Page 70 of The Game Changer

Epilogue

John

Six months later

I sit on a piece of driftwood lying on the beach, looking out at the ocean. A glass of bourbon on the rocks in my hand as the moon rises in the otherwise dark night sky. As I sit here, I can’t help but think back over the last year, five, ten—hell, the last thirty years of my life—and how far I’ve come. I’ve accomplished so many amazing things. Not a lot of people can claim the wins that I’ve had in my life, just as not many people have been faced with the challenges that I’ve faced in my thirty-six years.

I dig my toes into the warm sand as I watch the waves rolling in and out twenty or so feet from where I’m sitting. Noise behind me grabs my attention, so I turn my head to see what or who is coming out here. I notice my sister-in-law walking out, what looks like a glass of wine in her hand.

“You want some company?” Stephanie asks as she comes around the piece of wood.

“Sure, have a seat,” I tell her.

“Nice night,” she says, and I can tell she’s testing the waters to see if everything is okay.

“It is, just enjoying the fresh ocean air before I call it a night. We’ve got a few busy days ahead of us.”

“You do,” she agrees with me. “Everything okay?”

“Yep, I promise. I’m just enjoying the calm before the crazy.”

“Where did your bride to be get off to?”

“She’s back in the suite with Julia, working on last-minute items. I offered to help, but it quickly became apparent that my help was not really helpful, so she shooed me out of the room for a few hours,” I admit.

Stephanie chuckles as she sits next to me, sipping on her wine. “I’ll give you a small token of advice,” she muses. “A happy wife, means a happy life.”

“I’ve been told that a few times already.” I chuckle before taking another sip of my bourbon. The liquid burning as it goes down, but damn does this taste good. “I don’t think I’ll have any issues with remembering that motto. All I want is for Jill to be my wife, hopefully the mother of our future children, but most importantly, my partner in life. I want to stand beside her in this crazy life, just as much as I want her to stand beside me.”

“You really are one of the good ones,” Stephanie says as she squeezes my shoulder. “I’d like to think that if I wasn’t in love with your sister, and you know, not a lesbian, I’d have fallen for someone like you. You both are lucky to have found one another. Don’t let that love die. I’m here to tell you that marriage is hard. You’ll have fights, sometimes over stupid crap, like who loaded the dishwasher wrong or who moved the remote and now no one can find it. But, then it might be something bigger, like major purchases—another tip, don’t make any without at least talking to her about it first. Even if you make the majority of the money that comprise your finances, she needs to be seen as an equal in your marriage.”

“Sounds simple enough.”

“Simple isn’t the word I’d use, but it can sometimes feel that way, and then the next it is the complete opposite. Another tip, since apparently I’m full of them tonight,” she says on a light laugh. “Don’t ever go to bed mad at one another. Talk things out in a civil manner. Listen, and I mean listen to each other, even when she isn’t using actual words. Women are strange creatures sometimes and will give you clues other ways. Be spontaneous. Come home and whisk her away for a long weekend in another city or dinner out at some fancy restaurant she’s been wanting to try, or the hole in the wall place you heard about from one of the guys or on a tv show. But most of all, love each other through it all. Be each other’s strength during the easy, but more importantly, be each other’s strength during the hard times.”

“I think we’ve got that part figured out. She’s already seen me at my worst with some of the mood swings I’ve encountered and side effects from the TBI. Not many women would jump in feet first to a relationship with someone who was recovering from that kind of injury and the unknown as to how it was going to affect the future like she did.”

“I know, and I knew that when she was willing to help you through all that, she was one of the good ones. Just remember that she needs you just as much as you need her. That’s how this all works. She might be the backbone, but eventually something is going to happen and she’s going to need you to be her backbone.”

“Is that how it is with you and Cindi?” I ask.

“Obviously our situation is different than yours, but it is. We’ve worked through our share of issues. It isn’t easy being in a same-sex marriage. Many people out there don’t think that we’re fit to be parents just because we’re two women. It took a lot of blood, sweat, and tears for us to get to the point that we could have our kids, but we persisted, leaned on each other and made it happen. I’d go through all of it again if it meant we’d be where we are at today; even if I am sleep deprived lately,” Stephanie says, laughing.

“I’m glad the two of you persisted. You’ve got some great kids out of the deal.”

“They are pretty great, if I do say so myself.”

“What are the two of you talking about out here?” Cindi asks as she comes up behind Stephanie and me.

“Just life, giving John all my married life wisdom,” Stephanie answers.

“Ooh,” Cindi says as she rounds the driftwood and plops down in the sand so she’s facing us.

“Who’s with the kids?” I ask.

“Kids? I’m supposed to leave someone with them?” she deadpans and rolls her eyes. Stephanie snickers next to me as if I just asked the stupidest question. “Mom’s in the room, but all three are asleep,” she says as she reaches for Stephanie’s glass of wine and finishes it off.

“How’d they do on the flight?” I ask of my nephew and twin nieces.

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