WARNING- THIS IS WRITTEN AFTER THE REDEMPTION SAGA AND CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE END OF THE SERIES.
Copyrighted Kristen Banet, 2019 All Right Reserved.
This is a first draft state and completely unedited.
Reupload from original Facebook Post
Sawyer had faced great evils, fought against powerful foes, and walked away from a terrible life with only dark memories and a life she could be proud of. A somewhat incomplete life, but a wondrous one.
Nothing had prepared her for this.
“Are you sure, little lady?” Elijah asked, wrapping an arm over her shoulder. “We can stop right now if you aren’t.”
“I’m sure,” she whispered, almost not believing the words. Just a year and a half prior she had turned thirty and come to a decision, knowing what she wanted, knowing what her gloriously yet incomplete life needed. Today she was finally seeing it through.
“We’re here for you if you need us,” Vincent said gently, leaning in to kiss her temple.
“I’m nervous. Anxious, but I’ll be okay. This is what I want.” She nodded, as if she were reaffirming her decision as she said it out loud.
“It’s a big thing. We’re all ready for it, have no doubt, but it’s still big,” Jasper reminded her. She grinned at him, feeling almost crazy. Her perfect men. They were all ready for it. Every one of them had successful careers, pieces of happiness that were perfect for them. Since leaving the IMPO, that had been the most important thing for all of them. She was about to find her important thing, though. Something they had all known she wanted.
“She wants it. We’re just along for the ride,” Zander said loudly. “Leave her be. Once they come in and get her, it’s going to be over. We’re in this for the long haul.”
“What he said,” Quinn mumbled, only glancing up briefly from the science journal he was reading. She was chuckling as his brows came together.
“Did they get something wrong?” she asked, leaning back in her seat, her head falling back onto Elijah’s arm.
“They always do,” he muttered. “I’ll write them a letter.”
“Like you always do.” Elijah was now shaking with laughter next to her.
“Sawyer Matthews?” a woman called from a door across the waiting room.
She stood up quickly and squared her shoulders. This was it.
“Love you guys,” she said quickly before scrambling off to follow the older woman. Once out of sight from the guys in the waiting room, Sawyer took a chance to look over the older woman next to her. She was probably in her sixties, maybe even seventies and something was strikingly familiar. “You worked at the Atlanta orphanage… fifteen years ago.”
“Yes and I know you lived there for your early life until you were adopted at sixteen. You’re a hard one to forget, Ms. Matthews.” The older woman looked up from her pad and Sawyer remembered her name. Lucy. Ms. Lucy, she had liked to be called.
“Ms. Lucy. So, what are you doing here?”
“This was given to the Atlanta orphanage to handle because we’re in Atlanta. Please.” Ms. Lucy shook her head and continued to walk down the hallway, Sawyer keeping pace easily. “Are you ready?”
“You aren’t going to try and tell me I shouldn’t? That I somehow don’t deserve this or would be awful at it?” Sawyer was actually surprised . It wouldn’t have been the first time she heard it. It was never said to her face, though. No one was that foolish. She was retired but that didn’t mean she lost the reputation. She was free, pardoned and comfortable in her own skin and the beautiful, but incomplete, life she had. That didn’t mean others were comfortable with her.
“I would have, but I knew you growing up. You wouldn’t have listened and found another way to get what you want. You and that Zander were always tenacious. It was never ending trouble with you two.” The older woman smiled sadly. “If I had known what would come from your life, I would have tried to do something to stop it.”
“No one could have known. I stopped caring about the what ifs a decade ago,” she replied, looking away.
“So, if the past doesn’t bother you, are you ready for your future?” Lucy grabbed her upper arm and squeezed. “This is a very big decision. Not everyone is ready for it.”
“I’ve done it before,” Sawyer mumbled, emotion overcoming her. “I’ve… missed it terribly. I want to try again.”
“You-”
“Helped raise a boy. He was practically mine.” Sawyer had to close her eyes and just think of those precious, big olive green eyes, so like his father’s and uncle’s. “He’s been gone a long time.”
“And are you trying to replace him?” Lucy seemed concerned now.
“No. I’m trying…” She couldn’t find the words. They had always stuck there on the tip of her tongue. She needed them now. She knew she did. Lucy wouldn’t’ let her go further without a real answer. “I’m trying to honor him. I’m trying to save someone from a life like the one I had with no support system except the one other children could offer me. I just want to. Helping raise…” She couldn’t say his name, not with emotions running so high. “It was a treasure in my life. I want the next one to be mine, though. Not someone else’s, but truly mine.” She wanted to fill an empty hole she had ignored since Henry’s death. She wanted to put someone else there but up until recently, it had been too early. She had decided it was finally time. She had decided the how, and now it was time to see it through.
Something changes on Ms. Lucy’s face. “Come with me.” They continued walking. Sawyer’s palms were sweaty now. “He’s only a week old. His parents were in an accident and the father didn’t survive. He died at the impact. His mother died from complications from the accident and childbirth. Both parents were Magi. We’ve been keeping him a little secret to make sure he’s stable since he was three weeks early, but he’s completely healthy.”
Sawyer’s heartbeat was so hard she could hear it in her ears. She could feel it in her fingers and toes. It drowned out most of what the woman was trying to tell her and she only caught bits and pieces.
“We haven’t legally named him, knowing any adoptive parents might want to since he’s so young.”
She closed her eyes for a moment. Perfect.
“He’ll need lots of love but if the rumors are right, your household should be able to provide it. We weren’t expecting you down so quickly. I mean, we only called yesterday. Did you jump on the first plane down here?”
“Yes,” she answered. Ms. Lucy had no idea. The guys were looking forward to this. Not as much as she was. This was for her in the end, but they supported her and would love anyone she brought home. She remembered the photo that was sent to her email. The call. She hadn’t gotten on a plane, actually. She had called in a contact through Thompson at the IMPO to get a portal and a hotel room for the night.
“Go meet him,” Ms. Lucy whispered, opening a door. “We’ve set this room up just for you and him.”
“Thank you.” Sawyer stepped in and saw the crib. An attendant walked out quickly, smiling to give Sawyer the moment alone.
The walk to the crib was slow. She was scared and nervous. She didn’t want to make a bad impression, which was absurd since she was the only person in the room who would remember the meeting.
She could finally see him. Tan skin, almost like her’s but a tiny bit darker, more earthy and less golden. Closer to Quinn’s. Big, chocolate eyes stared up at her, so unlike the olive green’s she was once in love with, but still bright and wonderful. He had dark brown wavy hair that she touched gently.
She couldn’t stop the tear that left her eye as she picked up the little baby.
“Oh, look at you, you beautiful little boy,” she murmured, holding him close. He made a gurgling nose and she wanted to melt. Tears were still flooding her eyes as she sat down in a corner rocking chair with him. She laid him gently on her thighs, playing his hands. His little chubby legs kicked.
She knew in an instant she was in love with him. That he was so completely perfect. She counted his toes and his fingers. Ten of each, all perfectly formed baby fingers and toes. She poked his little button nose. She tickled his belly, all while holding back tears.
“I love you,” she told him gently, a promise for years to come and a simple truth she couldn’t and wouldn’t ever deny. “I’ll always love you. I’ll always be there for you. I’ll protect you when you need it and help you soar when it’s time. We’re going to have grand adventures, you and I. You’ll love the men who want to be your fathers.” She leaned over and kissed his forehead. “But you’ll be a mama’s boy, because in the end, you’re going to be mine. My James Henry Matthews.”
And her wonderful but incomplete life suddenly felt perfectly full. She was holding her missing piece.