Free Forgiving You: A Switched Series Novella (The Switched Series Book 3) by Brittany Bromley

financially too. Kids have to be expensive.
    “She would probably love that. I’m about to stop and get some caffeine. I’ll be there sometime. Have fun with Ava. I’ll see you soon,” she says, hanging up.
    As soon as I hang up, a text comes in. I look down and read it.
    “Sorry, the only prints are yours. Let me know if you need anything else.” I knew it was a long shot, but I also had to try. Where did those pictures come from?
    I decide to head back inside to my family, knowing Ava is surrounded by all of them and I wish I could go back in time and change everything. I only know one thing now, there is no way I am letting this girl out of my life now. I just need to come up with a way to make her mom want to let me back into their lives permanently. I slip my phone back in my pocket and head back inside to find Ava. I find her in the kitchen on my mom’s hip while she if finishing up cooking.
    “Hey baby girl, come here so..umm.” I have no idea what she is supposed to call my mom. She is technically the first grandchild, especially since the twins are too little to call her anything.
    My mom turns around to look at me with a small smile on her face. “Ava and I have been trying to come up with a good name for me,” she says smiling at Ava. “We’re still trying to figure it out. We are also finishing up supper, so you can go away now.” I smile back at them and take that as my cue to get out of the kitchen. I’m realizing now that I’m not the only one who has missed out on an amazing little girl the last few years.
    I head back into the living room with the rest of my family. Brody, Leighton, and Collin have all arrived since I have been in the kitchen.
    “Hey, where’s Ava?” Collin asks, looking around.
    “She is in the kitchen with mom. I got kicked out.” He nods his head at me before saying, “I’m moving out. I thought you could use the room.”
    I look back up at him in shock. “You don’t need to move out.”
    “Yeah, I think I do. You have a family now and I don’t need to be there in the middle of it all while y’all are trying to figure stuff out. I figured Ava could use her own room. My stuff is already out, so you’re welcome.”
    “How did you get moved out so quickly?”
    “I went and talked to Lucas, the guy Brody bought his house from. He found me a place to rent for now. I hate to buy a house and be tied down,” he says smirking.
    “I volunteer myself and Callie to go room shopping for Ava,” Leighton screams with the biggest smile on her face.
    “Don’t you have a wedding to plan that’s in about two weeks?” She looks back at me and smiles.
    “The wedding is completely under control. I could use a day away from thinking about flowers, lights, and all that other stuff I have no idea about, unless of course you think Maya would rather do it.”
    “I don’t know what to think when it comes to Maya.” I look around the room at all of the different expressions on the faces of my family.  My dad narrows his eyes at me, but doesn’t say anything. “If you want to say something, say it.” I say watching him shake his head. After I keep staring at him for a few minutes, he finally nods.
    “Okay, I’m trying to figure out why you never let her explain herself. I never saw the pictures you are talking about, but we both know in our line of work, things aren’t always as simple as a picture shows. If you had been man enough to confront her about it, you would still have a wife and you wouldn’t have missed out on the most amazing years of your daughter’s life.”
    “Do you really think I don’t know all of that? If I could go back in time, I would do it in a heartbeat. Do you think I’m okay with the fact that my best friend has had my wife and daughter and I haven’t? In fact, I drove her straight into his arms and then I had to watch her drive away this morning to go back to him. I don’t know what the hell their relationship really is.”
    “Don’t