Page 96 of Penalty Shots

She squints at me.

"What?"

"Are you? Because I'm pretty sure that earlier this year, you were quite excited at the prospect of becoming a mom and raising our kids together, and now that's all changed for you. I mean, we'll still raise our kids together," she insists. "But you know, it's okay if your heart is hurting. It would just do you some good to actually acknowledge it. Maybe go to therapy?"

"Get therapy or get railed because you're giving me two different solutions here," I smirk at her.

"Either one! Both," she says, throwing her hands in the air.

"Jeez, Iz. Cool it," I murmur to her when a few of the patrons start gawking my way.

"Sorry. I just…" she sighs. "I hate seeing you like this. You were like this beautiful island goddess a few weeks back. Fully alive for the first time since I've known you. And it just sucks to see you crawling back into a lonely hole of despair like a sad little fox."

"You're killing it with the metaphors today."

"Thank you," she says cooly.

"You're welcome. Now, are we done talking about my emotional and sexual health because I want to know what the plan is for NYC tomorrow."

"I mean, I wasn't quite done but if you want to rapidly change the subject like it seems you want to do, I can hold on for this whiplash moment."

I roll my eyes again.

"Stop that. You're treating me like I'm my brother, and that's lowering the vibrations of this friendship."

"Oh, I wouldnevertreat you like I treat your brother."

Ew.

"Ok then, cool it with the eye rolls."

"Ok,Mom."

She grabs a piece of naan and tosses it at me.

"Real mature," I say to her, popping it into my mouth and chewing obnoxiously.

She laughs. And I do, too. Because at the end of the day, Izzy might just be the sister I had always hoped to have.

We aren't related by blood. But we had such a natural connection from the moment we met. Not to mention, she's precisely the age that any one of my real siblings could have been.

And somehow, I've never put those two things together. If I had never met Keelan, I might not have ever met Izzy.

The man has brought me more good things than I care to admit. And maybe finally realizing that is the first step in really taking to heart what he said earlier.

What do I want?

It's not just to be a mom. My heart's desire is to have a family. And there's no one way for that to happen.

Case in point, the rowdy little dark-haired woman currently cleaning off the curry from her Heatwave shirt.

"So anyways. Back to NYC. We're there for two nights. So I think I might have some ideas," Izzy says, a grin spreading across her face.

Chapter 27

Keelan

Christmastime in New York City is exactly like all the movies I've ever seen. Bright lights, lots of traffic. People shouting on street corners that the end is near.

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