Avery
"Thank God, Whit. Our prayers are being answered."
"Don't stop," she said. "I'm not out of the woods yet."
"I'm on my way."
I looked in the mirror and thanked God and hoped he'd forgotten all the cursing I'd fired his way. Maybe that was why he was answering our prayers now. We were a fiery lot, sometimes.
"She tamed the bastard," I said to the face in the mirror.
I didn't want to get my hopes up. Not just yet. I'd seen how quickly life could change, but any win was worth celebrating, so I grabbed my backpack and headed for the interstate. Fuck the view today.
The anticipation was me, five years old at Christmas. Except I wasn't hoping to unwrap gifts. I was ready to wrap them in my arms.
And there was Santa-fucking-Claus’s ride, right outside Mom's door. Like God had told him to get the fuck there because silly-ass me didn't know how to make the next move.
I was smiling before I'd even gotten off the bike, and when I saw him sitting there with my mom and my little sis, I didn't know who to throw my arms around first. They all deserved the biggest hug.
I said my man without thinking. But maybe something inside me already knew.
If there was going to be another man in my life, someone special, it had to be him.
I'd shaved my hair to support Whitney’s journey, and he'd done everything he could to support the one he thought I was on.
Even when he wasn't sure whether I was into men.
That was some kind of man to me. One any woman would be stupid to let go of.
And when he kissed me… I felt it in my soul.