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“Hi Marla,” he whispers as I place her in his lap. “I’m going to be the best big brother ever.”
“I know you will, sweetie,” I say, giving him a kiss on the temple.
“You’re so lucky you’re in this family,” he whispers to her. “You’re going to love being with us.”
Awww.
Tears flood my eyes as I look up at Harris. I reach for him and he takes my hand.
Gratitude fills my heart as I’m surrounded by my wonderful family.
I didn’t think I’d be able to do this again.
I thought it would just be me and Lucas forever.
But now… Getting to do it all over again with Harris by my side… Getting to share it all with him… Having someone who has my back…
I smile gratefully as I look up at him. I can’t wait for it all.
Our little family just grew a little bigger.
And my heart did too.
EPILOGUE
Harris
Twenty years later…
“Hey, Flamethrower,” my brother-in-law Ryan shouts across the backyard. “You’re burning the burgers!”
“Just yours,” I shout back with a grin.
He laughs as he reaches into the cooler for another beer.
I have a permanent smile on my face as I flip the burgers and look around at everyone. We’re having a Fourth of July pool party with all of Fiona’s family and our friends. It’s a great bunch. The weather is perfect, the oldies are blasting, the beers are flowing, and the pool is packed with people having fun. I couldn’t be happier.
After I retired in San Antonio, I sold my house and moved to Kansas City. I didn’t want to pull Lucas out of the school he loved, so I decided to come to them and have a fresh start.
Fiona has been amazing. I love that woman to death.
We quickly caught up on lost time and had two more children—both daughters. This time, I was there for all of it. The first steps and first words and first temper tantrums. I’ve cherished them all.
Lucas has grown into a fine young man and is smarter than I ever could have imagined. He’s studying Robotics Engineering at MIT. I don’t know where he got those brains from, but it wasn’t my side of the family.
He never really got into sports, but I didn’t mind. I was happy to let him be himself. Besides, he was always too busy with his nose buried in a book to come out and learn how to skate. Even now, while everyone is having fun roughhousing in the pool, he’s under the large Weeping Willow in our yard reading some thick-ass book on quantum computing.
Our middle daughter Marla is as girly as they get, but our youngest Penelope is a female version of me. She’s a terror on the ice.
She just might be the best seventeen-year-old female hockey player in the country. I think I’ve been on the ice more as a dad than I was as a player. She is obsessed with the sport and is determined to join the national Olympic team.
I’m determined to help get her there. As far as I’m concerned, she’s a shoo-in.
“How’s it going over here?” my stunning wife asks as she comes over and slides her hand on my back. I lean down as she stands on her toes to give me a kiss on the cheek.
She’s still as magnificent as ever. Two decades have passed and I’m still head over heels for this woman.
“I’m just looking forward until everyone leaves so I can have you all to myself.”
