This Is Forever (This Is, #4)

by Natasha Madison

So many things are going through my mind that I don’t know where to start. “This is either the best thing ever, or it’s going to blow up in my face,” I tell the universe while I make my plan for the next day.

This tiny woman who comes at me with guns blazing and ready to go to war doesn’t even know how much she is worth.

He’s never had anything that was brand new and his own. Everything from his clothes to his shoes have always been secondhand.

“You do that,” I tell her, and she storms out. Putting my head down, I look at the phone in my hand with still no word from her. I walk back into the meeting, and I don’t even know what we discussed after that because the only thing on my mind was Caroline.

“He’s nobody, and he was just leaving.” Her voice comes out strong and firm. I look at her. “Thank you for bringing Dylan home. We’ll see you tomorrow.” And just like that, my heart breaks for the woman who I thought was mine.

This woman is going to push me to be like Matthew, I think. Suddenly, everything that he’s ever done makes so much sense.

I look up at the ceiling, and for the first time in my life, I pray that in the end we both get what we need and what we want.

“I want to buy Mom flowers,” he says. “Will you lend me the money?” I want to laugh out loud. “You got it,” I say. When we enter the flower shop twenty minutes later, he walks straight to the woman. “I want some flowers for my mom,” he tells the lady, who smiles at him and looks at me. “Her favorite color is purple.” “Is this for a special occasion?” the lady asks. “No, it’s just to tell her that I love her,” he says,

“It’s just a little something.” Then I look at Dylan. “Remember what I said. You buy little things to make her happy and to let her know you think about her all the time.”

I found out that Caroline is two years and two days older than me.

“Yeah, and then I can take care of you,” he says, putting his head back. “And you won’t have to worry anymore.”

“Is it okay if I love him?” he asks in a soft, scared voice. “Just because I love him doesn’t mean I love my dad less.”

“It means that tomorrow, the whole world will know that I’ve been traded,” I tell them, and Dylan starts to cry. “What’s the matter, buddy?” “You’re going to move away from us,” he says, “and you are going to get another family.”