whisper, cupping his hands at his mouth.
God … I love this kid.
Dr. Hathaway chuckles.
Eli gives her a hesitant smile, clearly not in the mood for surprises. Especially the ones that involve moving to New York. And I already know he’s pissed, that she’s gotten Roman excited about it.
“Come here, Daddy. Come here now.” Roman tugs on Eli’s hand, pulling him toward the door.
I glance at Dr. Hathaway.
She winks. “You look great, Dorothy. How’s that beautiful little girl of yours?”
I know we’re not supposed to let her butter us up, but I can’t help my motherly pride when she asks about Violet. My daughter is the most beautiful little girl ever. I realize every mom says it, but it’s actually true in my case.
“She’s perfect.”
“Grab the monitor and come with us.” Dr. Hathaway nods to the baby monitor.
I hesitate for a few seconds before grabbing my phone. Eli uses the monitor, but I have audio and video of the nursery on my phone.
I follow them outside just as Eli and Roman cross the street.
“Must have sold,” I murmur, noticing the house across from ours no longer has a For Sale sign in the yard.
“Daddy! This is Mommy’s new house! You like it?”
Eli just … stops, even with Roman tugging on his arm. After a few seconds he turns toward Dr. Hathaway.
She shrugs with a big smile. “It will make it easier for both of us to tuck him in at night. And for him to spend time with his sister. And for me to discuss cutting-edge medical research with Dorothy, when she’s not busy being a superhero.”
Yeah, he’s in shock. He hasn’t even blinked yet.
Me? I’m trying to play it cool, when really I want to ask how often she wants to get together to discuss this cutting-edge medical research. But I don’t take this from Eli. It’s his moment.
It’s his world coming full circle.
“Are you okay, Eli?” she asks on a slight chuckle.
Roman continues to pull on one of his hands while he nods slowly. Something along the lines of the happiest emoji ever takes over his expression as he reaches his other hand to take mine.
“Yeah.” He exhales a long breath. “Everything is definitely okay.”
The End
Acknowledgments
This story is a labor of love. Thank you for reading it. Out of everything I’ve written so far, this one feels the most personal to me.
I have to start by thanking Shauna and Marley for so many inspiring, true stories that helped bring Dorothy Mayhem to life.
Thank you to Asher, my own little version of Dorothy, for reminding me every single day that the spectrum is human. It’s not autism. I will always be in awe of your imagination and kindness.
My editing team … I cannot say enough about the special humans who rake through my words, sort out the shit, and polish the rough spots. Max, Monique, Leslie, Kambra, Sian, Bethany, Sherri, Jyl, and Allison … thank you!
Jennifer Beach, thank you for keeping me from falling apart on a daily basis and working your ass off to make Jewel E Ann look social, or ridiculous, in the case of newsletter face swaps. But more than anything, thanks for sharing your activity rings with me, and for letting me “win” on certain days to boost my aging ego.
Thank you to every contestant who participated in my cover design contest. There were so many good ones, but Sign.Yra nailed the essence of Dorothy Mayhem.
My wonderful Jonesies, you are my safe place. Thank you for your daily love and encouragement. More than anything, thank you for supporting my chaotic style of writing—the whiplash from dark suspense, to romantic comedy. Your willingness to “go there” with me has made me a very happy writer.
Thank you, Kate Stewart, for being a sounding board when I’m on the edge of a cliff. You always pull me back to reality and remind me how incredibly lucky we are to have this opportunity to tell stories.
Jenn, Sarah, and Brooke with Social Butterfly PR, thank you for giving my stories visibility, for getting my book out there for the world to see.
To all my author friends … Yes, I’m excited to announce that I officially have friends. Thank you for letting me into your lives, cheering me on, sharing my stories, and inspiring me with your talent. You are too great in number to list by name, but I just want all five of you to know how much you mean to me.
Paul with BB ebooks, as always, thank you for