“Thank you for coming,” Liam said sincerely. “It means a lot to us.”
Laura’s gaze shifted to Sunny, studying her with an intensity that would have been uncomfortable if Sunny hadn’t met it with such grace. The resemblance between Laura and Kate was subtle but unmistakable — the same determined set of the jaw, the same direct gaze. Behind her stood Richard, Kate’s father, his hands clasped tightly behind his back, his expression unreadable.
“Hello Sunny,” Laura said finally. “Richard and I have heard so much about you from the girls.”
“It’s an honor to meet you,” Sunny replied, her voice gentle. “Maddie and Hailey talk about you all the time.”
An awkward silence fell between them. Liam could feel Sunny’s hand tighten around his, but her smile never faltered.
“I wasn’t sure we’d come,” Laura admitted, her voice catching slightly. “When Liam called last month…”
“It was difficult,” Richard spoke for the first time, stepping forward to stand beside his wife. “We thought it might feel like… betrayal.”
Liam swallowed hard. “I understand.”
“But then Maddie called us,” Laura continued. “Did you know? She called us allby herself. Said in her serious little voice, ‘Grandma, you and Grandpa need to come to Daddy’s wedding.’”
When I asked her why, she told us, ‘Because Sunny makes Daddy smile again, and she knows all about Mommy too. She doesn’t try to make us forget Mommy — she helps us remember her in happy ways.’” Laura’s eyes glistened. “Then she said, ‘We’re making a new kind of family, and families should be together for important days. Mommy would want you to be there too.’ How could we say no to that?”
“Out of the mouths of babes,” Richard said softly, his stern expression softening as he looked at Sunny. “We’ve watched how you’ve guided the girls through this. How patient you’ve been with them.”
“We resisted at first,” Laura admitted. “But seeing you today, the way you included Kate’s memory….” She paused, collecting herself. “Kate would have liked that. She never did anything halfway — loved fully, grieved deeply, celebrated joyfully. She wouldn’t have wanted any of you living in shadows.”
Sunny blinked rapidly, fighting tears. “Thank you for saying that.”
Laura nodded, then reached into her purse and withdrew a small box. “I brought something for you. It belonged to Kate’s grandmother. Kate always said it should stay in the family.” She hesitated, then added softly, “You’re family now.”
Sunny accepted the box with trembling hands, opening it to reveal a delicate silver bracelet with a single charm — a small sun. Her eyes widened, lifting to meet Laura’s.
“The sun charm is new,” Laura explained. “I added it. Kate would have appreciated the… appropriateness.”
“It was Kate’s favorite piece,” Richard added, his voice gruff with emotion. “She wore it at her high school graduation, at our twenty-fifth anniversary. Said it made her feel connected to generations of strong women.”
“We had it cleaned and added the charm last week,” Laura said. “When we decided to come.”
Tears welled in Sunny’s eyes. “I don’t know what to say.”
Richard cleared his throat. “You don’t need to say anything. Just… be patient with us. This is all new territory.”
“We’d like to be more present, if that’s all right,” Laura added. “For the girls, of course, but…” She glanced between Liam and Sunny. “For all of you.”
“We’d like that very much,” Sunny said, clasping the bracelet around her wrist where it caught the evening light. “The girls need their grandparents. And I… I’d like to know more about Kate, through your eyes.”
Something in Laura’s expression shifted then, a subtle softening. “I think she would have liked you,” she said quietly. “You have her warmth.”
“Take care of them,” Laura added, and Liam knew she meant not just the girls, but him as well.
“I will,” Sunny promised, and Laura seemed satisfied, rejoining her husband as they moved back toward their table.
Richard lingered a moment longer, turning to Liam. “You did good, son,” he said simply, patting Liam’s shoulder before following his wife.
Liam squeezed Sunny’s hand. “You okay?”
She nodded, wiping away a tear. “Better than okay. That was… that was everything, Liam.”
His response was cut short by the unexpected arrival of Gerald Parker, the team owner who had given Liam the ultimatum that had briefly torn them apart. Liam stiffened, instinctively moving closer to Sunny.
“Anderson,” Parker greeted him with a nod. “Mrs Anderson,” he added, with a nodto Sunny that contained more respect than Liam had expected.
