Page 181 of Restitution

He flattens his lips. “You’re not going to subject your spawn to another viewing of the movie of the show you just watched here, right?”

“Hey!” Roman scolds. “I like that movie!”

Base shakes his head. “You would say that. You’re just your father in a younger form.”

My son scowls at him. He loves him really, but he’s very protective of his little unit. Even if Base is technically a mafia leader.

Stacey grins and takes my hand, leading me towards the door. “We’ll see you all at our place for Christmas?”

They all agree, and I smile at my girl as she looks over at me.

It all feels normal. We are normal.

We’ve never been normal before.

But now, since there’s no Bernadette and no Chris forcing us to the edge of darkness, and we don’t feel like we’re in forbidden territory being together, Stacey and I can just… be.

Everyone knows she’s mine. And everyone knows I’m hers. Everything has fallen into place for us, and now we have it all.

I don’t regret letting myself get arrested all those years ago, because otherwise I wouldn’t have this. I wouldn’t have Stacey smiling at me as we walk our son, daughter and nephew to the car to head home and watchThe Greatest Showmanwith bowls of junk food.

The fulfilling feeling of mattering to someone so much that they’re still by my side even now, after everything – it’s surreal. But Stacey’s always been there. Through everything. She’s been there.

Our broken puzzle pieces are finally firmly in place, and they’ll never be torn apart again. Because we get to have this. We get to have everything we’ve ever wanted.

Kade Mitchell and Stacey Rhodes – the fifteen-year-olds who met by the pool twenty years ago – finally get to have their forever.

THE END