Decoding You *Watty Awards 2012*

Chapter 41

I was carrying a box out to my car when I saw Ryder pulling weeds in his front yard. Izzy was inside with my mom, packing up her stuffed animals for our new apartment with Preston and Harper.

I notice Rosie running around the front yard as I walk down the sidewalk to the driveway.

When I had found out that my dad and mom had decided to buy a house together I had been not at all surprised, but when they had annoucned it was right across the street from the Millingtons I had been genuinely surprised.

As I pile one of the last boxes in the front seat I notice Rosie standing at the end of her driveway. I don't pay much attention as I shut the door. But when I hear a car horn my heart nearly stops.

I turn to see Rosie in the street walking toward me, not paying any attention. My eyes widen and for a split second my eyes meet Ryder's wide eyed ones. I run for Rosie, scooping her up just in time and falling on my ass in the process.

As the car whizzes by I cradle her in my arms and she cries from the surprise, Ryder's by us in a second and grabs my waist helping me up and over to the grass.

As I hold Rosie he wraps his arms around me tightly, "Good fucking god," he mutters.

I bury my face in his shoulder and sigh in relief, Rosie cries harder, "I'm sorry."

I look down at her and Ryder cups her face, "Rosie you know better than that. You always cross the street after looking both ways and only when someone is with you."

She sniffs and looks up at him wide eyed, "I'm sorry Ryder."

He pulls her off my lap and hugs her tight, "I know Rosie. I'm just glad you're okay."

She nods and buries her face into his shoulder.

When he looks over her to me he mouths, "Thank you."

I nod and stand up as I see his mother walking across the street.

She looks down at them, "What the hell happened?"

Rosie looks up at her mom, "Rory pulled me outta' the way from a car."

Her mothers eyes widen and she hugs me, "Oh thank god neither of you were hurt."

Ryder stands with Rosie in his arms and his mother takes her from him, "Come on sweetie. We gotta go say bye to Izzy."

She heads toward my house and Ryder looks down at me, he hugs me to him, "You just saved my little sisters life."

I look up at him, "I did what was right. Plus you saved my daughters life. I think we're even."

He grins and brushes his nose against mine, "I guess we are."

He cups my chin and says sadly, "You're leaving today?"

I nod, "In about a half hour."

He clenches his jaw and brushes the pad of his thumb over my lips, "Do I get a goodbye? Or do I even deserve one?"

My face softens and I wrap my arms around his neck, "Thank you."

He presses his lips to the side of my head, "For what?"

"Everything."

He leans back and kisses my cheek, "Thank you."

I look up at him, "For what?"

He smiles sadly, "Everything and more."

When I have Izzy strapped into the car and I'm in the drivers seat I look at the family in my front yard, nine people I loved stood there watching me leave everything behind. My parents, my sister, and my twin brother. My youngest best friend,her little sister, her parents, and the love I would never forget.

Those nine people had helped me become who I was. So I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know some of them. but even if we don't have the power to choose  where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them.

At that moment, I didn't just feel okay, my heart felt heavy. But at the same time my heart felt infinite and I realized that maybe I could feel okay.

Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading this story if you would like to read the sequel about Rory's life twelve years later then go to my profile or click on the external link in the side, the story is called Proving You Wrong

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xoxo, Sara