Chapter 7 - Leaving the Center
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Nathan walked across the linoleum floor, his heart hammering a frantic rhythm against his ribs. June was sitting exactly where he had left her, her hands folded neatly in her lap, her gray eyes watching the door with a guarded, silent anxiety.
He stopped in front of her chair, dropping down onto one knee so he was completely level with her.
"Thank you for waiting for me, June," Nathan said softly.
June gave a small shrug. "I didn't have anywhere else to go. The bus back to the group home doesn't come until four o'clock."
"You aren't taking the bus back to the group home," Nathan said, looking deeply into her eyes. "You aren't ever going back there."
June’s expression shifted, a flicker of panic crossing her pale face. She reached instinctively for the pocket of her coat. "Did a family pick me? But they didn't even read my coupons. I have to show them my coupons so they know I'm good at cleaning."
"No families here picked you, June," Nathan said gently, reaching out to gently stop her hand from pulling out the red construction paper heart. "Because you already have a family."
June froze. "What do you mean?"
Nathan took a deep breath, fighting the tears that threatened to spill over again. "My name is Nathan Cole. Your mother, Sarah, was my little sister. I’m your uncle, June."
The little girl stared at him, her gray eyes widening in sheer disbelief. She looked from his face to the giant banner across the room bearing his photograph, and then back to him.
"My mom never talked about an uncle," June whispered, suspicious.
"Your mom and I had a fight a long time ago," Nathan explained, the guilt heavy in his voice. "She ran away, and I couldn't find her. I've been looking for her for ten years. But I found you. And I am never letting you go again."
June looked down at her mismatched shoelaces, her mind struggling to process the monumental shift in her reality. She had spent four years believing she was entirely unwanted, a burden to be shifted from house to house.
"Do I have to use my coupons at your house?" June asked softly, her voice breaking.
May you like
"No, sweetheart," Nathan choked out, reaching forward to gently wrap his massive arms around her frail shoulders. "You never have to earn your keep again. You belong with me."
For the first time since her mother died, June didn't pull away from a hug. She cautiously rested her head against his expensive suit jacket, closing her eyes as the billionaire lifted her effortlessly into his arms and carried her toward the exit.
