Page 138 of A Game Of Love

“Well, I want to thank you for being an amazing kid. And for loving my son even in his darkest days. You never gave up on him.”

“And you never gave up on my mom through hers.”

“Two amazing women, that's for sure.” He grins.

Theo walks me to where I’m meant to be sitting, then takes off towards the stage for the ceremony to start.

The opening speeches go by quickly. Then, it’s time for students to go up and get their diplomas. It’s fast: people lining up, getting their names read quickly, going up on stage, giving a wave, receiving their diploma–not the real one, that will be mailed later–and leaving the stage for the next person to have their turn.

It’s going by so fast. When Bee gets up on stage, she has Sofia on her hip. I get to my feet and cheer as loud as I can for my bestie. I’m so damn proud of her. Going to college with a baby isn’t easy. But between the help of her mom, me, and even my moms, she never had an issue. She nor Jonas had to give up anything they loved. We made sure of it.

Now it’s my turn. I get up and get in line with the other students with the last names starting with T. One by one they get read off, and I’m confused because despite where I am in line, my name doesn’t get called until the very end. Out of order.

Confused, I just go with it and get on stage when Theo finally calls my name.

“Lillianna Tatum!” he says with a lot more enthusiasm than he did with the other students.

With warm cheeks, I make my way on stage. I can hear my parents screaming their lungs out as they cheer for me. I don’t look for them, but I can feel their eyes on me. I’m too focused on getting up there and not falling on my face.

But then Theo surprises me by giving a little speech. “As some of you might know, Lilly is my daughter. She’s been in my life since she was three years old. Watching her grow up and become the amazing woman she is today has been an honor. I can’t wait to watch her continue to flourish and see where herlife leads her. I want only good things for her. But I’m not the only one who wants that for her.”

I’m confused when Theo looks behind me, and the crowd starts to murmur. I turn around to see Toby and Bishop standing there. They’re both wearing black business suits.

“What are you doing?” I ask, my heart pounding out of my chest.

Toby steps forward. “Lilly. From the moment I met you, I knew you were the one for me. Throughout our lives, my love for you grew and evolved as we did. You’ve been my rock, my strength, the reason I keep going. You’ve never given up, only stood by my side no matter what. I owe you my life. And that's what I plan on giving you. I love you, Lillianna Tatum. My Lillypad. My flower.”

I’m not sure what’s going on. I’m kind of low-key freaking out, but also, my heart is fucking swooning right now because, ugh, why is he so damn cute.

“Il mio cuore,” Bishop says, and my eyes snap over to him. “Since we were kids, you’ve been my best friend. The person I trust with everything, including my heart. I knew since then, I always wanted you to be mine. At one point, I accepted the fact that it might never happen. Because your heart was with another. But you proved me wrong, showed me that there’s room in our hearts to love more than one person at a time. You gave me the honor of letting me in yours, right alongside him. It’s us against the world, Shorty. My life is yours.”

And then they both drop to one knee, pulling out a damn black velvet box, one in each of their hands. “What is going on?” I whisper, tears dripping down my cheeks as nervous excitement and shock makes me feel like I’m going to puke.

“Will you do us the greatest honor–" Bishop starts.

“And become our wife?” Toby finishes

My eyes flick between the two of theirs, heart pounding so damn hard. I only hesitate because my brain is playing catch up. The moment it clicks, I’m laughing, grinning like a fool, and screaming, “Hell yes!”

The guys laugh, jump to their feet, and pull me into their arms. The whole crowd cheers for us.

Bishop sweeps me up and rushes us off the stage so the ceremony can continue.

Once I’m on my feet again, away from everyone else, their lips are on mine.

Pure and utter joy fills every cell in my body as they slip their rings onto my finger. A perfect set.

Then I’m in their arms again, crying happy tears as the men who mean the world to me surround me with their love.

So much has happened in the past four years. It feels like a lifetime of happy and not-so-happy memories. But the thing is, our story has only just begun. Now, I can take those four years and turn them into a lifetime.

With these two men by my side, whatever life brings our way, I know we’ll be okay.

The End

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