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With Isabel in his arms, I hold Hannah’s hand and take them outside.
When Hannah sees the playhouse, tears stream down her face. I cry while Logan coughs to clear the lump in his throat like I won’t notice, but I do.
The girls climb inside.
And inside is a treasure trove.
A little table and little chairs. Two bean bags and some toys. A ladder leads to an upstairs compartment.
Hannah takes the lead and when she reaches the top, she stalls.
“Mom,” she whispers, looking down at me.
“What is it, baby?”
“Books,” she gasps.
When I join her at the top, my heart stops beating for what seems like forever.
Logan has laid blankets and cushions. A double tiered shelf lines the wall, and it features all her favorites. There’s some I don’t recognize, but I can tell they’re all about soccer or superhero librarians.
“This is so cool. Thanks, Mom.”
I take her hand and kiss it with tears coating my cheeks. “Thank Logan. He built all of this.”
With the biggest smile I’ve ever seen, she almost pushes me down the ladder. I’ve never seen her this panicked. Isabel is too busy not knowing what is going on, but Hannah—she gets it.
She runs into his arms, and he’s there waiting. Eyes closed, he squeezes her close to his chest.
Kim is crying, I’m crying, I think Skip is wiping a tear from his eye, and Archer is definitely crying.
Of all the people I can go to in this moment, I go to Archer because I’m sure if Logan had the chance, he would do all of this for Archer’s little girl.
No words, I wrap my arms around his waist. Resting his head on mine, he pulls me close.
“They’ll always have their Uncle Archer, you know that, right?” he says against my head.
I rest my hand against his chest and hug him. “I know. Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. He’s happy. I’ve never really seen him this happy.”
I blow out a long breath as we stand and watch Hannah guide Logan into the playhouse to show him around like he’s never seen it before.
Happiness.
It’s the only word that comes to mind.
After a few minutes, Logan exits the playhouse and stands by my side. He replaces Archer because Hannah wants to show him around next.
“This is why we do it together,” Logan says, holding me tight against his chest. I look up at him. “Because you made these beautiful kids, and I don’t get these moments without you.”
While wiping the tears with the flesh of my palms, he squeezes my waist a little tighter.
“Together?”
“Together,” I agree.
Thirty-Three
