Page 100 of Shattered Dreams

Yes, I want to do what I love.

Yes, he wants me to do what I love.

But there is also compromise. And not just for him and I, but for our kids.

How could I ever think pulling Rylee away from all these people was a good idea? They are her family. They love her and she loves them. She’s lost enough. She can’t lose my parents, Paul, and Maddox. That’s fucking awful of me.

Which is why I never even mentioned it to her or Maddox. They don’t need to know. They probably wouldn’t even understand.

I pull into the driveway and carefully make my way up the sidewalk that’s covered in a dusting of snow that’s more slippery than it should be. I’m so ready for this winter to be over.

Before heading inside, I open the bucket that’s off to the side and toss some salt down so it doesn’t freeze overnight and turn into a sheet of ice. Maddox already fell once, and we all panicked that he re-broke his wrist. Thankfully, he was fine.

I open the door and I’m bombarded.

Rylee and Maddox are holding up a small, homemade cake with purple frosting and Congratulations written across it.

“Congratulations!” they all shout.

I laugh, taking it all in.

“You don’t even know if I got the job.”

“You got the job,” Paul says firmly. “Obviously.”

“Yeah, obviously,” Maddox says with a big eye roll.

“Obviously, Daddy!” Rylee shouts, then starts giggling and almost causes them to drop the cake.

Paul takes it from them, but holds my gaze. None of them give me any room to step further into the house.

“I got the job,” I say with a smile.

The kids jump at me, hugging me, while Paul stands there and smiles, holding onto that cake like it’s a child. I think if he didn’t have the cake in his hands, he’d be hugging me too.

Which he does, the moment we get to the kitchen, and the cake is put down. He squeezes me so tightly and whispers in my ear.

“Congratulations.” And that one means so much more than when he said it just a few moments earlier.

“Can we have cake now?” Rylee asks.

Paul laughs, stepping away from me.

“Yes, we can have cake.” He looks at me. “I think she’s asked ten times already.”

“You know she loves cake, Dad,” Maddox says as he grabs four plates from the cabinet.

“Yeah, Dad,” Rylee says with so much attitude that I almost miss the fact she called Paul dad at all.

He didn’t, though. Because his eyes are wide as hell. But soon enough, he’s smiling and bending down to hug her. He kisses her head.

“You’re the best daughter ever.”

She grins so wide. “I know!”

Paul grabs a knife to cut the cake.

“We had to do purple because I wanted blue but Rylee wanted pink,” Maddox explains. “We tried to do half and half, but they mixed and now we have purple.”