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Eight months later
Today was Matson’s ninth birthday, and everyone was in our backyard eating before we headed to the bowling alley for his actual party. My parents, my brothers and their girlfriends, Sofia’s parents, her friend Sarin, Grant, and even Mariana Huntington were all sitting around the tables I’d set up, chatting like old friends. On days like this, I almost couldn’t believe this was our life. It seemed too good to be true—too easy, too fucking wonderful.
Sofia and Matson were my family now, my future, and I’d do anything to stay in their lives. I wasn’t ever leaving their sides again, which was why I insisted on moving in with them at the end of Matson’s school year.
Okay, insisted might be too strong a word, but I strongly suggested the idea, and both Sofia and Matson had enthusiastically agreed.
We went out for ice cream to celebrate that night. I wanted to puke after eating all that sugar, but I promised to punish myself at the gym the next day. We went out for ice cream again when the owners of Sofia’s rental house said they weren’t planning on moving back to the States, and sold us their house at a fraction of what it was worth. Clearly, I never learned my lesson on celebrating good news with ice cream.
I tried to pay the owners more money, considering that I could afford it with the success of the bar, but they wouldn’t have it. They said they didn’t need it, and told us to save it for all the other babies we planned on having in the future.
Sofia’s face had paled a little when she heard that, and mine had done the complete opposite. There was nothing I wanted more than to have a few dozen little Sofias and Ryans running around our yard, but I knew that no matter how much I wanted to knock her up, that would have to wait.
“Hey, loser,” Grant grumped as he came up next to me in the doorway. “Why are you over here? We’re all out there.”
“I was just watching,” I said with a smile I couldn’t erase if I’d tried.
Sofia happened to look over at that moment, and she looked so damn happy, it almost made my heart burst. Her smile was just for me, but I knew Grant was going to claim it was for him. I was in too good a mood to fight him over it.
“She’s your angel now,” he said, and I swung my head around at him in shock.
“Say what?” I cupped a hand around my ear and leaned toward him, not believing what I was hearing.
“You heard me, jackass. Plus, I might have a new angel.” He nodded toward Mariana Huntington, and I slapped him on the back.
“You dog. You sure move on quick.”
“She’s a nice lady,” he said. “Sure got a raw deal with that marriage of hers.”
I nodded because he was right. When Sofia had first told me about Derek’s mom, I was wary, distrustful, all my protective instincts flaring. Could she be trusted?
But after I met Mariana, all my fears disappeared. She was a good person, truly kindhearted. I had no idea how someone like her could have possibly raised someone as screwed up as Derek.
My admiration for her only grew when she told me she planned to pay for Matson’s college expenses, and anything else we needed help with, since Sofia had done everything on her own for so long. Mariana had told me first because she knew I’d have to talk Sofia into accepting any help of that magnitude.
And she was right.
At first, Sofia put up a fight, but I eventually got her to see it was Mariana’s way of apologizing, of trying to make amends in her own heart, not necessarily Sofia’s. Mariana had a lot of guilt she needed to work through, and this was part of her way of doing that.
Sofia made her way toward me and gave me a hug, wrapping her arms around my waist as she nuzzled her head against my chest.
“I love you,” I said against her hair.
She looked up at me, those hazel eyes shining. “I love you too.”
“Where were you headed?” I asked as she pulled out of my arms.
“To pee.” She laughed before hurrying away, and I swatted her ass.
Smiling, I looked around our yard at everyone who cared about us. Nick held on to Jess like she might run away at any moment, his fingers hooked through the belt loop on her shorts. He wasn’t entirely wrong to be worried—Matson had been trying to steal her away for months now. Did I mention that my house is filled with crayon drawings of Jess? They’re everywhere. I think I could wallpaper Matson’s room with them if he asked.
Frank and Claudia stood arm in arm, both wearing black shirts and dark jeans, which I knew they hadn’t planned. It was the family joke now how they always showed up in matching outfits without trying. They both claimed that when they got dressed, they usually picked out the same color shirts, and then they both refused to change. Nick was relentless in his teasing of them, but I thought it was sweet.
Grant currently had Mariana laughing hysterically at something he’d said, and I chuckled at the idea of him hitting on her. Maybe they’d be just what the other needed—friendship, companionship, or even love? I had no idea, but I was glad they found each other.
As for me, I planned to propose when the time was right. The ring I bought a couple of months ago was sitting in the safe at the bar, next to the one Nick had bought for Jess ages ago. I couldn’t wait to give Matson a little brother or sister.
Or five.
