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I sit back in my chair and listen with amusement. A big hand finds my thigh and I smile over at Thane, the two of us sharing a quiet moment for just the two of us. I bring his hand up to my mouth, kissing it.

“Love you,” he whispers, quiet enough no one else can hear.

“Love you too,” I whisper back. Blaire catches my eyes and gives me a little smile before we all turn back to the ridiculous story that Simon is telling us.

And to think, this all started because Simon dislocated his wing.

Epilogue

Thane

A Few Years Later

“Why are you so nervous?”

“I’m not,” I say, bouncing from foot to foot.

“Then stop your bouncing,” Maverick says with a laugh, grabbing my hand and tugging me close.

“I don’t wanna embarrass her,” I say under my breath. “This is her senior year! She’s the captain! I don’t wanna be the guy who looks like an idiot.”

“Sweetheart.” That soft pet name sends warmth down my spine. “You’ve done this every year since she started playing high school volleyball. I doubt you’re gonna mess it up now. If anything, I’m the one who’s going to trip into the net. I’m an old man.”

The reminder that Blaire had asked Maverick to be here leaves me grinning from ear to ear. In the years since gaining guardianship of Blaire and Bax, we’ve experienced some wild ups and downs. My classes have only gotten harder and in the mix of everything, I was sure I would have to drop out. Thankfully, Maverick was there to pull me from the edge.

Maverick stepped up in ways I never imagined. He took care of their transportation. He was there to lend an understanding ear. He was there to help me with my homework and encourage me to keep going. He was the one to cook for us and make sure we had clean clothes. He was my biggest supporter but not only that, he was the twins’ biggest cheerleader, making it to every single one of their games, their performances, their field trips.

Maverick was there when my mother dropped a new baby on our doorstep.

“Welcome everyone to tonight’s parent night! As a fun little celebration, our girls will set to their parents as a silly little thank you before presenting the gifts they’ve made.”

“Here we go,” I murmur under my breath.

Thankfully, just like all the years before, I manage to spike the ball down. It helps being so fucking tall but I’ll admit, I’ve been working out a bit in preparation. Maverick on the other hand, fumbles a bit. He runs into the net chest first but the giggles that Blaire let out make it all worth it.

Blaire presents us with a little giftbag. Her cheeks are red and she’s looking anywhere but at us.

“Don’t make a big deal out of it,” she murmurs as I open it up, looking inside. It’s a picture of the three of us in a silly little frame she made and decorated herself. The sight of it threatens to make me cry.

“Oh, Firecracker,” Maverick says, using the nickname he’s dubbed Blaire. “This is beautiful. Thank you.”

“It’s whatever,” Blaire says as she rolls her eyes.

I grab my sister into a side hug, kissing the side of her head. “I love you. You’ve put the time and effort into this and made captain. We’re both so fucking proud of you.”

“I love you guys too,” she says, pulling Maverick into a hug as well. Then she wipes her face. “Now go away. I have to go back with my team to get ready for the game.”

Maverick snorts, playfully shoving her away. “Go on! We’ll be cheering you on!”

I wrap my arm around Maverick’s waist as we make our way up into the stands. Tess, Savannah, Bax, and Gabriel are waiting for us. Bax hands me two bags of popcorn as Gabriel launches himself at Maverick.

“Did you see me, my little penguin?” I still don’t know where that nickname even came from, but ever since he was a baby, Maverick’s been calling Gabriel a penguin. Gabriel might be my little brother by blood, but Maverick and I have guardianship over him, making him more like our son. He’s an orc, just like me.

Gabriel grins. “Saw you biff it,” he responds, letting out a high pitched giggle.

“Wow,” Maverick says, shoving his face into Gabriel’s throat and blowing a raspberry. “So mean to me.”

I sit down between Bax and Tess. She elbows my side, leaning in close so that Bax and Savannah can’t overhear us. “You did good.”