The judge linked his fingers together and looked at Erin and then at me. "A lot of information was presented, and a circus was brought into my court. However, I don't need time to deliberate on a decision. It's clear that both parents could provide homes for Penelope, and that both parents would continue her education. It's also clear that they have different ideas about what the best future is. After talking with Penelope, I've decided that her father will have full custody . . ."

I didn't hear the rest of what he said. Joy and relief swept over me and I was so overwhelmed, that my lawyer had to put a hand on my shoulder to snap me back to reality.

Erin glared daggers at me, but that was nothing new. Her anger was palpable, but I focused on Penelope’s smile instead.

I turned to Lia and Penelope. "Who wants an ice cream sundae from Charlie's?"

Over ice cream I learned what Penelope had told the judge. She talked about her time with Erin and how she had to do things she didn’t like. When the judge had asked her what kind of things, Penelope had told him she hated acting and modeling, but Erin always made her pose for pictures or practice lines. She couldn’t even go to a friend’s house unless Erin thought that friend could further Penelope’s career. My heart broke more as she told me all the things she didn’t like about living with Erin. Things she hadn’t told me sooner because she didn’t want me to be upset. The almost haircut, had really scared Penelope, because it meant her mom didn’t like anything about her.

She’d told the judge about living at my house, and how she got to eat waffles with chocolate syrup, but that she liked them with strawberries too. How I took her to games, and watched TV. How when she went to school after staying at my house she could talk about the latest episode with the other kids because they’d watched it too. Penelope really liked her school, and her friends, but most importantly she liked feeling normal.

Lia summed up the parts I hadn’t heard from the judge. Erin’s desire to move, and change so much in Penelope’s life had too many unknowns. The judge also thought that being a child star, as Erin wanted her to be, was a life Penelope and both parents should agree to. Penelope had made it clear she didn’t want that life. He gave me full custody because I provided a supportive and stable environment for her emotional, mental, and physical well-being. All the things I’d tried to be for my daughter, were the reason the judge let me keep her.

Penelope ran to the bathroom to wash the chocolate sauce off her cheeks. I pulled out my wallet to pay the check, when I noticed something I’d meant to give Lia for a while. The day Penelope ended up in the hospital, I’d gone to the bank to have them print a check.

I pulled out the check and handed it to her. "This is yours."

She stared at it and tried to hand it back to me. "What does it mean?"

"When I proposed to you, I made a promise to take care of you."

"You didn’t even put an amount on it."

I reached for her hand and leaned in closer to her. "Put whatever number that you want on it. You mean everything to me Lia, you’ve given me everything."

"Nate." The way she said my name was as if she was on the verge of crying. "I thought you were leaving it blank because you thought what we have is worth nothing."

I got out of my chair, and pulled her up so I could wrap my arms around her.

"Never," I told her. "Never at any moment have I felt that way."

I kissed her, and put everything into the kiss to reassure her of my words.

"Daad," Penelope whined. "Gross."

Lia’s cheeks were bright red when I stopped kissing her, but it was the happiness in her eyes that I couldn’t stop staring at. It was something I hoped to see every day.

Tonight's game was the highly anticipated Sweethearts game, and the entire team had made a special swap, trading in their usual blue jerseys for light pink ones in honor of Valentine's Day. The game itself isn’t on Valentine’s Day, which happened earlier this week. Nate invited me over to eat dinner at his condo since he didn’t want to leave Penelope home alone. Everything was too fresh with the custody hearing, and even though Erin had moved away, Nate didn’t want to leave Penelope any longer than he had to.

He’d tried to give me the check again since I’d returned it at the restaurant. But instead, I tucked it into his hand and kissed him. Our relationship might have started out of desperation, but there was no way I was going to risk him or Penelope ever thinking I stayed because of money.

I’d even told my parents the entire crazy story when Nate suggested we plan a visit to go see them during the summer break from school and hockey. My parents laughed, and Dad told me he knew it was real all along because I’d never had a good poker face. Mom had simply smiled and told me she knew it was real because I’d never looked at Ted that way.

Turned out my parents had known what Haley and Ted did to me, but Haley had convinced them I was fine with it and just wanted it all to stay in the past. When my parents learned the truth of how I’d been feeling, and that the hurt was my reason for moving so far away, they cut Haley out of their lives and told her she had to make it right with me before they’d consider seeing her again. I had yet to hear from her.

The arena buzzed with excitement, filled with the energy of fans eagerly anticipating the game. The guys on the team had been thrilled when they’d learned that Nate wouldn't be transferring at the end of the season.

When Hannah caught wind of the tickets Nate had scored for me and Penelope, she didn't hesitate to extend the invitation to the rest of our book club. Now all of us were seated together, right behind the team's bench, separated only by a wall of plexiglass. It was an exhilarating view, being so close to the action.

Nate took a brief break on the bench and shot me a playful wink over his shoulder. My heart fluttered with a mixture of excitement and affection, and I couldn't help but grin foolishly as I settled back into my seat next to Penelope. Both of us were proudly sporting matching jerseys adorned with her dad's name and number.

"You guys are gross," Penelope teased, taking a sip of her soda. "But thanks for making my dad happy."

"He makes me pretty happy too," I replied, feeling a surge of warmth at the simple truth of my words.

Nate and I had mutually decided to take things slow, and I had returned the ring he'd given me. Yet, as he’d gently slipped it onto my right hand instead, as a promise for the future, I couldn't help but feel a sense of hope.

Before we knew it, the game drew to an end. The team won, but it had been close and had come down to a slap shot by Matt that got through the other team's goalie. He'd likely be named the MVP of the game.