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“Will you teach me to ride it, Daddy?”
“As soon as it gets a little warmer, we’ll go down to the trail by the Potomac and practice. You’ll be a pro in no time,” I tell her.
June turns around and hugs me. Her little hands grip my shirt, and I smile as she does her best to squeeze me tight. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart.” I glance at Maven and lift my chin. “I have something for you, too, Mae.”
She frowns and crosses her arms over her chest. “I thought we said we weren’t doing presents.”
“We did, but I lied.”
“Is this going to be a personality trait of yours, Lansfield?”
I grin. “Never.”
“That’s good, because I also lied to you.” She reaches under the couch and pulls out a rectangular box. “Right under your nose for weeks, and you had no idea.”
“You little menace. Let me go grab yours.”
I jog to my room and grab the box sitting on the top shelf of my closet. When I come back into the living room, Maven and June are cuddling on the couch, andgod, I love to watch them.
They get along so well. They have ever since that first meeting, and I love that Maven never babies her. They have full conversations, and Maven asks for June’s opinions on so many things. My daughter has always been her number one priority, and I know that even if I never made a move, even if I never gave in and kissed her, she would’ve stuck around for as long as possible, just to spend time with JB.
I sit next to them, and I reach over and wrap my fingers around Maven’s ankle. I rub my thumb up and down her calf, and she sighs.
“You first,” she says, and she hands over the package. There’s tape everywhere, and the wrapping paper doesn’t cover the corners. “June helped.”
“No wonder it’s so well done.” I rip off the paper and turn the box over, reading the description. “A digital picture frame? What does it do?”
“I know we text each other and send pictures all the time, especially when you’re on the road, but this will keep them all in one place. You can plug it in when you’re at your hotel, and it will cycle through all the images. I can also send a photo straight to the device with a caption, and it’ll pop up on the screen. It’s not much, but I know you don’t like to be away. I thought this might make things a little easier and keep all the memories in one place.”
My fingers curl around the edges of the box and my vision blurs. I sniff and tip my head back to stare into the ceiling lights. My exhale is jagged and it feels like I swallowed a shard of glass.
“Daddy, are you sad?” June asks, and she climbs into my lap. “Why are you crying?”
“I’m not sad, baby girl.” I set the box down and rock her against my chest. “I’m just happy. Really happy. These are happy tears.” My gaze locks with Maven’s, and she’s smiling from ear to ear. “Thank you. Thank you for everything. We’re so lucky to have you in our lives.”
I love you.
I love you so fucking much.
It burns through me like a raging wildfire and fuckingconsumesme.
I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. If someone asked me to describe it, I wouldn’t know how. It’s a lot like coming up for air after being stuck underwater. My lungs feel full. My vision is clear, and I can finally fucking see.
When I look at her, when I make her smile and laugh, it feels like I have a purpose greater than football. Like my life has meaning.
This woman did what no one else has ever done: she snuck her way in. She fixed me and healed parts of me I never knew were even broken, but she also ruined me along the way.
I’ll never be able to have anyone else.
“I’m the lucky one,” she says.
I swallow and wipe my eyes with the back of my hand. I’m going to be a fuckingmesswhen I use this on our next road game. The boys are going to make fun of me for hours, and I can’t wait.
“JB, could you give Mae her present, please?” I ask.
June scoots across the couch and takes up residence in Maven’s lap now. She hands over the box, and Maven kissesher forehead. The two work together to pull off the paper, and Maven’s hand freezes when she reads the name on the box.
