Chapter 41
Chapter Forty-One
Summer
I walked into the Ridgeview Foster Home with my heart racing, the nerves settling deep in my chest. Today was the day we finally told Jake he was safe—that Peter Hale was never going to take him away.
I knew he had been waiting, probably unable to sleep last night, his small mind racing with fear and uncertainty.
I couldn’t blame him. That’s all his life had been so far—uncertainty, fear, survival.
But today, we were finally giving him something else. Today, we were giving him peace.
Malcolm walked beside me, his presence as steady as ever.
He was quiet, but not in the way that made me question him.
It was the kind of quiet that carried certainty, control, purpose.
He was here because he wanted to be, because somewhere along the way, Jake had become just as important to him as he was to me.
He didn’t say much, but I could feel the tension in his body, the slight flex of his hands as if he, too, was bracing for impact.
Carrie met us at the entrance, her expression soft but knowing as she led us toward Jake’s room.
“He’s been anxious all morning,” she whispered.
“Didn’t even touch his breakfast.” Her words tightened the knot in my stomach.
I knew he would be scared, but hearing that he was physically unable to eat made it all too real.
The weight of how much he had been through settled heavily on my chest. He had been waiting for the verdict, dreading that someone might take him away from what little sense of security he had found here.
I exhaled, steadying myself before pushing open the door.
The moment I stepped inside, I saw Jake sitting on his bed, his knees pulled up to his chest, his small fingers gripping the edge of his blanket.
His head snapped up at the sound of the door creaking, and the second his eyes landed on me, I saw the fear there—the kind that made my heart ache in ways I wasn’t sure I could describe.
“Hey, buddy,” I said softly, stepping closer.
His lip wobbled slightly, his hands twisting together in his lap. “Is he… Did they…?” His voice cracked, unable to finish the sentence. The way he looked at me, desperate, afraid to hope, shattered something inside me. I knelt in front of him, reaching out to place my hand gently over his.
“Jake,” I said firmly, waiting until his big, scared eyes met mine. “He’s not coming for you.”
His breathing hitched, his small frame going completely still.
“He’s never going to take you away,” I continued, my voice strong and sure. “The judge denied his request. You’re safe now. You never have to see him again.”
For a moment, he didn’t react. He just sat there, staring at me, like his brain was struggling to process the words, like he was too scared to believe them. I felt Malcolm step closer, his presence a quiet reassurance. Then, all at once, Jake launched himself into my arms.
I barely caught him as his little body collided with mine, his arms wrapping around my neck with an almost desperate force.
His tiny fingers clung to me, his shoulders shaking as he let out a choked sound.
I squeezed him tightly, rubbing soothing circles on his back as I felt him breathe in deep, as if trying to make sure I was really there.
“Thank you,” he mumbled into my shoulder. “Thank you, thank you, thank you…”
Tears burned at the back of my eyes, but I held them back.
This moment wasn’t about me. It was about him, about making sure he knew that this wasn’t a dream, that no one was going to take him away.
I was so focused on keeping him close, on making sure he knew he was safe, that I barely noticed Malcolm stepping forward.
“There’s more,” Malcolm said casually, his voice carrying a teasing edge.
I pulled back slightly, turning to look at him, my brows furrowing. “More?”
Jake sniffled, wiping at his face with his sleeve as he, too, looked at Malcolm with curiosity.
Malcolm leaned down to Jake’s level, his lips twitching in amusement. “I think this calls for a celebration, don’t you?” His tone was light, teasing. “How about… Disneyland?”
Jake froze.
For a second, I thought maybe he didn’t hear him correctly. Then, with a sudden burst of energy, he practically shot off the bed, his wide eyes blinking rapidly. “ARE YOU SERIOUS?!”
Malcolm smirked. “No, just a cardboard cutout of Cinderella in the parking lot.”
Jake’s jaw dropped. His excitement dimmed for half a second as he processed Malcolm’s words. “Wait… really?”
Malcolm snorted. “No, kid. The real Disneyland.”
Jake let out an ear-piercing scream of excitement before launching into a chaotic, joyful dance that involved a lot of jumping, spinning, and incoherent shouting. I stared at Malcolm, utterly dumbfounded.
“You planned this without telling me?” I asked, still trying to catch up.
Malcolm shrugged, completely unapologetic. “You never asked.”
I gaped at him, my brain still trying to process how he had managed to pull off something so huge without a single word to me. Meanwhile, Jake was still bouncing in excitement.
“We’re really going? All of us?”
Malcolm tilted his head. “I mean, unless you don’t want Summer to come…”
Jake’s excitement came to a screeching halt. His head snapped toward me with wide, panicked eyes. “NO! Summer has to come too!” He grabbed my hand, shaking it with urgency. “You’re coming, right?! You have to come!”
I blinked at him, still overwhelmed by the entire situation, but there was no way I was going to say no. I ruffled his hair, laughing softly. “Of course I’m coming, buddy.”
Jake let out another cheer before running around the room, practically vibrating with joy.
I turned back to Malcolm, lowering my voice. “I don’t know whether to be impressed or concerned that you just drop things like this on me.”
Malcolm’s smirk widened. “You love it.”
I rolled my eyes, but I didn’t argue, because honestly?
He wasn’t wrong. I wasn’t mad at him. If anything, I was grateful.
Jake had been through so much, and for the first time, he was just getting to be a kid.
Malcolm had made that possible without hesitation, without even thinking twice about it.
He just did it. He just gave Jake the childhood moments he had never had.
As I watched Jake run outside to the playground, telling the other kids about the trip like it was the best news of his life, I felt something warm settle in my chest. Malcolm had already done so much, had already proven he was here, that he was serious about being a part of Jake’s life.
And maybe, just maybe, I was starting to realize that he was becoming a part of mine, too.
I shook my head fondly as I turned back to him. “You’re impossible.”
Malcolm just smirked, his eyes twinkling with something unreadable. “Get used to it.”
I had a feeling I already was.