Chapter 10 - The Warmth of the Light
The blue and red flashing lights of dozens of law enforcement vehicles painted the wet pavement of the rail yard in shifting hues of color. Federal agents from Homeland Security were swarming the property, cataloging the illegal shipments, while medical personnel tended to Jenna in the back of an ambulance.
I stood near the open back door of my SUV, holding a hot paper cup of coffee that a paramedic had handed me. The rain had finally stopped, leaving the night air crisp, clear, and quiet.
The back door of the SUV opened, and Chloe stepped out onto the gravel drive.
She looked past the police cruisers, past the bright floodlights, and caught sight of her mother sitting on the edge of the ambulance stretcher wrapped in a yellow shock blanket.
"Mommy!" Chloe shouted—a loud, clear, joyful sound that broke through the quiet night air.
Jenna turned her head, dropped her blanket, and ran across the gravel lawn. She dropped to her knees, opening her arms wide as Chloe sprinted directly into them. The two of them crashed together in a tight, weeping embrace, Jenna kissing her daughter’s face over and over again while Chloe buried her face in her mother’s shoulder.
Elise walked up beside me, watching her sister and niece with tears streaming down her face. She reached down, her fingers sliding into mine, wrapping around my hand tightly.
"I don't even know how to thank you," Elise whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "You saved my family tonight, Damian. You risked everything for people you didn't even know."
I looked down at her, smiling gently as I squeezed her hand. "I think we skipped a few steps on a standard first date, but I’d say we made up for lost time."
Elise laughed softly, leaning her shoulder against mine as we watched Jenna and Chloe. "So... does this mean there’s going to be a second date?"
"Only if it’s somewhere quiet," I said with a grin. "And only if I’m allowed to pick the restaurant next time."
Chloe pulled away from her mother’s hug, looked over at the two of us, and raised her hands into the soft blue light of the police cruisers.
She signed three words, her face lit up by the brightest, happiest smile I had ever seen on a child.
MY NEW FAMILY.
May you like
Elise looked up at me, her eyes shining with warmth, and for the first time in fifteen years, my hands didn't feel rusty at all as I raised them into the night air and signed back:
ALWAYS AND FOREVER.
