Page 127 of Unsteady

“Missed you,” he mumbles.

“Miss you too, bud.” I ruffle his hat and curls before bending down to fix it. I stand back up, straightening my dark navy dress coat, and smiling at her.

She is layered in black and still—she is everything bright in my life. I love her, I’d do anything for her.

And right now that means giving support, but the space to work out her own feelings.

I wanted to connect her with my therapist, but Dr. Bard said that was a decision that Sadie needed to make on her own.

I hope she does. I just want her to feel good again.

Happy.

“Hey, Gray,” I say, my hand scratching at the back of my neck to distract myself from reaching for her.

“Hotshot.” She smiles and my knees wobble. A good mood today, then. She walks right up to me and fiddles with my collar. “You look good.”

My cheeks heat, a smile growing under her attention and the familiarity of the teasing nickname. “Yeah… I, uh—we’ve got a home game today. We usually dress nice.”

Her eyebrows dip and she lets go of me, ducking her head a bit as she says, “Oh. I, um—I can’t go. I have a group project due for my final and they agreed to meet near the rink where Oliver’s practice is. And Liam—”

The kid pokes his head out of the car, where Oliver’s already strapped him into his car seat, that I definitely hadn’t purchased before the gala when I first realized being with Sadie meant being responsible enough to handle her brothers.

“I wanna watch Rhys!”

Sadie’s exhausted. It’s easy to see in her eyes and her posture, but I can tell this will help her. Even if she won’t ask.

“My parents have seats, and they wanted to invite Liam if you needed some help.

She bites her lip. “They wouldn’t mind?”

“No.” I smile sadly at her. “They’d love it. They love them.”

“Yeah.” She nods, biting her lip.

They love you too, you just need to let them in. I want to say, but keep it quiet.

“What are you doing after your game?”

I smile again, because I can tell she’s mildly stalling. And to be honest, I’d happily be late to my game for a few more moments with her.

“What time are you done?” I ask, being a little bolder and pulling her hat from her shining hair, tucking a few strands back and smoothing them before putting it back on. “I’ll be there to pick you guys up.”

“Rhys—”

“Quiet. That one’s non-negotiable.”

She nods again, cheeks pink; whether from the weather or me, I’ll never know.

We all pile into my mom’s car, an SUV for kids—where my dad and I spent the entire morning trying to get the car seat in properly. The thing was like a fucking spaceship.

The entire drive to the local rink is twenty minutes of ABBA, with Liam scream-singing at the top of his lungs. It’s ridiculous, and loud, and yet, I can see it soften both Oliver and Sadie.

When I pull into the parking lot, before Oliver can slam out of the car, I pause and look at Sadie.

“I just want you to know that taking care of your brothers by yourself is very brave. You’re so strong and smart, and I hope I can be half as incredible one day.”

I say it in front of her brothers, because I need them to understand how brave and amazing their big sister is—and how nothing that’s coming will change that. That no one wants to take them from her, nor her from them.

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