Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79800 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79800 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
“I didn’t think this through. You’d have to have a background check to come in with me and visit with the kids.”
“Good thing they already have mine on file, then, huh?” I say.
He whips his head to the side, surprise evident in his features. “They do? Here?”
I nod. “Yeah, I usually come here on my days off. It’s important to me to give back to those who are walking in my old shoes. I want them to see what life looks like after the system if they keep their head on straight and work hard.”
“You come here?”
I smile. “I do.”
“I’ve never seen you here before.”
“How often are you here?”
“Not often during the season, but I try to get here when I can. In the offseason, a couple of times a week.”
“I guess we’ve always been here on opposite days, or we never stood out to the other person.”
“I would have remembered you, Eden.” His voice is gruff, and his brown eyes are boring into mine, willing me to believe him.
“I guess fate finally brought us together,” I tease to lighten the mood. Because he’s right. I would have remembered him, too, and hearing him say he would have remembered me has my heart squeezing inside my chest.
“Fate,” he muses. “Is that something you believe in?”
“I definitely think there are elements in life that we can’t control. Whether or not that’s a supernatural power, I don’t know. I don’t know if it’s fate, the stars aligning, good luck, or just circumstances. Whatever the reason, you and I met, and now, we’re here. At a place that holds reminders of how we grew up. For me, it was this place, for you, somewhere different, but no matter where, the concept is still the same.” I nod toward the building. “Beyond those walls, there are kids who feel scared, rejected, and alone, and we both want to take those feelings away for them, even if only for a few hours.”
“You were here?”
I nod. “Yeah, off and on between families. They were good to me.”
Foster swallows hard. “We don’t have to go in. I mean, since they know you. If you don’t want to go in with me, we can leave.”
“Why wouldn’t I want to go in with you?”
He shrugs, and I see a glimpse of the little boy and the young man who was constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. I know him well. I am him. But years of therapy have helped me understand it wasn’t me. It was the circumstances of my situation, but it was never me. “We’re doing this, Mr. Vaughn. I had planned to come tomorrow, so I’ll just clean for you tomorrow, and it’s all good.” I smile reassuringly. At least I hope it reassures him.
“Nah, keep your day off,” he tells me.
“I don’t mind.”
He gives me a pointed look, one that says don’t argue with me, and I laugh.
“Fine, I’ll take tomorrow off. Now, are we doing this?”
“Yeah, Eden, we’re doing this.” Grabbing his keys, he climbs out of the SUV, and I do the same. We meet at the bottom of the steps and share a smile. Foster places his hand on the small of my back and guides me up the steps and inside.
His hand wrapped around mine is warm and comforting as we check in at the office and pick up our visitor badges before heading to the communal room. As soon as we enter, the kids are calling our names, excited to see us. Foster places his hands on my shoulders, giving them a gentle squeeze, and that touch says more than words could. It says, I’m here with you. We’re in this together, and yeah, we’ve been here, and we’re giving them hope to hold on to.
I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face even if I tried. Today has taken an unexpected turn, the kind that quietly reshapes how you see someone. I learned so much about the handsome football player. He’s more than the position people chant his name for, more than the headlines or the expectations. Beneath all of that is someone thoughtful, curious, and surprisingly familiar in such a short amount of time.
Ending up here together feels both accidental and inevitable. The realization that we each come to this place on our own, seeking the same connection with these kids who lived a life like ours without ever knowing the other did the same, wraps around my heart in the softest way. Today hasn’t been grand or dramatic. It’s subtle, sincere, and honest.
Today, it feels dangerously like the beginning of something unspoken, a shared understanding hovering in the air between us. Whatever tomorrow brings can wait. For now, this unexpected connection is enough.
Chapter Five
Foster
* * *
“Is there anything else for today?” Eden asks.
“Yes, actually,” I tell her.