Page 98 of Wrap Around
He drops to his knees.
Looking into his eyes, I remember, all over again, exactly what I almost lost.
“I love you so fucking much,” I whisper.
I love our life. Our family. Everything.
CHAPTER 35
EPILOGUE ONE – SILAS
Addy’s sixth birthday party is complete chaos.
There are kids everywhere. Screaming. Laughing. Wielding balloon swords and covered in streaks of purple icing. Someone’s crying. Someone else is blowing a whistle they definitely weren’t supposed to find.
It’s perfect.
We’re in the backyard, the warmth of an unusually sunny October afternoon shimmering off the patio stones.
A few of our old teammates are here. They drove down for Gideon’s first NHL game last night since they have a bye week and he got called up to cover a defensive spot on the third line. Coach Ryan, for funsies, put him on the first line with me instead.
Playing together again? It was magic. We moved like we never stopped. Coach even hinted afterward that he might want to make it permanent.
Across the yard, Gideon’s deep in conversation with Casey Ives, his husband, and Zac. They’re talking about his bee garden.
Yes. Bee garden.
Gideon planted it about two months after we moved in. Now he wants a hive. A real one. With, like, hundreds of bees. Lily and I are still firmly in themaybe don’t invite an entire swarm of stinging insects into the same yard where children playcamp, but my husband is persistent and, as usual, is slowly wearing us down. Much like the puppy he insisted we get Addy for her fifth birthday. The little dachshund is currently chasing Addy and her group of friends around, probably hoping they’ll drop something he can eat.
Gideon is holding Casey and Phillipe’s eight-month-old baby in one arm as he gestures to the corner with his free hand, no doubt showing them where he wants to put the death trap. Seeing him bounce the infant gently while he talks about pollination or some shit makes something in my chest squeeze tight.
The back door slides open. Tim Landon, Leif Franks, and Tomas Valdez, all file out, carrying massive buckets. Lily waddles out after them, balancing several jump ropes in her arms. “Alright, kids! Who wants to make some giant bubbles?!”
The horde screams in approval. Soon, the whole yard is filled with shimmering orbs the size of Addy’s old playhouse.
Lily steals the glass of iced tea I’m drinking right out of my hand and gulps it down.
“Thanks,” she sighs, as if I’d offered it to her in the first place.
Not that I mind. “Would you like your own?” I ask, smirking.
“Nah, I’m good now, thanks.”
Snorting a laugh, I gesture to an empty patio chair. “Why don’t you take a load off?”
Lily rolls her eyes. “I’m not an invalid, Silas. I’m only five months pregnant. You remember how big I gotwith Addy, right?”
How could I forget? One moment, she looked the same as always, except maybe with bigger boobs. Then the next, she popped in a big way. Like she was hoarding a large watermelon under her shirt. How someone so short could carry that much extra weight without being in constant pain is amazing to me, but I know she’s right. Truthfully, she seems to have tons of energy lately, which is a good thing considering she's growing us another baby girl while still maintaining a full course load and chasing around an energetic now six-year-old during the start of hockey season.
March seems far away, but I know it’ll be here before we know it. We almost made it to the playoffs last year, and I weirdly hope we don’t again this year. Either way, Coach Ryan knows I’ll be taking some time off when the baby comes, and Gideon's team is ready, too.
I look at Lily lovingly, then laugh when she makes a funny face. She pushes me and tells me to go in the house and get her a snack, apparently the baby wants Nutella and pretzels. And bread and butter pickles.
“Just bring the jar!”
I laugh and head inside, turning to look out at the chaos. Addy is leading a charge to attack a clump of massive bubbles that landed on the grass. Gideon is watching on, one shoulder drenched in spit up, joy and affection radiating off him in waves.
Our eyes meet across the yard, and we share a smile.
