Page 118 of The Longshot

I’ll never get tired of saying it back to him.

Because if I’ve learned anything from this past month, it’s that new beginnings can start at any time—any moment—and with the most unexpected of people.

These past few weeks have finally felt like a taste of normal life. For a while, I suppose I hadn't realized just how abnormal everything was.

Thankfully, with Simon out of the picture, I no longer have to live with the weight of my past on my shoulders. Now, with everything out in the open, an unwavering level of support surrounds me.

Gary.

Ruby.

My parents.

Everyone has been undeniably supportive in encouraging me to take as much time as I need to get back on track.

The truth is though, I don’t need any more time. School is important to me, it always has been. And so, in an attempt to start fresh all together, I’ve decided to finish off my final year at uni by transferring to a more local school, right here, in Crawley.

Why?

Well, not only is Crawley the place where my sister is, it just so happens to be the place where my favorite footballer plays—after all, I can’t miss a game, can I?

“Mind if I put this in the fridge?” I ask Warren, gesturing the cake I made specifically for Delaney in his direction.

“I can do it,” he takes the cake from my grasp, given that just around the corner we both catch a glimpse of Delaney rocking the baby in her arms. “You two go on in…” Warren smiles. “There’s someone we want you meet.”

Warren doesn’t have to ask us twice as we make a bee-line into the living room.

“Wilks… Chelsie!” Delaney beams as she looks up at us. “You made it. Oh my goodness, it’s so nice to see you both! Come, sit. Have a seat.”

Gary is cautious as he sinks into the couch across the way, guiding me to follow as our hands are intertwined as one.

Delaney flashes me a playful wink, forcing me to blush as I plant myself into his side.

“We got these for you.” Gary places the assortment of gifts on a table just ahead. “Well, and the baby…”

“You guys…” Delaney leans forward to sneak a peek. “You didn’t need to get us anything. Seriously. This is too much.”

“Nonsense,” Gary replies. “We wanted to.”

“So too bad.” I chime in, proud of myself as Gary squeezes a hold of my palm. “Plus it’s non-refundable.”

Delaney laughs. “You guys are too sweet. You know, we really didn’t expect anything from anyone?—”

“So, Wilks…” Warren races around the corner, cutting Delaney off mid sentence as he wraps an arm around her. “Are you ready to meet your Godson?”

Gary’s eyes widen.

My eyes widen.

Godson?

Did we both just hear that correctly?

It’s a boy.

“Warren!” Delaney scorns him with an unimpressed look on her face. “Seriously? Way to make both the sex and the announcement anti-climatic.”

Delaney’s outburst causes the baby to squirm slightly as Warren raises his hands in defense. “Whoops,” he apologizes before he carssess the baby's face to soothe him. “I got excited. I just… couldn’t wait any longer.”

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