Forever

“Mia! Mia, get back here!”

I chased that little thing around the large, lush and green backyard. She might as well have been laughing. She thought it was all fun and games.

“Mia Toretto!”

I stopped, huffing and puffing while Mia kept on running. She turned back to look at me, gave me her cutest face, and waited for me to get closer before she took off again, a brand new t-shirt in her possession.

Truth be told, I fell in love with her the minute I first saw her. She was getting dropped off one day when I was at work. There she was, cowering in the corner. She wouldn’t let anyone touch her, the poor little thing. My superior told me to coax her out, which I tried to do, but she wouldn’t budge. After the sixth or so try, she let me hold her, though I could feel her quaking with fear.

‘She came from a bad home,’ my superior had said, ‘she and her siblings were abused. She’s the sole survivor.’

Since Mia, who was unnamed at the time, only allowed me in her presence, I was assigned to take care of her until someone adopted her. Still, she wanted nothing to do with me. If I raised a hand, she was afraid I would strike her, I presume. Her whining nearly drove me over the edge. All I wanted to do was help her, but she was terrified of me.

It took a couple months, but I managed to gain her trust somewhat. All of her fellow ‘orphans’ had long since been adopted, despite the small amount of time that had passed, and were taken to better homes, but not her. She was too scared. I was the only one she would even let touch her.

When my superior told me one day that if she wasn’t adopted soon, they would have to go to ‘other measures’, I panicked. I refused to let them do anything to her. I refused.

She was a tiny dog, especially with her age of only three months old then. With no other options, I offered to adopt her and take her home myself. I had no idea what my boyfriend would say, but I was hoping he wouldn’t be angry.

When I brought her home, he was shocked, but much like me, fell in love with her the minute he laid eyes on her. Ichabod seemed taken with her as well, though his owner thought it best he not get romantic with his new ‘sister’.

“Did you pick out a name for her?” my green-eyed lover asked.

I was racking my brain for a good name, but the only thing I could think about was the Fast and the Furious movie I saw last night with my sister’s husband.

“Mia Toretto.”

My boyfriend had the nerve to laugh at me. I blushed and gave him a stern look, embarrassed yet stubborn in my decision.

He straightened up, eyeing Mia in my arms, “You name her after a Fast and the Furious character?”

I nodded. He chuckled.

“You spend too much time with Matt.”

I shrugged. He was probably right, but I got along well with him. We were actually really good friends, much to the enjoyment of my sister. She supported our ever growing friendship.

He stepped closer to me, the only thing separating us being the trembling Mia. I gulped.

“She needs a last name too, you know.”

I could do nothing but stare into his amazing green eyes that were twinkling with amusement at the effect they had on me. After 6 months of dating (at the time), you’d think that the effect would fade, but it never did.

“I think it should be Vengeance,” he continued.

“Mia Toretto Vengeance?” I asked.

He bent down slightly, closing the gap between us and effectively scarring poor Mia for life.

“Mia Toretto Vengeance.”

“A-ha! Got ‘cha!”

I grinned with victory as I scooped Mia off of the ground. The t-shirt fell limply to the ground and I picked it up, groaning when I saw the saliva stains and holes from Mia’s biting. She may be small, but her teeth are not.

I frowned at her, but she just looked at me innocently with her big brown eyes. I sighed.

“You know I can’t stay mad at you when you look at me like that!”

“That’s why she does it, you know.”

I turned around, still cuddling Mia to my chest. She licked my face and I scratched her behind the ears, grinning like an idiot at my boyfriend. He stood on the steps leading to his giant backyard, his arms crossed and watching me.

He chuckled as he approached us, Mia wiggling in my grasp. She wanted to be let down.

“Come to daddy, Mia!”

I let her go and she sprinted to him, tongue lolled out to one side as she ran. I smiled and walked over to them, now ruined shirt in hand.

I bit my lip, “She ruined your new design, Zacky.”

Zacky stopped petting Mia and gave me a confused look. I held the shirt out and showed it to him. His face fell.

He frowned at Mia and put her down, much to her disappointment. She looked at both of us before going off to chase Ichabod, who was barking at her to play. I watched the two of them, Mia’s white coat striking against Ichabod’s black one.

“I’m sorry,” I apologized, “I let her in your office and she just took the shirt and ran out here.”

Zacky shook his head and stepped closer, putting his arms around me and giving me a hug. He kissed the top of my head and I smiled contentedly.

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault. I’ll just make another shirt.”

I looked up at him, “You sure?”

He chuckled, moving his face so his nose was touching mine. Heat rose to my cheeks as I watched his snakebites shine in the warm, March sunlight and imagined kissing him. I loved kissing him.

“Positive.”

“Hey, Zee, where’d you go—oh. My bad!”

Zacky pulled away, annoyed. I tried not to smile as he turned around to glare at the intruder.

“Brian! Go away!”

Brian laughed and shook his head, joining us in the middle of Zacky’s backyard.

“No. I’m stealing Lev away from you.”

Zacky’s grip on me tightened and I let out a squeak. Brian gave him a look.

“You can get busy with your girl later, Zack. Addi wants her.”

Zacky rolled his eyes, knowing how my sister could be, “Fine. But I expect her back later.”

“Is CJ with you?” I asked Brian. His gaze avoided me.

“No…”

Zacky laughed and yelled, “Cameron Jane!”

The brunette appeared on the steps moments later, a scowl on her face.

“Fuck you, Zacky!”

“I don’t think Syn would approve,” Zacky replied smoothly, sending me a wink.

I giggled and Brian narrowed his eyes. He grabbed my hand and started dragging me behind him, sticking his tongue out at Zacky.

“Just for that I’m stealing your girl!”

Zacky laughed and said nothing while CJ shook her head.

“Why I chose to stay here with you goons I will never understand.”

“Because you’ve got me, baby,” Brian winked, causing me to roll my eyes and CJ to wink back.

“Of course that’s my reason.”

Mia barked loudly and sprinted in my direction. I hardly got a chance to turn around and crouch down before she jumped all over me, wanting to come with.

“I’m going to see Aunt Addi, Mia. I’ll be back,” I reassured her, giving her a kiss on the head.

Zacky came over, Ichabod tucked under his arm. He picked up Mia and put her under his other arm. Both dogs were wagging their tails at me.

Brian shook his head, “I swear, you two treat those dogs like they’re your children.”

“They are,” Zacky said, lifting each dog up to his face and allowing them to lick him.

CJ frowned, “Gross.”

Brian tried to pull me towards the door to go back inside, but I broke from their grasp and jogged over to Zacky, giving him a peck on the lips.

“I’ll see you later,” I smiled at him.

“Farewell, meine liebe.”

I blew Zacky a kiss and Brian gagged. I slapped him on the chest.

He tossed his hands up in annoyance, “Why do you always do that?!”

I shrugged as I followed him and CJ through Zacky’s giant house (though I guess it was mine too) and to his black Escalade parked out front. I remembered it so well. It reminded me of the first day I met everyone. The day my life changed forever, if I wanted to be sentimental about it.

Soon after we got to Matt and Addi’s house, my home away from home, and I hopped out of the SUV. The ride was silent, with me being absorbed in my own stupid thoughts and daydreams.

“You were thinking about him the entire ride, weren’t you?”

I narrowed my eyes at Brian, though it did no good. I’m sure the heat radiating off my face was enough of an indicator he was spot on in his accusation.

“I wish you would just admit to yourself you’re in love with him already,” CJ said, picking angrily at a hangnail.

“You have been since the very beginning, Lev. Even before Zacky,” Brian added.

I turned away from them and stalked into the house, not in the mood to hear what they had to say. I was tired of them always being right about it. Sure, I think I can safely say that I love Zacky, but honestly…I love someone else too.

I opened the door without knocking, a nasty habit Matt had lured me into and called out for Addison.

She waddled down the stairs, her face brightening when she saw me, “Levia!”

I found it difficult to hug her with her belly in the way, but she didn’t seem to mind, so neither did I.

“There. I’ve done my deed. Now I’m going back home, also known as next door.”

I watched as Brian gave CJ a lingering kiss on the cheek before smirking at her and waltzing out the door. Though they never said they were official, it was blatantly obvious to anyone with eyes they were together.

“I’ll just go up to my room,” CJ said, wandering up the stairs. My old room here was still furnished, so CJ lived in another one.

None of us minded that CJ wanted to stay here in California. She had been going to UCLA just like Addi had, and also lived in the dorms like Addi. On her breaks and weekends she stayed in one of the many spare rooms in Matt and Addi’s spacious house. The size of it, much like Zacky’s, still amazed me to this day.

“So what’d you need to talk about?” I asked her as I helped her sit down on the couch in the living room.

She smiled at me. Everything about that woman glowed since she and Matt got back from their honeymoon. Zacky told me that she’d been that way since her and Matt announced they were dating, and that I’d just never noticed.

“I have an appointment next week, and I want you to come.”

I tilted my head to the side, not fully understanding why she asked me over just to tell me this.

“Okay.”

Addi shifted in her seat and rested a hand on her abdomen, smiling at it. She was going on 6 months now, I think it was. Watching her go through this is going to help me immensely someday. I just know it.

“The doctor is willing to tell us the sex of the baby,” I assumed that by ‘us’ she meant Matt and herself, “but Matt and I don’t want to know. We want it to be a surprise.”

I nodded, “And why am I coming along? Not that I don’t want to. I mean, I’m overjoyed that you would ask me and all--”

Addi chuckled, “We want you to know.”

“The sex of the baby?”

“Yeah.”

“Why me?”

Addi smiled at me, “I know you can keep a secret and I know you’re dying to know like everyone else is. That way you’ll be able to get me everything the baby needs that applies to its gender, like clothes and stuff. You can give me everything after it’s born.”

I felt a smile take over my face as I hugged Addi, gently of course. I was completely flattered that she wanted me to play such a part in her baby’s life. I even understood her logic in having me know.

“Still, Addi,” I said, deciding to vocalize my doubts, “I love surprises. I almost don’t want to know what it will be myself.”

“Someone has to know. We all can’t just go out last minute and buy everything for the baby.”

My face lit up as I immediately had an idea.

Addison chuckled, “Oh, no. What’s Lev up to now?”

I tried to hide my smile, “Oh, nothing. Just make sure you stay out of the baby’s room until its born, okay?”

Addison gave me a challenging look, “Alright. But only because I trust you.”

I knew that Addi would be pleased with the result of my plan in the end. Matt would be too.

“I love you, Ads,” I told her somewhat randomly, hugging her again.

She hugged me back, not making a joke about what I had said.

“Love you too, Lev.”