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“Oh, I wasn’t…I don’t listen to gossip, Nolan.”
“I know. But still, it’s not true.”
Nolan’s name had been bandied about in the papers lately. His ex claimed they were engaged. No matter how often he denied it, the media and his ex’s fans wanted to believe the fairy-tale wedding would happen someday.
I slapped Nolan’s back. “Of course not. That means someone would have to wake up to that face every morning.”
Nolan smiled but didn’t reply. I was working on the relationship with my middle brother, but he was away so often that I hadn’t had a lot of time to get to know him as an adult.
Emmy took my hand. “Look, here they come. Did you bring a sign?”
“Of course.” I picked it up from the floor. “We all did.”
Everyone in the room clapped and cheered the kids as they approached the pool.
Emmy and I stood, each holding our respective signs. Mine said “Avery’s #1,” and Emmy’s said “Congrats Avery!”
Beck and Sabrina each wore a T-shirt that read “Avery’s a Champ.”
Even my aunt had made a sign that read “Go Avery! Whoo-hoo!” and held it up with Wyatt on her other side. My son’s face was red, but soon Aunt Lori got him cheering too.
When Avery noticed us, she beamed, and my heart grew three sizes. Her family was here for her, supporting her, as they should be.
As my kids should’ve had all these years.
Not wanting my past to ruin the day, I continued whistling until one of the swim teachers spoke into a microphone, silencing us all.
“Thank you, everyone, for coming to our final class and showcase event! The students have worked really hard to get to this point and are a little nervous, so let’s give them some cheers to pump them up!”
The whole Wolfe clan cheered and whistled and stomped our feet until the teacher spoke again.
“And first up is Avery Wolfe!”
Avery waved at me, and I waved back. Then she went to the deep end of the pool, took a second to breathe, and dove into the water. She came up for air and slowly swam to the other side, where a teacher waited for her.
It wasn’t the Olympics, but seeing my little girl doing the breaststroke all that way, sluicing through the water confidently—if a little overenthusiastically—was both fucking amazing and a little sad.
I murmured, “She’s growing up too fast.”
Emmy leaned against me, her arm brushing mine. “That’s what everyone says about their kids. You can’t stop time, but I guarantee she’ll never stop being Daddy’s little girl.”
I refused to fucking cry and merely nodded.
When Avery reached the other side, she ascended the steps and gave a little bow. The Wolfes all stood and waved our signs, cheering her on, until she grabbed a towel and went to sit on the sidelines.
Emmy threaded her fingers through mine and squeezed. Our signs hid the action, and part of me wished we didn’t have to.
Her career-changing wedding is nearly over. Soon. Soon you can show her off as your woman and include your kids in the relationship.
I murmured, “I’m glad you’re here.”
Emmy glanced at me, her eyes warm. “Me too.”
She all but begged me to kiss her, and I couldn’t.
While frustrating, between the previous weeks of secretly dating her, as well as her presence here today when Avery needed it the most, I believed in her. Believed she could be the one.
She was nothing like my late wife. And the road ahead might be rocky as fuck, but we’d make it work.
