“Forever,” Sunny confirmed softly, pressing a kiss to Maddie’s forehead. “That’s a promise.”
Satisfaction smoothed the last traces of worry from Maddie’s face as she finally surrendered to sleep. Sunny remained seated between the beds for several moments, watching over both girls as their breathing deepened into the gentle rhythm of dreams.
Sunny
When she finally rose and tiptoed from the room, she found Liam waiting in the hallway, his tall frame leaning against the wall, his expression soft with something that made her heart skip.
“They’re asleep?” he asked quietly.
Sunny nodded, pulling the door nearly closed behind her, leaving just enough space for the glow of the nightlight to spill into the hallway. “Out like lights. I think the excitement of the day finally caught up with them.”
“With all of us,” Liam agreed, his gaze never leaving her face. “We should talk, Sunny.”
Her stomach fluttered with nervous anticipation, but not fear — not anymore. “Yes,” she agreed. “We should.”
He led her to his study, a room that had once been his private retreat but had gradually opened to include her. The leather couch where they had sometimes sat reviewing household schedules or discussing the girls’ needs now felt like a different space entirely as they settled onto it, Liam handing her a glass of red wine from the small bar cart in the corner.
“To new beginnings,” he said, touching his glass gently to hers.
“New beginnings,” Sunny echoed, the rich Cabernet warming her from the inside out as she took a small sip.
They sat closer than they had in weeks, the distance between them measured in inchesrather than the careful emotional space they had maintained since her return. Liam’s knee brushed against hers as he shifted to face her more directly, the casual contact sending a current of awareness through her body.
“I heard from the team today,” he began, surprising her with the topic. “Management has backed off completely.”
Sunny’s eyebrows rose. “Really? Just like that?”
A wry smile tugged at Liam’s mouth. “Not exactly. Apparently, my little press conference struck a nerve with fans. The team’s social media has been flooded with messages supporting me — and threats to boycott games and merchandise if they force me out.”
“And how do you feel about that?” Sunny asked carefully, searching his face.
Liam took another sip of wine, considering her question. “Honestly? I don’t care as much as I thought I would,” he admitted. “A month ago, the idea of losing my contract would have felt like losing my identity. Now…” He shrugged, the gesture expressing a profound shift in priorities. “Now I’m actually thinking about retirement.”
“Retirement?” The word emerged as a surprised whisper. “But hockey has been your whole life.”
“Not my whole life,” Liam corrected gently. “Not anymore.” He set his wine glass on the side table, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, hands loosely clasped between them. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while now. Even before all this happened. My body doesn’t recover like it used to. The younger guys are faster, hungrier.”
Sunny listened, sensing there was more he needed to say.
“And honestly? I want more time with the girls,” he continued. “They’re growing up so fast, and I’ve already missed too many moments because of away games and training camps.” He paused, meeting her gaze directly. “I want more time with you, too, if that’s something you want.”
The openness in his expression, the vulnerability beneath his words, touched something deep within Sunny.
“I do want that,” she assured him, setting her own glass down to reach for his hands. “More than anything.”
His fingers tightened around hers, warm and strong and grounding. “I’ve been thinking about the future,” he admitted. “What it might look like for all of us.”
“So have I,” Sunny confessed, a smile tugging at her lips. “I’ve been considering starting a small childcare business here at home.”
“Really?” Interest sparked in Liam’s eyes.
Sunny nodded, the idea taking clearer shape as she gave it voice. “Just a few children, along with Maddie and Hailey after school. It would allow me to use my training while still being here for the girls.” She hesitated, suddenly uncertain. “If that’s something you’d be comfortable with, I mean. This is your home, and I wouldn’t want to—”
“Our home,” Liam interrupted firmly. “It’s our home, Sunny. Yours, mine, the girls’. And I think it’s a brilliant idea.”
The simple assertion — our home — bloomed through Sunny’s chest like warmth spreading from a hearth fire on a cold night. All her life, she had longed for a place to belong, had drifted from temporary shelter to temporary shelter, never daring to put down roots for fear they would be ripped away. Now, this man was offering her not just a house, but a home. Not just a job, but a partnership. Not just affection, but a family.
“I love you,” she whispered, the words emerging with such natural certainty that they surprised her.
