Page 82 of Before It's Too Late

Cael hoped his response had opened her mind a little when he’d said, “I can’t speak for Zach, but I can tell you that I love him. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for him. Zach’s more than my best friend, Mrs. Rivas. He’s everything to me. I didn’t choose to fall in love with him, but for reasons beyond my control, I just… did.”

Zach shifted in Cael’s arms, rolling partially onto his back.

“Cael?” Zach whispered.

“Mmm.” Sleep had already begun to cloud his brain.

“Do you think they’ll release Abbey soon?”

Cael focused hard on the question. “Probably.”

“I want her to stay with us until she recovers well enough to be on her own again.”

“I figured.”

“But if she doesn’t—”

“She will.”

Zach’s chest expanded and contracted as he took in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“But, if she doesn’t,” Cael continued, his voice soft and reassuring. Eyes still closed, he dropped a small kiss below Zach’s ear. “We’ll just have to get a bigger house.”

“You don’t think this one’s big enough for the four of us?”

“Sure, but our kids are gonna need space too,” Cael replied, his heart warming without his permission.

“Our kids, huh?”

“Mmm-hmm.”

Zach fell quiet. A haze of unconsciousness settled in as Cael drifted further into sleep, his arms circled around Zach.

“S’okay, right?” Cael mumbled, snuggling closer to Zach.

In the distant corner of his mind, Cael heard Zach’s voice whisper to him. “Way fucking better than okay.”

***

Cael stood in the kitchen, dressed for work in an olive green polo and light brown Dockers, pouring himself and Zach each a cup of coffee. As he stirred sugar into both, the doorbell rang. He took a careful sip then set his mug down on the granite countertop and went to open the door, wondering who it would be at six-forty-five in the morning.

Cael unlocked the door and pulled it open. His jaw nearly dropped.

“Mrs. Rivas. Hi.”

“Hello, Cael. I know it’s early, but may I come in? I will not be long,” she said, her English clear and succinct, even with her thick Guatemalan accent.

“Um, yes, of course.” Cael opened the door wider, and Zach’s grandmother stepped inside, pausing in the entry. He closed the door. “Can I get you anything? A cup of coffee, maybe?”

“No, thank you. Alejandro is waiting in the van, and I know both you and Zach need to take Taylor to school and get to work.”

“We have some time. Zach should be out soon. Did you come by to see him?”

“I’ve come to see both of you.”

“Oh, okay. Well, you can have a seat if you’d like, and I’ll go let him know you’re here.”

“Thank you.”