And All Their Stars (Water, Air, Earth, Fire, #2.5)

by Riley Nash

“I can think of nothing that would make me happier in the world than to have children who turn out just like you, Jonah Scott.”

like a business-casual Eye of Sauron.

“You’re the fucking man. Thank you. I never thought someone would try so hard for me.” Just looking at his face makes my heart expand until it breaks apart into a thousand bittersweet shards. He’s my true north, the only path I’ll ever walk. I lace my fingers with his. “For you, anything.” I’ve never meant anything more.

“There’s no reason to be afraid, because you’re my yesterday, my today, and all my tomorrows. I don’t have a past, present, or future that isn’t you.”

And when I do, my heart stops because this feels right in a way I’ve only felt twice before, once with Jonah and once with Kenzie. Forget plans, forget spreadsheets, forget my fucking hangups. This one’s mine, and right now I’d burn down anything that tried to take him from me.

“But I promise I won’t abandon you. I won’t let you disappear. I won’t let you be forgotten. You’re so brave, and now I’m going to take care of you.”

“You’re everything I thought I’d never have, and I would be nothing without you. I promise I will always love you, Jonah.”

“Baby,” I breathe. “God I love you so much. I’m going to hold you, and take care of you, and remind you to smile every single day for the rest of our lives. And I’m gonna make sure you always know that Kenzie and Eli and I chose you. You mean everything to us. And I promise you’ll never be alone. Do you understand?”

When I used to sit out here as a kid and read to the frogs for hours, I tried to imagine how it would feel to not be lonely, a question I’ve been asking for as long as I can remember. But not this time. Today, all the precious things we used to dream about are right here, right now, just like this.