Page 134 of Play the Game
It lasts about thirty more seconds before Emmy starts whining to get down, never happy to be still when she could be moving. I set her down on the ground and she immediately crawls right out her bedroom door without a single backwards glance. A minute later, we hear the crash of her play piano as she slams her hands down on it, and we look at each other and laugh.
“She really is the hellion you predicted she would be,” Evan says, slipping her hand into mine as we follow Emmy into the living room. When we get there, she’s standing up, both hands planted on the glass of Evan’s aquarium, babbling to the axolotlswho seem game to indulge our toddler’s very enthusiastic love for them.
“Be honest Rhodes,” I say flopping down on the couch and pulling her down onto my lap, wrapping my arms around her. “Would you want it any other way?”
Evan snorts out a laugh, “Maybe don’t ask me that when I can still see frosting in her hair from the cake smash Noah cruise directed this morning.”
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, bathtime is his responsibility tonight. He’s doing bedtime too as punishment, and if he’s late to the fire pit that’s just tough luck.”
“Evil,” Evan says with a wicked grin, kicking her feet up on the coffee table and digging a cherry Jolly Rancher out of her pocket, unwrapping it and popping it into her mouth. “I love it. And I don’t have to do bathtime, so I love it even more. I should probably get Emmy her snack before she gets hangry. That won’t end well for any of us.” She goes to stand up, but I pull her back down, kissing her neck and wrapping my arms around her.
“I’ll get her snack,” I murmur into her hair. “Just let me hold you for another minute.”
Evan relaxes back into me with a sigh. Between our jobs, Emmy, and Evan’s writing, it sometimes feels like we’re running a million miles an hour at all times. I wouldn’t have it any other way, but I’ve come to appreciate the quiet moments a lot more than I used to. “I love you,” I say quietly into her hair. “You’re my favorite person.”
“I love you too,” she says, tangling her hand with mine. “It’s a good life we’re making here. A really, really good life.”
“MAAAAAAAAAMAAAAAAAAA.” We both look down, and Emmy is standing, hands planted on the couch, legs bouncing, curls wild, and a look on her face that can only be described asNOTICE ME.
Bursting out laughing, Evan scoops Emmy up, and Emmy immediately cuddles into her. I wrap my arms around them both, and in this moment, all is right with the world.
“Your daughter is a pain in my ass,” Noah says, narrowing his eyes at Evan and me as he flops down in a chair by the fire pit on the brownstone’s rooftop patio, tugging Hannah down onto his lap.
“My daughter is perfect,” Evan says, popping the last bite of her s’more into her mouth and licking the chocolate off her fingers, grinning at Noah and glancing down at the baby monitor on her phone, showing a sleeping Emmy. “If bedtime was hard, I’m sure it was your fault, not hers.”
“She refused to lay down. Every time I put her in her crib, she screamed. When I tried to rub her back, she threw a stuffed dog at me. I swear I heard her tell me to fuck off.”
Hannah laughs, leaning up and kissing Noah’s jaw. “I’m sure you did your best, baby.”
Noah wraps his arms around Hannah, resting his splayed hands on her tiny baby bump, looking distressed. “What if I’m bad at babies? What if my baby hates me? What if I don’t know how to be a dad?”
“No one knows how to be a dad,” I say, sliding Evan between my legs and propping my chin on her shoulder. “It’s trial by fucking fire.”
“You did good, Coop,” Jordan says, kissing Jo’s cheek, sliding an arm around her and resting his hand on her much bigger baby bump. She’s due at the end of the summer, Hannah a few months later. “I think maybe I didn’t say it enough. Maybe we didn’t say it enough. But watching you this year has been really special.”
“It has.” Elliot looks at me from across the fire where he and Amelia are still roasting their marshmallows. They’re the slow roasting champions, with a maddening sort of patience I will never, ever possess. At least not when it comes to dessert. “Should have known you would be the first to have a baby and show us all up.”
I grin, snaking my arms around Evan and taking her hand, rubbing my thumb over the ring on her finger. A little reminder that she’s mine, and mine means forever. It gives me a little thrill every single time. “I have a good partner.”
“Bet your ass you do,” Evan says, turning and smiling at me.
“Look at all of us,” Noah says with a wide smile, angst about impending fatherhood all but gone. “Married, in love, having babies. We are adulting so hard right now.”
“Not all of you,” my mom announces as she, my dad, and Cece come strolling out onto the roof, her gaze falling right on Elliot and Amelia. “Two of my children are slacking in the having babies department.”
Elliot tilts his head, smile playing over his lips as he slides the arm not holding a stick of marshmallows around Amelia’s waist. “But are we?”
The second Amelia grins over at him, I know, and I can tell Cece does too, the way her gaze swings to Elliot and Amelia, knowing smile on her lips. The roof is silent for two beats before everyone starts talking at once, and, predictably, my mom starts crying, throwing her arms around Elliot and Amelia at the same time.
My chest squeezes as I look around the fire.
At Jordan, who has been through so much, finding his second chance at love with Jo, who brought the light back into his life.
At Elliot, who searched for his mystery girl from the plane until Amelia walked into his classroom one day, the actual definition of soulmates.
At Noah, who puts so much joy and laughter into the world, radiating happiness from finally finding the big, gigantic love he deserves with Hannah.
And at my girl, leaning back against me, her head on my shoulder. Our start might have been unexpected, but what we have is more than I ever could have hoped for. Rock solid and steady. Wild and unhinged. Both. All. Everything.
