Page 61 of Crack the Ice

Mav’s hand settles on my thigh, grounding me or keeping me in place because I did indeed have the urge to hide.

“You knew?” I ask incredulously. “I mean, that isn’t why I left… but you knew?!”

“Ay, Cecy.” My mom says, her laughter joining Mav’s.

“You are not as sneaky as you think. We’ve known you were in love with that man since you were, what, eighteen, nineteen?” She stands and walks across the room, wrapping her arms around Maverick.

I’ve landed in some alternate universe. Not that I don’t think my parents love Mav. They always have. But for my mother, of all people, not to say anything for this long? It’s nothing short of miraculous.

“I know you’re not married yet, but I see it on the horizon. Well, if you two can figure your shit out.” She laughs. “Welcome to the family, Mav. It’s about time. Plus you’re kind of stuck considering your little munchkin gave herself the title of my first grandbaby.” She ruffles Lily’s hair.

Lily lights up, and something that looks a lot like relief passes through Cade’s eyes, but then he peeks around the side of my mom at my dad. And my dad, being the man he is, catches it. “What’s your name, hijo?”

“It means son in Spanish,” I whisper.

He clears his throat and sits up straighter. “Cade, sir.”

“None of that sir business. I’m fun, hip even.” My dad gets up and does a horrible rendition of the Macarena, solely for their entertainment purposes, considering he and my mom dance all the time.

It does what he intended, making them both smile. “I’ve got board games, I can grill, or I can sing to you.” He clears his throat, placing one hand on his stomach as he starts belting out the lyrics to Vivir Así Es Morir de Amor.

This time it’s my mom’s and my turn to laugh. “Ay Matteo, that song is so depressing.”

“Would you prefer El Burrito Sabanero?”

I slap my hand over my mouth to conceal my laugh, but the kids are up and following him down the hall to the game closet as he tries to start a conga line. Guess we have more family game night members.

“Cecy!” Lily’s high-pitched squeal carries down the hallway until she busts through the archway with a box clutched to her chest. “Your dad found your old Easy Bake Oven. He said I could have it if it was okay with you.”

I’m honestly shocked they kept that thing. It’s a fire hazard and a half. “Sure, Lil bit. You can have it.”

“Ohh! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!” She says, wrapping her arms around my waist.

I’ve learned very quickly that Cade and Lily have a competitive streak that rivals mine and Mav’s. After five games of Guess Who, we finally got to a point where Mav won twice, meaning we can stop playing tiebreaker rounds. Much to their dismay.

My parents sat on the couch and watched us with nothing but pure contentment on their faces. I know they’ve always loved Mav, but to see it, to feel it for not only him but Cade and Lily? It feels like the welcome home I didn’t know I was still waiting for. Like I have permission to be part of something so beautiful, knowing they damn well support it.

The thought fills me with joy before it sours briefly. I wonder if they’re waiting for me to give them grandkids, they don’t know about any of this. Not the cancer, not the hysterectomy. I stiffen, and of course, Mav catches it.

“You guys ready to go?” he asks, sliding his hand into mine. I don’t pull away. For once, I let myself sink into the rightness of it. Maybe moving in wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

Lily doesn’t say a word, just runs to the front door and pulls it open, only to stop with one foot out the door. “Thank you! Can we see you soon?”

My mom’s chin wobbles. I know she’s already in love with these two the same way I am. “You can come over anytime you want,” she says to Lily before turning to Cade. “And you, young man, I’ll be seeing you so that I can make your game-day suits match Reed’s.” She cups a hand around the side of her mouth and whispers, “You can probably pull them off better, though.”

“He definitely can,” Mav says with a chuckle.

The room narrows, all the sounds fading away as I look at the two of them. Mav’s hand on his shoulder, the way in which Cade looks up at him with such love-even for a sixteen-year-old-you can tell that man is his hero. I smile wistfully as they knock each other on the shoulder a couple of times, hoping that one day, I’ll fit into this fold as well as they do.

It’s a dangerous thing to admit to myself, an even more dangerous thing to admit that my feelings for this man never went away. I just buried them under layers of hurt and resentment. I force myself to look away from the three of them, but then I blink, and he’s in front of me, cupping my face in his hands, tilting it back until all I see is him. All I feel is him.

“You’re overthinking again,” he whispers.

I nod, the lump in my throat feeling too heavy to make a sound. This feels different. This feels like we could work, and not just for them, but for us.

* My God

* What’s wrong