Us After You

by Claudia Burgoa

  Sage grins and takes out two plastic bags from her purse. “I forgot! Nana had Alex make this for you two. Well, for everyone.”

  Fitz chuckles when he sees the t-shirt #TeamMae. “God, I love Hannah. She’s the best of the Sinners.”

  “He shouldn’t be here,” I say, when I spot Douglas. “There’s a restraining order against him.”

  “We called earlier, requesting his dismissal due to the restraining order. Unfortunately, the judge will allow him to be in the room and leave after he testifies,” Fitz informs me. “Sage, will you be okay with him in the room?”

  She nods, touching her wrist. The tattoo that says strength, and I wish I could touch it—touch her.

  My parents walk in a few minutes before the hearing begins.

  “Mom,” I say with relief. “You didn’t have to come.”

  Matt arches an eyebrow and shakes his head.

  “But thank you,” I finish my sentence. “It means a lot that you guys are here.”

  “We wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, Tuck,” Mom assures me, giving me a hug. “Mae is ours.”

  “She’s a Decker too, just like me,” I agree.

  Mom kisses my cheek. My dads hug me, and the three go and talk to Sage right before we start the ordeal.

  At ten, we enter the courtroom. The first person to testify is Genevieve Heywood.

  “How many times have you seen your granddaughter?” her lawyer asks.

  “None. They won’t let me see her. The day I went to visit, they escorted me out of her house and forbid me to see my grandchild,” she sniffs, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. “Sage has never liked me. She always said I was too hard; I just tried to be a good mother. We paid good money to send her to MIT.

  “I paid for her wedding and how did she repay us? By dragging our good name through a scandal. She left Douglas and now this. I regret letting her quit therapy. She … she’s never been stable. That’s how she lost the baby. She tried to kill herself.”

  Hunter rises from his seat and says, “Your honor, if I can share my call log with other proof of communication with Mrs. Heywood.”

  “Allowed,” he says.

  He delivers a copy to the Heywood lawyers too.

  “After Mrs. Heywood visited her daughter—where she threatened Sage if she didn’t give up the baby—I contacted her and informed her that she could have scheduled visitations with her granddaughter. She could contact me anytime she wanted to visit her. She never did. Before Thanksgiving and then Christmas, I placed a call to her lawyer, extending an invitation to spend the holidays with the Deckers. She didn’t respond. We did the same for New Year’s. There’s a detailed log with a transcript of every call I had with her lawyer too.”

  “I can’t just drop my life when Sage and that man decide I can see my grandchild.”

  “You could’ve called to request a visitation at your convenience,” Hunter says firmly.

  Douglas is the next person called to the stand. Before he starts, Hunter asks the judge to discuss a matter in private. They march to the judge’s quarters for a few minutes, and when they came back, the judge dismisses him.

  “Douglas has evidence that points to Sage being unfit to raise my grandchild,” Mrs. Heywood protests. Her lawyer shakes his head and whispers something in her ear.

  Hunter looks at the judge and asks, “May I proceed?”

  The judge nudges in response.

  “Mr. Ritzy, are you aware that lying to a judge while under oath is perjury?” he asks Douglas who sits on the stand.

  “I’m not a lawyer, Mr. Everhart,” he says, snickering.

  “Well, let me educate you. Lying to the judge during this hearing is considered perjury. Perjury in the state of Washington can be punishable for up to ten years. Would you like to continue your statement? The judge is aware of what really happened to Ms. Heywood at the hospital on the day you claim she tried to commit suicide.”

  He also hands over a manila folder. “Mr. Ritzy, you’ve been served.”

  “What? This is inexcusable. I’m here to help my in-laws, Mr. and Mrs. Heywood.”

  “I suggest you hire a lawyer,” Hunter says. “Also, your divorce was finalized years ago. Stop saying Sage Heywood is your wife or I’ll add that to the lawsuit.”

  Douglas opens the envelope, pulls out the papers, and after glancing at them, serves Sage with a menacing look. I control myself, because if I lose my shit, I could lose my girls.

  “This isn’t my family anymore,” Douglas declares, spitting venom as he speaks. “She’s not a good mother, but it’s on your conscience what you do with that innocent girl, judge.”

  He leaves the room, and I walk behind him.

  “Douglas,” I call out, and he stops. “Stay away from Sage. The next time you try to contact her, I won’t call the cops so they can throw you in jail. If you come close to her again, you’ll pay.”

  “Is that a threat?” he asks with such arrogance that I’m so close to punching him. But I don’t.

  “No, it’s a promise. I trained with the best. My grandfather is a Ranger. I’ve taken down dictators and rescued women from dangerous traffickers,” I mumble under my breath, making sure no one can hear me or read my lips. This will stay between us. “You won’t see me coming, but you’ll pay for everything you did to Sage.”

  He turns white and walks away, looking behind him.

  When I enter the courtroom, Sage is on the stand.

  “Sure, she goes to childcare for a couple of hours. We want her to socialize with children her own age,” she explains.

  Thank fuck, she doesn’t add how much Mae hates when we drop her off. She’d rather go to Nana’s or Ethan’s office than spend an hour socializing with other babies. She’s pretty social and gets along with other kids—outside childcare. She’s best friends with Alex’s nephews and nieces.

  “Our offices are pretty similar to her nursery,” Sage continues. “We want her to feel at home when she comes to work with us. However, we only go there two, maybe three times a week. It’s a learning process, but I think we balance family and work pretty well.”

  “You don’t have the financial power to raise a child. Are you hoping to access the money her parents left her?” the Heywoods’ lawyer asks. “You’re already living in their family home—for free.”

  “I’m capable of supporting myself,” she says defensively. “The house never belonged to Patrick and Sienna. They were renting it from their friends.”

  She tilts her head toward me. “Tucker Decker is one of the owners. If anything, he’s the one letting me live at his home for free.”

  “You should’ve done your job, McNeill,” Hunter says, rising from his seat. “Judge, could I approach the bench to give you the financial information of my clients?”

  The judge nods, and Hunter gives a copy to the Heywoods’ lawyer as well.

  “The house belongs to Mr. Decker, Alexander Spearman, and Hannah Hades. They leased the building to the Rokus family in good faith. After their deaths, they returned the rent money to Mae’s trust fund. As you can read on page twenty, Patrick Rokus requested a trust to be established with all his assets for Mae.

  “Those assets have been invested in a low risk portfolio. No one—not even Mr. Decker nor Ms. Heywood—have access to her money. Mae Brooke Rokus will be able to withdraw money from the trust at the age of twenty-five.”

  “That child needs access to that money now,” Mrs. Heywood protests.

  “On page fourteen, you can go through the financial information of Ms. Heywood and Mr. Decker. They have established residency with the infant. In case they decide to live apart, Mr. Decker has set up child support for the infant, not limited to thirty thousand dollars a month.”

  The judge nods and calls Ms. Johnson. She reads her report. Describing the house, the way we behaved while answering her questions. Our schedule, the journal we keep that includes every milestone.

  “The journal is better than any baby book I’ve seen,”
she informs the judge, and I’m thankful for Hannah’s idea. “They love the baby as if she was theirs. During my visits, there weren’t many changes in behavior or stability. Mae is growing in a healthy environment. You can see she’s a happy baby. They have a stable home, and I recommend keeping her with them.”

  Hunter looks at me, and I nod.

  “Your honor, my clients have one last request. If you agree that they’re fit parents, they’d like to petition for her adoption.”

  He hands the paperwork that we filled out while they were building the case for today. Sage and I want this over with. No more courts, no more battles. We just want our baby.

  The judge looks at it and says, “This is unorthodox.” He continues scanning the papers Hunter gave him. “They’re not married, guardianship is already unheard of. Adoption …”

  He stops, his gaze lifts and looks at Sage and then at me, exhaling loudly.

  Hunter gives him a cocky smirk before he speaks, “You have everything to close the case. They’d love very much for Mae to become Mae Brooke Rokus Decker.”

  The judge asks for a few minutes with the lawyers. Before McNeill agrees, he speaks with Mr. and Mrs. Heywood in hushed voices. He then follows Hunter. I want to reach for Sage’s hand to reassure her everything will be fine. But I won’t do it until this is over.

  Fitz and Hunter did everything they could to secure our future.

  When I glance at Sage, she gives me a knowing and reassuring smile. Mae is ours. I just hope everyone forgives us for what we did.

  Mom squeezes my hand. “It’ll be fine, Tuck. Mae’s a Decker.”

  I turn and say, “You did it so you could save us both.”

  “What?” she asks, confused.

  “Now, I understand. You loved me enough to save yourself.”

  She smiles and nods, giving me a side hug. “I just wanted you to have a better life than I could offer. What if I couldn’t sober up? You’d be stuck with a sick person and no future. I relapsed a couple of times after I gave you away. It was for the best.”

  Before I couldn’t see it. Now, I do. Rocco’s mom had options like mine, and she chose not to care.

  He’s gone because he was never taught to see the real beauty in life. His pain went deeper than just the loss of his wife. It was the loss of his childhood. Never being able to hold onto those he loved. He never found peace or believed that he deserved happiness.

  I look at Mom, at my fathers, then at Sage. I think of Mae, Nana, Zeke, and Ethan. I’m so fucking lucky to have them. My life wouldn’t be complete without them. Giving your child to a stranger in good faith is a sacrifice.

  It wasn’t because she didn’t love me, but because she loved me so much that she dared to hope for something more—for both of us. Even if we had to go our separate ways.

  “I love you,” I say. “Thank you for doing it. I’m sorry for judging you so harshly. I promise to be better.”

  “Just be you. I couldn’t be prouder of the man you became, Tuck.” She kisses my cheek and squeezes my hand.

  A few minutes later, although it feels like years, the judge and our lawyers come back. Hunter grins, looks at Sage, then at me.

  Mae is finally ours.

  The air is finally lighter. I can breathe.

  It’s even better when the judge says, “I approve the adoption. Mr. Everhart, make sure you proceed accordingly.”

  The moment we’re dismissed, everyone congratulates us. I promise Mom I’ll be home for dinner tomorrow—with my family. The Heywoods leave without speaking to us. I wish it was different, but maybe it’s for the best that Mae doesn’t have to deal with them.

  As the room clears, I reach for Sage, giving her a hug and lifting her from the floor.

  “It’s over,” I mumble in her ear.

  “No, it’s just beginning,” she whispers, wrapping her arms around my neck. “She’s ours.”

  “We’re hers,” I correct her.

  “What happened with Douglas?” she asks, once I set her down.

  “Nothing, I just told him to stay away from you,” I say, brushing a few auburn strands away from her face. “As long as I’m around, he’ll never touch you. That’s a promise—Mrs. Decker.”

  “Oh, God, I can’t believe we got married,” she gushes, and I pull out the ring I saved for her after she said I do.

  It’s very simple, a princess cut set in a platinum band. That’s all Clint could get me in such short notice, but I promised Sage, I’d get her the perfect ring soon. Nana said she’d take care of it along with everything I asked after Sage and I said I do.

  Sage doesn’t care about the ring or having a wedding. All she cares is that we’re finally together. But I want to give her everything she deserves.

  That’s why I fell so hard for her. She sees me. She loves me.

  Tucker Decker isn’t a name nor a brand. For her, he’s just a man, and she knows him better than anyone else in the world.

  She loves me—just me.

  “You’re married?” Matt asks, and I just now realize we’re not alone. Mom and my dads are still here.

  “It’s complicated,” I answer, laughing, because I’m so fucking happy that we did it. “I mean, we want to be together—forever. Fitz thought this would be the best way to ensure that Mae would be ours and—”

  “We need her more than we need a party,” Sage finishes. “I’m sorry we didn’t invite you, but we literally did it earlier today.”

  “I thought they pushed against you being together,” Tristan asks, confused.

  “That’s for the guardianship,” I explain. “To adopt her, it would be impossible if we’re not committed to each other, which we are. I love this woman with all my being, and I can’t think of any other person I want to spend my life with but her. I know it’s different, and I promise we’re happy. This is all we need, for us to be together and the promise that Mae is ours—forever.”

  Tristan hugs me tightly. “I’m so proud of you, son. I know it’s been hard, but you made the best out of your life.”

  “Even when I fucked up so much?”

  “Maybe because you fucked up so much,” he says.

  Matt hugs me too, same as Mom who welcomes Sage into our family.

  Epilogue

  Sage

  Tuck’s parents insist we celebrate our nuptials over the weekend. We make non-committal noises and head to pick up Mae. All I need right now is to hug her. In a week, we have to go in front of the judge to make it official.

  It’s our Gotcha Day. It’s been a long, almost nine months, wait.

  “Do you realize that we practically waited for this the same amount of time that a pregnancy lasts?”

  “Which isn’t the same, as Alex likes to point out every day,” Tuck answers, grabbing my hand and kissing it, before he continues driving. “Would you like to find out if he’s right?”

  I laugh and shake my head. “Maybe in a couple of years when Mae is older.”

  His phone buzzes, and he plays the text on the dashboard.

  “Spearman says, Decker, would you mind bringing a pint of lemon poppyseed sorbet from the creamery next to the office?”

  “No,” Tucker responds back and tries to call him, but it goes to voicemail.

  “Fucker, I’m five minutes from the house. Can you send Clint for it?”

  The reply makes me laugh. “Nana is about to become Momzilly. Please, I’ll owe you.”

  “That sounds like something Zeke would say,” Tucker grunts but makes a U-turn at the next light.

  With traffic, it takes us almost an hour to arrive at Hannah’s house. I’m tired, but not hungry, because I had a triple scoop strawberry ice cream.

  “She better be grateful for this,” he protests, as we get out of the car. “I swear, she’s getting fucking ridiculous. Why didn’t they send Ethan? He works right next to this place.”

  We walk to the front door, and he looks around. “This isn’t right.”

  “What?”

  He shak
es his head. “Something is different. I just can’t place my finger on it. We’re not ringing the doorbell. I’m going to open the door slowly, go inside, and check the place. You stay here.”

  “You’re being paranoid.”

  “Trust me.”

  He enters the house, closes the door behind him. I look around the area. There’s nobody. My stomach clenches when he takes too long to come outside. I dial 9-1-1 on my phone but don’t press the call button yet.

  I push the door open and hear one loud noise. “Surprise!”

  Tucker is in the foyer, bent down on one knee, where Mae sits, looking at me excitedly with a toothy smile. He’s holding a different ring from the one I’m wearing. This one looks almost exactly like what I described earlier today to Hannah.

  It’s a round, center stone diamond on a halo vintage set. It’s adorned by clusters of diamonds and layers of intricate detail.

  “Talk about unexpected and unconventional,” he says. “That’s us. This is who we became after her. I know this morning we made a decision out of love for Mae, but I want you to remember this marriage isn’t only about our daughter, but us. About how much you mean to me. I don’t know what I did to deserve someone like you, but I’m so happy that you came into my life.

  “This is a promise that from this day forward, nothing between us will be left unsaid. A promise that I’ll always love you, even when you don’t like me for fucking up. It’s a promise that I’ll always do my damn best to deserve you—and to keep you safe.

  “I’m not a safe bet, but I’ll always be here to protect you. To protect my family—always.”

  “Tuck,” I whisper, throwing my arms around him, kissing him on the cheek and then taking Mae from him.

  “Hey, baby,” I greet her.

  “Ma-ma,” she squeals, placing a sloppy kiss on my cheek.

  I cry happy tears because I’ve never been this lucky. I not only have one, but two people who love me unconditionally, and being part of their world is all I could wish for. Tuck hugs us both, and there isn’t anything better than being here in this moment.

  Nana whistles and everyone around us stops whispering. All the attention is back on us. That’s when I realize the house is full. I see everyone. My grandparents, Tucker’s family, Hunter, Fitz, and at the front of everyone, there’s Nana, Alex, Ethan, and Zeke.