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I give my sweet mother a kiss on the cheek. “She pulled me in so far there’s no turning back… and I don’t want to, not for one second.” My mom smiles up at me proudly before scooping Lo up into a big embrace.
We all hug and at some point, Quinn’s mom pops a bottle of champagne.
My dad passes a glass to me. “I’m proud of you for fighting for her, bud. Don’t ever stop.”
“I never will,” I say, looking over at Sloan. Having her at my apartment all week, it’s truly hit me… she’s mine. Nothing or no one is going to come in the way of that this time.
“I love you,” I mouth to her.
“More.” I read her lips and shake my head back and forth. “No way.”
“Not going to lie, seeing my baby girl so happy and loved makes an old man weak,” Sloan’s dad, John, says as he clasps my shoulder. “Seriously Wes, I couldn’t have asked for a better person for my little girl.”
“That means more to me than you’ll ever know. You guys raised an incredible woman.”
Smiling like the proud papa he is he says, “We have been blessed with all three of our children, now I can only hope the same for them.”
That has me thinking about a pregnant Lo. The thought of her belly growing with a tiny human we made. The way she will glow even brighter than she already does has me seriously thinking about wanting to be a dad more than I ever have in my life.
* * *
Once Maddie arrived,we all ate dinner. I swear nobody can cook like our moms can… not even those fancy restaurants in the city. There’s just something about a home cooked meal, especially your favorite childhood dishes.
Lo stole her parents away to her dad’s study after dinner so she could talk to them about her big news.
Noticing Maddie sitting out on the back patio by the firepit, I take the opportunity to go talk to her.
Closing the sliding glass door behind me, she turns, curious about who is joining her outside.
“Hey Mads, can I join you?”
“Of course… but before you say it, please don’t apologize for the other night. What was said needed to be said.”
“Okay, well, I want to say something else… something I should have said a long time ago. I had no idea about your feelings for me until Lo told me that day, all those years ago… and for that, I am sorry for any pain I caused you.”
“Honestly Wes, I was young and dumb. I didn’t know how to decipher genuine feelings for someone from friendship and adoration. Now, looking back on it, I realize my feelings for you weren’t quite what I thought they were. You were always a great friend to me and truly have nothing to be sorry for.”
“We were all young and dumb at one point. You were one of my best friends, Mads. I really hope we can get some of that friendship back. I know it would make your sister happy. Plus, I can only handle so much of Eli by myself… you always balanced us out so well back in the day.”
She huffs a laugh. “Hence the other night, you two drunk off your asses and me having to take care of you guys.”
“Yep… for old times’ sake.” I chuckle.
“I really am happy for you and Lo. You make her so happy, and I’ve always seen the way you look at her. Every girl wants to have someone look at her like that. I want the absolute best for you guys. For many years it was ‘out of sight out of mind’ with all our lives going in different directions, but regardless, I should have handled things differently. I felt your connection all those summers ago and I should have known it was the real deal and respected that. I’m sorry for playing a part in keeping you away from each other for so many years.”
“Thank you. But you know one thing I’ve come to terms with… my journey with Sloan. It’s had bumps in the roads, cliffs we had to get over, valleys we had to climb out of, but in the end, that’s what makes it even sweeter now that we’re together.”
“That’s so true, Wes.” Her eyes fill with emotion, but I continue, feeling like she needs a friend more than ever right now.
“Well, remember that for yourself, too. Your journey may not be what you imagined it would be, but when you find your path, you will appreciate it even more because of the struggles.”
“Thank you.” I barely hear her whisper and I hate that she’s going through whatever is on her mind right now.
Trying to make the situation light again, I pull her into a side hug. “Come here Maddie Mads, you are lucky I don’t give you a noogie right now.”
That makes her laugh. “Oh, hell no.” She pushes me away playfully. “I hated that phase you and Eli went through. Pretty sure my scalp was sore for a year.”
Standing up, I wave for her to come in. “Let’s go see what game night is going to consist of this year. Gotta show these old people what’s up.”
