Page 103 of The Souls We Claim

“Arianne,” her father says when he reaches us. “You’ve caused a lot of people a lot of worry.”

“I don’t know why,” she replies. “I’ve communicated with you about my plans.”

Her mother reaches out to Arianne and touches her arm. “The worry is that this isn’t like you, to suddenly decide to leave your husband, home, and family to come here and…”

She looks up at me, a wrinkle in her nose, as if I’m something she stepped in.

“Mom,” Arianne snaps. “This is Jackson Flynn, Navy SEAL and recipient of two silver stars. You’ll show him some respect. Jax, this is my mom and dad. Jo-Ann and Marshall.”

“You found them?” I ask, ignoring her folks. Those medals are in the cupboard in the family room.

She glances up at me with a sweet smile. “I needed evidence you weren’t a serial killer when you first let me stay here.”

I bark out a laugh. “Not sure that’s going any distance to reassure your mom.”

“I wasn’t trying to reassure her; I was trying to reassure you.”

I touch her cheek, and her father coughs. “Is this where you are living?” he asks, and I want to punch him in the face for looking down on a house I’ve renovated and that the realtor estimates is worth $750,000.

“It is.”

There’s another cry from inside the house, and this one catches Arianne’s parents’ attention. “I need to go get her,” I say. “Make your folks coffee to prove to them we aren’t heathens.”

Once I get to Lola’s room, she’s on her feet, holding on to the edge of the crib. “Hey, Lollipop. Look at you standing up.”

Her bottom lip flops out, and her eyes are red and blotchy, but she calms when she sees me. The little pout shifts into a smile as she reaches out her arms to me and then promptly falls to her butt without support.

“‘Nana?”

“I’ll get you a banana when we get downstairs. And some yogurt.”

I scoop her out of her crib and hold her close, and while I’ve always loved her as my sister, I realize Iloveher. I love her like my own. And I make a decision right then and there.

She’s my daughter.

“I’m gonna raise you as my little girl, Lo. How do you feel about that?” I lay her down on the changing mat and then blow a raspberry on her tummy that makes her giggle.

Her fist goes into her mouth, and I wiggle her wrist to playfully take it out again. “I’ll take that as a yes. I’ll tell you when you are older who you really are, and I’ll tell you about our dad at some point too. But you’re going to have a normal childhood, kid. And I’m going to protect you from those cunts downstairs, which, if I ever hear you say the word ‘cunt,’ you will be grounded.”

“No, no, no,” Lola replies with a smile that tells me she thinks she’s agreeing.

“Exactly. So, do we have a deal?”

Lola grips onto my pinky finger.

“I’m gonna take that as a pinkie promise. I promise I’m going to be the best dad I can be. And Ari is going to be your mom. Can you say ‘mom’?”

“Mom, mom, mom, mom,” she says.

“Yeah. Your mom. And we’re going to love you so hard, you never have to worry we don’t accept you.” For a moment, I think about the two kids in our raid. Jax and River, wondering what would have happened to the two of them if they’d had other options. I hope they changed their ways. I remove her onesie and open her diaper. “Jesus Christ, Lo. For a pretty girl, you sure do nasty poops in the morning.”

At that she laughs. And I realize if this is the way I start my day every day, Arianne making coffee, and Lola and I taking a minute while I change her, then I’m going to be a very fortunate man.

The smell of coffee filters up the stairs, and I’m dying for a cup. I’m running on fumes. I finish cleaning Lola up quickly and dress her in a pretty yellow sundress.

“Ball?” she asks.

“Later, sweetheart.”