AS THE STORY GOES

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Justin couldn't pretend as if he weren't excited on that warm, early-May Saturday as he and Lourdes drove up the turnpike to visit Sam in Brooklyn. Justin had liked Sam from their first meeting and his fondness of her grew with every encounter they had. Once, he caught himself wondering if she would have liked a guy like him back in her day, and he immediately banished the thought from his mind.

"I was kinda' surprised when you told me that Jon and Amaya had gone up to Brooklyn last night," Justin made conversation on their ride, still basking in the feeling of driving his brand new, pearl white, Land Rover Sport, with tan, leather interior, moon roof, and every other perk Justin could reasonably justify. He knew when the day came to buy his SUV, he would allow himself zero-guilt for the splurge. It took him years to save up enough for the privilege and after receiving a healthy stipend for training, it was time for his dream car.

"I've been telling you that he likes Devon." Lourdes lounged in the passenger seat, her bare feet folded under her as she gazed out the window on the unseasonably warm day. "From what Mom says, Jon and Devon are never not in communication. I think that's the cutest thing ever, if you ask me." Lourdes grinned as she found a picture and flashed it to him, knowing she was a horrible driving distraction in the moment.

Justin took a split second to look, smiling at how adorable the two really were. Justin also noticed, in that split second, that Jon looked older from even the last time he had seen him, which couldn't have been more than a week earlier.

"I miss him," Justin sighed with a nod, as if affirming the information to himself.

"I can only imagine." Lourdes reached over and stroked his arm.

"But, I'm 100% happy with the way things turned out." Justin reached out to put a hand to Lourdes' stomach, which showed no signs of pregnancy.

"I'm so excited," Lourdes said casually as she put her hand on top of his before he took both their hands to the console and she threaded her fingers between his twice-as-big hand.

"I'm ready for the academy to be over." Justin changed the subject. "I know I only have two more weeks, but these are two hard as hell weeks. I'm just feeling ready to be back home for real."

"I know, babe," Lourdes agreed.

"And I'm worried about where I'm gonna' be stationed. I really only want to be in Camden, and if I can't be there, I feel like I'm going to be spending my entire career getting back to my city."

"Sometimes I listen to you and I'm surprised at how much love you have for a place where you've had so many unpleasant experiences."

Justin scoffed. "I hate that I come off like that. I love my city—so much. I wouldn't be the person I am without the experiences I've had—and so many of those experiences were amazing. Yeah, I spent—arguably—the most important years of my childhood in a group home, but I have nothing but good memories from there. It was the next best thing I could imagine to actually having been adopted back when she said she wanted to," he spoke of Marisol. "I ate well, I had my own space that was respected, I never really had to fight like that, and people cared where I was and how I was. I went on lots of field trips. I had a good childhood."

Lourdes felt so many mixed feelings about that statement, but said none of it in response. Instead she said, "That's beautiful, papa."

They arrived at Sam's house a little after three and Sam greeted them as she always did, like she had missed them dearly.

Justin had always wondered how a person like Sam lived and he was not disappointed. Her home was a brownstone on a beautiful, tree-lined block of the section Lourdes told him was called Prospect Heights. The stairs to the oversized black double doors were lined with beautiful ornate wrought iron with vining roses beginning to bloom around the spindles.