Page 123 of A Sky Full Of Stars

Katie’s face lights up and she turns to her mom, popping her hands on her hips as she grins in a “ha-ha” kind of way. And when she’s satisfied that she’s sassed Lucy enough, she drags me away.

I glance back at Lucy as I leave, guilty for taking Katie’s side, but when it comes down to it, being with Katie is the only thing allowing me to relax.

Abeer gets placed in my hand as we sit down for lunch, and I accept it happily, but when Lucy taps her bottle and stands up to make a speech, I groan.

“The day is finally here—our boy is coming home,” she begins and I roll my eyes, flashing her a smirk.Here we go.After Summer and I reconnected, I spent a bit of time with her “found family” if you will. That included Dylan and Lucy, and later Wes, along with Logan—much to my annoyance—and his partner, actually hiswife, Dani.I hate to admit it, but Summer’s childhood bestie is not as bad as I first thought.Then there’s Joeland his partner, Delilah, and even Cory and Nate are part of the “Friendsgiving crew.” Like I said, one big happy family.

Then there’s me.

“Though I’ve really only known Thomas for the past five years, it honestly feels like a lifetime,” Lucy adds, her hands clasped together as she smiles warmly.

“You can say that again,” Logan calls out, being his usual smart-ass self until Lucy glares his way.

“For you it has been a lifetime,” she says with her eyes narrowed on Logan. “ButImeanlifetimein a good way. Thomas—”

“Is the speech really necessary?” Dylan asks, before peering around Summer to see me. “No offense, but—”

“I’m with you on this one,” I cut in. I probably want this least of all. “Lucy, please sit down. We love you, but this isn’t a monumental moment.”

“Of course it is.” Summer stands. “You’re playing for the team you’ve always dreamed of. You’re playing for your home. It may not feel the same as it once did. But there are so many people here today, and in this city, that have been praying for this moment. Thomas Kelly is coming home. And he’s leading the charge for us to win. It’s been years since we made the playoffs, and for the first time, people are talking as though it’s a very real possibility. I, for one, am glad to have you home, and it’s got nothing to do with football.”

My chest tightens with emotion, and I almost cough to get air. Lucy thought I needed a speech, and that was a damn good one.

“Thank you, Sum.” I smile. “And thank you, Lucy. You know this all means a lot to me. I just—”

“Hate the spotlight unless it’s during the season,” Lucy finishes for me, and she’s not wrong.

I huff out a laugh. “That’d be it.”

I’ve become a bit of a media whore in the past few years—smiling, flirting with the interviewers, making them laugh. Projecting the cockiness I feel when I’m on the field. I know I’m a great player; I turned that all around the moment I pushed Lainey out of my life. I stepped up. Got my shit together—for that part of my life—and I’m stronger than ever. Give me a spotlight and I’ll stand in it.

But once they switch off the arena lights and I clean out my locker, all of that changes, and I’m messed up again. It’s a vicious cycle and one that I can’t seem to break.

“I’ll happily take the limelight for a second,” Joel announces, standing up while keeping his hand firmly in Delilah’s grasp, making her awkwardly reach up. “We’ve got some news.”

Lucy’s hands fly to her mouth, and she gasps as she sits, making Wes chuckle as he pulls her into his arms. I’m going to go out on a limb and guess she already knows.

Joel locks eyes with the adults at the table before his gaze flashes to Chloe, the little girl they’re currently fostering, the love in his eyes clear as day.

“We’ve officially filed the paperwork to adopt Chloe,” he announces as gasps, cheers, and congratulations ring out.

It’s great news, but after doing my bit to show I care, I sneak away. I’m excited for Joel and Delilah. They’ve been through a lot, and I’m happy he took the attention away from me. But while I love kids—Katie, for one, and Summer and Dylan’s four-month-old, Josh, another—talking about kids from an emotional standpoint always makes me uncomfortable. I don’t know why. I’ve never really tried to unpack that information, but it does. So, I’m taking the moment to myself.

After going to the bathroom and grabbing another drink, I’ve just walked back into the yard when Joel jogs over. “I hope youknow I only made my announcement because I could tell you needed a break. I had planned to wait. I never would have—”

“I know and I appreciate it.”

While I probably spend the least amount of time with Joel, he seems to be the most observant, followed closely by Nate, and they both check in on me on a regular basis, even though it’s not necessary.

I know I’m fucked up. I know I have a lot to do before I dig my way out of the mess. But it’s that awareness that tells me I’m handling it. It’s just something that takes time.

“I’m really happy for you both,” I say honestly. “Parenthood is a big deal.”

“It is. But we’re not taking it lightly—we both want this, and we’re willing to work to make it happen.”

“That’s awesome, man. You and Delilah will be amazing parents.”

They’re all amazing parents. When you run your eyes over this group, Summer and I aren’t the only ones to have been dealt a shitty card when it comes to our family. And they’ve all used that to their advantage, learning from those mistakes, making sure they do better.

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