Catching Rainbows

40

At Keith's arraignment the following day, he was criminally charged with everything from the burning the mayor's house down to "willfully communicating a threat to cause another person harm or death" for telling Chloe he would kill her in front of the cops. The comment he'd made about burning my house down had only served to incriminate him further, and they'd given Chloe and me both restraining orders though they were holding him without bail.

Happily, it turned out money didn't always talk.

Chloe's family was singing a different tune as well now that truths had come to light, and showing the support that should have been there all along, had they not allowed themselves to be suckered into the asshole's bullshit. 

And Chloe herself was like a bird whose tiny iron cage had been opened, the joy and relief of freedom making her every movement looser as she regained her wings. I couldn't take my eyes off her, not that I wanted to; her smile was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.

A week later I was giving Hailie her plate of rolled-up turkey when I heard Chloe's car.

"Thank you, Lulu, this is actually just the way I happen to like this particular turkey," my little cousin said with satisfaction. Her doctor had upped her medication and it was definitely helping even more with her anxiety and OCD. We had also cut way back on the melatonin after learning that side effects of too much were irritation, anxiety, nightmares, and insomnia. We found that less than a fifth of the dose her doctors had us giving her was effective. 

I stressed a little on the fact that I hadn't researched it enough to know that, and she'd been having way too much for over a year. I couldn't go back and undo it, and Chloe had reminded me I was doing the best I could. It seemed like something the child's doctor's should have been fully aware of, given their profession, but here we were.

"I'm glad," I answered Hailie now, going to the door to open it so Chloe didn't have to use her key. For the time being we had decided to continue sharing my small room and cozy bed, but hopefully as Hailie continued to feel better we would be able to move into our own place nearby. 

"Can I have some chips in the blue bag too?" she asked my back.

"I'll get them," her mother said, coming in from the bookstore with Nathaniel. My aunt was looking healthier and continuing to go to meetings and work a program to help her stay sober. Her son was happier too, as the stress in his life lessened by the day with the improvements and progress made by his family members.

I waited until Chloe was about to put her key in and opened the door. "Surprise," I said, unable to keep from grinning, especially after seeing her face light up.

"Oh hi," she said, stepping forward to kiss me while balancing the mochas she held. "I missed you." 

She'd been gone less than three hours, but I got it. "Same," I said, cupping her face in my hands to add my own kisses. 

"Sit with me a minute," she said, brimming with excitement. "I have a present for you."

Curious, I accepted my coffee cup and joined her on the porch. "Is it you?"

She nudged me, staying leaned against me. The sun was high in the sky, a couple of vultures circling beneath it. "You already have me."

"Best gift ever," I said with satisfaction, because where was the damn lie.

"This might be a close second then," she said, pulling a long white envelope from her purse and holding it in both hands for a moment. She took a deep breath and pressed it into my hand. "But wait, I forgot to tell you, I just heard back from the school Joey goes to, and they have a scholarship available for Hailie. If you want her to go."

I couldn't believe my ears. The school was perfect for kids with special needs such as my little cousin's, and had many programs geared toward giftedness as well. "Really?"

"Really," she assured me. "But that's not even the present," she said, bouncing a little in anticipation and tapping the envelope I held. "Open it!"

I put my cup down on the other side of me, surprise making me slow. "I'm in shock," I said as I unfolded the tucked-in flap. I pulled out the professional paperwork inside, still clueless, and tried to focus on whatever it was I held.

"You're about to be in more shock." Chloe squeezed my knee. "It's the deed and title to the cafe. They're yours. Ours. It's ours. The cafe!" She laughed at her inarticulateness and threw her arms around me tightly. 

I was speechless as what she was saying sank in. The look on my face must have been priceless.

"It took me a little longer than I thought it would, and there was so much legalese, but it's done. We can go over there right now and start planning." She let go and took a tiny jewelry box from her pocket, her infinity ring catching the light, and opened it to reveal the small key. "We can move in any time."

"Oh my God," I said faintly, pinching my arm because I actually thought I was dreaming. This changed everything; with our combined baking skills, I knew we could make the cafe something special, which would in turn draw in more customers for the bookstore. That, and the living quarters were ideal for the two of us. 

"You're not dreaming," she assured me, delighted. 

"Oh my God," I said again, ever eloquent. "Really?"

"Really, Luna." She kissed me once, again. "You deserve this. We deserve this. I love you, okay."

Was this girl even for real. "I love you too," I stated the obvious. "Thank you so much for this." Strong emotions washed over me. "I can't believe it."

She linked her elbow with mine, resting her head on my shoulder. "And now we're going to live happily ever after," she proclaimed, sighing happily.

She was right. 

THE END

May 11, 2018 -- February 17, 2020

(Rewritten: December 2020)

a/n ahhhh can't believe this is done, I enjoyed writing it and it was nice to do something a little shorter and lighter than my usual stuff. Thank you for reading and for all your comments, thoughts, and love! I will probably add a few chapters or an epilogue at some point so we see a bit more of their life together. If you want, feel free to tell me what you would like to see more of, or any (polite) feedback on what works and what might need a little work. :) voting for the chapters really helps get it out there to more people, so if you have a chance to do that I really appreciate it🤗

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