.

“Not yet. I’m respecting her wishes for space.”

“I respect that. But remember that sometimes there’s such a thing as too much space.”

He nodded, considering her words. He knew she was right. He needed to make his next move soon or risk letting too much time come between them. One more play to get her back into his life…then, if she still rejected him, he’d find a way to move on.

His phone chimed, and he jumped. His mother entered the room, a hopeful expression on her face. “Read it,” she said when he stood there slightly frozen.

He took a deep breath and, with a shaky hand, opened the text from Angel:

Sorry, Trent, he says it’s too soon.

His heart fell as he shook his head and showed Kara the text.

“Well, maybe it is. Finding out about you was one thing. Meeting the entire family is another. Give him time,” Kara said supportively.

Then dots that Angel was typing….

But he said he will be at football practice tonight.

He released a sigh of relief. That was something, at least. “He’s still coming to football,” he told them.

Baby steps, he texted back.

Baby steps, she agreed.

Trent tucked the phone into his pocket and, feeling slightly more hopeful than he had in weeks, he joined his family in the kitchen for dinner.

…

In her office the next day, before anyone else had arrived, Whitney packed up her personal items. During her leave, Scott was going to hire a temporary assistant to take over and keep things running until she was ready to come back. She picked up the picture of her and Trent at the pumpkin patch the night they’d met and hesitated. What did she do with it? The memory of that day still hurt, and despite the weeks that had passed since she last saw him, her heart still hadn’t started to heal.

Would it ever?

She still loved him as much as she ever did, but he had some life-changing things going on, and as much as she wanted to be there for him, his silence the last few weeks made her think that maybe he didn’t want or need her support. She’d asked for space and he’d given it…but now she realized maybe that had been a mistake.

In the time and distance, had he started to move on?

She sighed, placing the photo inside the banker’s box. Then picking it up, she glanced around the office a final time. “Bye for now,” she whispered as she headed out.

Outside in the crisp late-November air, she put the box in the trunk of her car and climbed in. She pulled out of the lot and headed toward Rejuvenation. She was looking forward to seeing her mother, and the nurses had said the new medication and the full-time nurse had really made a big difference. The knowledge warmed Whitney’s heart, but she was still conflicted, knowing she had to find a way to repay Trent.

Damn, she missed him so much.

Driving past the tavern on Main Street, it took all her strength not to stop and see him. Jess had told her that Trent had been at the hospital the day of the transplant procedure and that he had requested daily updates about her healing progress. The idea that he was still concerned, still there, gave her a hope she wasn’t sure she was allowed to have. A hope she wasn’t quite sure what to do with. They’d eventually talk…but what would be the ultimate outcome?

She still loved him, and she would always love him. For her, there was no one else but him…but was that enough?

She pulled into the parking lot at Rejuvenation twenty minutes later and wiped tears from her eyes that she hadn’t even realized she was crying.

She was okay. She would be okay.

But as she climbed out of the car and saw Trent walking toward her, her legs felt a little unsteady beneath her. “Hey…” he said.

Dressed in a pair of tan pants and a white collared shirt unbuttoned at the top, he was too gorgeous for her broken heart.

Why was he there now? Had he continued to visit her mom?

The thought killed her.

“I know you’re upset with me,” he said.

She shook her head. “I’m the one in the wrong. All of this was my fault…”

He took a step forward. “I heard everything you said about us, and I understand why you broke things off. I even understand why you pushed me away these last few weeks.” He paused and stared straight into her eyes. “But if you even feel the littlest bit of love for me still, somewhere deep down, please just trust me one more time.”

What was he talking about?

Littlest bit of love? She had so much love for him—that’s why she’d let him go.

“Please, Whitney. I just want to ask you something.”

Her cell phone rang, and she sighed. Of all the bad timing. She ignored it. “Go ahead. Ask your question.” Her heart raced, and it was so damn hard not to wrap her arms around him and sink into him. Not seeing him had made things easier, but now, face-to-face…moving on without him would be impossible.

“I think you should get that,” Trent said as the phone continued to ring.

“Why?”

“It might be important.”

There was something suspicious in his tone, as though he knew who was calling. “What’s going on?” She glanced at the caller ID and, seeing her mother’s number from inside the senior facility, she answered. “Mom? Everything okay? I’m just in the parking lot. I’ll be right in.” Her mother’s new medication was working so much better, and the time they had together was more frequent than it had been before. Dr. Tyler said it might not last as her body got used to the new drug, but for now, they’d take it. Anything to prolong their time together.

“I know. I can see you from my window,” Lydia said.

Whitney glanced toward the building and saw her mom wave. She waved back, then returned her attention to Trent.

What were the two of them up to?

“Sweet girl, I’m not sure how much time I have, so I’m pulling the mom rank while I can. Whatever Trent asks you to do—do it,” she said.

Whitney’s mouth gaped. “How do you…?” She stared at Trent, her heart racing.

Dial tone. Her mom had hung up on her.

“What’s going on?”

Reaching into his pocket, Trent took out two plane tickets and a folded set of papers. He handed her the tickets first. “I’ve booked us a trip.”

“A trip?” She glanced at the destination. “Cambodia?” She couldn’t go away with him. They’d broken up. They hadn’t spoken or spent time together in weeks. Not that she hadn’t been desperate to…

She glanced toward her mom’s window and saw her holding a sign. Say yes, it read. “What’s in Cambodia?” she asked carefully.

“This,” he said, handing her the papers next.

Whitney read the pamphlet for an orphanage in Cambodia, her eyes widening. “This is an adoption application form.”

Trent nodded, a look of hopeful apprehension on his gorgeous face. “I’ve already started the process. With or without you, I’m adopting a child…but I hope like crazy, it will be with you.”

Her mouth gaped and her eyes teared. Trent was adopting a child? From Cambodia? When had he decided this? How had he made this decision? He just discovered he had a teenager…

“I want this more than I’ve ever wanted anything. I’ve researched everything and spent weeks soul searching and making sure this was the right choice—and it is. It makes perfect sense, and I want you with me the way we always planned.”

Could she really do that? Could they really do this together? All of this was so sudden and unexpected, yet her gut was telling her that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Still, she was unsure… “My health is okay now, but there’s no guarantee.”

“That’s why I don’t want to wait any longer. On the plane that leaves tomorrow morning is our future together. If you still want it. Want me. Otherwise, I’ll leave you here with your family and friends, and in time I’ll have no other choice than to learn to let you go,” Trent said passionately. “But that’s not what I want. I want you, Whitney.” He slowly, tentatively reached out to touch her trembling hand.

She stared at the plane tickets and the picture of the two-year-old little boy who Trent planned on adopting. It was all so much. But staring at the little boy, feeling Trent’s hand on hers, was the first thing to feel truly right in so long.

“Look, I know your world has been shattered and your future feels like a mystery, but what matters is right now and whether you love me enough to trust me and take this leap of faith with me,” Trent said.

“Your life has been upended lately, too.” What about Eddie? And Angel?

He nodded. “Exactly! That’s why I can say with confidence that life changes—whether you want it to or not. Nothing stays the same, and that’s okay. It’s how we navigate those ups and downs that matters.”

A tear slid down her cheek, and he reached out, wiping it away. “I…uh, I’m not even sure if I’m allowed to fly,” she said. Was she really doing this?

All she wanted was to be together with him. Whatever that looked like, sick or healthy, married or not, as parents… She glanced at the picture again and then back at him. It was so hard to believe he was doing this. That she was considering doing this.

But maybe the best things weren’t planned. Maybe there really was no way to plan for life.

“Is that a yes? You’ll come to Cambodia with me? Give us another chance?” Trent asked, looking so hopeful and happy, those damn dimples melting any resolve she tried to have. There was no way she could say no. She didn’t want to say no.

She released a deep breath. “Yes…if Dr. Forester says it’s okay for me to travel.”

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “He already did.”

“What do you mean?”

“I already cleared it with him before I bought the tickets.” He grinned. “By the way, you still have me listed as next of kin.”

She smiled through her tears, but his grin faded slightly. “The only thing I regret was not being there for you these last few weeks, and I can’t beg your forgiveness enough.”

She shook her head. “I needed the space. I wouldn’t have let you be there. But don’t worry—I’m sure there will be other bad times you get to help me through.”

He cupped her face and stared deep into her eyes. “No, sweetheart, all the bad is behind us. There’s only good in our future together. I promise you.”

She knew life didn’t work that way. They’d have their share of troubles along the way, but they’d navigate those waters and bumpy roads together.

“I love you, Whitney,” he said, holding her close.

She smiled at her mom, still standing in the window as she hugged Trent tight. She’d missed him so much. Being in his arms made her feel more alive than she had in months. This was where she belonged, and she wasn’t ever letting this love go again. “I love you, too,” she whispered.

The sound of a horn honking made them turn around.

“What are Sarah and Jess doing here?” she asked, laughing through tears of happiness.

“I wasn’t sure I could convince you on my own…with your mom’s help, so I called in reinforcements,” Trent said, giving a thumbs-up sign to her two best friends as they walked toward them. “They are your best friends, after all.”

“Yeah, they are.” Best friends she was forever grateful to have. The only person missing was Lia, but she, Jess, and Sarah had already planned a girls’ trip to New York for the following year to visit her. She owed the other woman so much. She owed them all so much.

Whitney thought her world had been flipped upside down that year, and she was right, but the view from here was something she could get used to.

In fact, this new view of the world was a beautiful one.