Page 56 of Closing the Distance

My mouth drops open. “No way.”

Both women nod. “Gabe told me the same thing,” Danae confirms.

I take a sip of my lemonade, processing this information. It offers me some comfort and helps quiet the saboteur in my mind. And for the rest of the night, it serves as a reminder that he truly did want to find me. He’s not just with me because of our daughter—another lie the saboteur has planted, despite repeated evidence he wanted me before he knew about the baby.

“How are things going at work?” Danae asks. They both know about the initial response my principal gave me and the statement I had to get preapproved before I told my students.Ty was insistent on coming in with me that day, but considering the press hasn’t gotten involved in our situation yet, I didn’t want to give my principal anymore fuel, so I made him stay home.

“They’re actually going pretty well. I’m mostly ignoring the people who give me weird looks, and my students have all been so excited. A few parents even sent in baby gifts as a congratulations for me. It was super sweet.”

“I love that,” Alayna says. “I’m so glad they’ve been supportive. Proves your principal is an idiot.”

I take a sip of my lemonade. “Yeah, I can’t say our working relationship has improved since her reaction to my pregnancy. Blaire thinks we should find new jobs next year, but I’d hate to leave my students behind. They love coming back and saying hi—even after they’ve moved on to the high school—so it still feels like I’m severing all those ties, ya know?”

They both nod. “At the end of the day though, you have to do what’s best for you,” Danae says, placing her hand on my arm and giving it a quick squeeze like she understands it’s a tough decision to make.

The conversation shifts, and I spend the rest of the night laughing and talking, getting to know these two incredible women more and hearing about their own love stories. But even better than that, I open up more. I let them in.

And it feels really good.

THIRTY-TWO

Romel lays down three train cards and claims his route while Gabe makes a sound in the back of his throat. He hates to lose, and Ticket to Rideis one of his favorite games.

My parents used to have family game night every weekend when I was a kid, usually on Sunday nights. As we got older, sometimes it would be every other week, but they made it so enjoyable that it was something we prioritized even as we got into high school. I’m sure that’s where my collection started. As I look around at the serious expressions of my friends who have adopted this game night tradition, I can’t be mad about it. I love that these guys are cool with sitting around a table playing board games and shooting the shit rather than partying all the time.Normally we try to do it once a month, but with everything going on this year we haven’t had nearly as many game nights as usual.

“So how are things going with Lexi?” Romel asks.

A smile graces my lips. “Great.”

It’s an understatement. Things are better than I ever could’ve imagined. We can’t get enough of each other, and I don’t think it’s just because of her raging pregnancy hormones. I think I’d still want her this desperately even if I wasn’t incredibly turned on by seeing her body grow and change as she carries our daughter.

Who knew it was so hot to watch your woman go through pregnancy?

“How’d she do during the away game trips?” he asks.

“She did okay. Alayna, Danae, or Blaire hung out with her while we were away. I think that helped.” It still burns that we didn’t make it to the playoffs this year, but I’m also glad we’re now in the offseason, and I can focus on getting ready for my daughter to grace us with her presence.

“Syd hated those when she was pregnant with Kay.”

I wonder if he realizes he once again spoke about Syd without his voice hitching. I’ve noticed lately it seems to be easier for him to talk about her. I can’t imagine how he feels having lost her.I’d never recover from losing Lexi, and I’ve only had her in my life a fraction of the time Romel and Sydney were together.

“Laney loves her,” Dom chimes in, drawing a card.

“So does Danae. I think she’s even trying to convince Lexi to hang out with her and my sisters,” Gabe says with a fond smile on his face, and I know how much it means to him that his family and Danae are so close.

If only I could say the same about everyone in my family. My mom calls and texts Lexi regularly, and Dad and Taron ask about her whenever we talk on the phone. Tanner is the lone holdout as far as accepting Lexi with open arms.

As if he knows I’m thinking about him, my phone buzzes in my pocket, and when I pull it out, I see a text from Tanner that immediately grates on my nerves.He hasn’t talked to me in months and this is what he leads with? What the fuck?

“What’s up?” Gabe asks, and when I look up, everyone is already looking at me with arched brows.

I rest my elbows on the table and lean forward. “Remember how I told you Tanner was not on board with Lexi?”

They all nod.

“Well, we haven’t talked since he bailed on Thanksgiving, but he just texted me.”

Romel arches a brow. “Didn’t you tell him you were getting the paternity test?”

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