Page 116 of Staying Selfless

“This is going to be for us one day,” Eli says in reference to the wedding.

His words cause my already rapidly beating heart to increase even more. Ever since our conversation yesterday, there’s been a looming topic of possible deal-breaking proportion hanging over us. However, neither of us has given in to admitting what this disagreement could cost us—our future together.

“Eli—”

“No, Logan.” He pulls away to look at me, his arms still draped around my waist as we move together. “Future kids or not, we are meant to be together. Nothing changes for me.”

We need to talk about it still, and I know I reacted in the worst way possible yesterday, but I was just surprised to hear the words leave his lips—that he wants me to be the mother of his children. Eli knows where I stand with the idea of having kids, so I guess I assumed he accepted my decision all those times he said he wanted to spend his life with me.

I honestly cannot imagine my life without him, but I need him to be as fulfilled as possible. It’s a conversation we need to have at some point, but this wedding dance floor is not the place to do it.

“Is it normal?” I rest my head against his chest. “To find your person at twenty-two.”

“Screw normal. Baby, we are anything but normal.” Eli’s palm grazes my back. “I think we might be magic. I can’t think of a better word, but that’s what this feels like.”

I thread my hands into the base of Eli’s hair as I look into his soft brown eyes.

“You’re so cheesy,” I tease, before he pulls me in and works us around the dance floor for the rest of the song.

Before the third song can begin, Jack interrupts. “Can I cut in?”

“I mean, I guess.” Eli releases me from his grasp. “Are you leading, or am I?” he asks his dad while he holds his hands up as if the two of them are going to dance together.

“Who the hell raised you?” Jack laughs. “Because I know it wasn’t me.”

“Mary.”

“Sounds about right.”

Eli quickly places his lips on mine before taking off to find a seat and elevate his ankle.

“How have you been?” Jack asks as he places one hand respectfully on my upper back, the other out to the side, waiting for mine. I put my hand in his before relaxing the other on his shoulder. “I feel like I haven’t checked in all weekend.”

“I’m good. I feel really good. I feel better than I did even before everything kind of took over. I feel at peace.”

“That’s our girl,” Jack says, which always makes me smile. The way he’s accepted me as one of his own fills my heart with gratitude.

“How has work been?”

“Great. Business has been booming. We’re thinking of expanding outside of Indianapolis in the next few years.”

“Really?”

Jack nods his head.

“Where to?”

“I’m not sure yet. And I’m assuming you’ll be remote from wherever EJ is playing, but I’m going to need you and Marc to graduate so you guys can get to work. We have plenty of it.”

“That sounds perfect.”

Jack leads me around the dance floor, and I can’t help but smile at the memories it stirs up. My local high school had a yearly father-daughter dance that my dad was adamant about attending every year. I always pretended to be against it, but the truth was, I absolutely adored the times we danced together. He and I were so involved with sports, so I cherished the few times I got to be his girly-girl daughter.

This reminds me of that, and it doesn’t make me sad. It makes me happy that even though I don’t have my dad to dance with anymore, I have Jack, and that’s the next best thing.

“Hey, I don’t know if I’ve said this lately, but thank you for taking care of my son.”

My whole face softens as I tilt my head and drop my shoulders. “Jack, do not get sappy on me.”

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