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“Thank you,” I say.
“For what?” she asks.
“For being you. You’ve given me back everything I didn’t even know I’d lost.”
She offers me a shy smile. “Well, it only seems fair. You’ve given me so much I never even knew existed. I love you, Dawson.”
“I love you, baby.”
As we walk down the tunnel toward the locker room, I pick her up and spin her around, kissing her with all the passion I can muster. Whether we win the Cup this year or not, I already feel like I’ve won a championship.
EXTENDED EPILOGUE
DEVON
“What are you working on?” he asks.
“Just typing up some case notes before my sessions today,” I reply. “How are the kids?”
“Amazing. Just like you.”
I laugh. “That’s sweet. But what are they doing?”
He flashes me a grin. “Dylan is sleeping. Daisy and Dominic are with River doing crafts right now. I tried to get in on that, but River kicked me out of the room. She said it's her time with the kids and I can have them back later.”
I laugh. River is our live-in nanny. Not that we really need one. We hired her shortly after moving to Montana when I was first getting my practice off the ground and Dawson was still trying to figure out his post-hockey life. He’s settled into retirement nicely and, unlike some athletes, hasn’t regretted his decision to pull the pin and hasn’t felt unsettled in the least. He’s been happy. And he’s very hands-on as a parent—too hands-on, apparently for River’s liking.
She’s more than just a nanny, though. She’s part of our family. She loves the kids as much as if they were her own and enjoys spending time with them. And even though we don’t need somebody to look after the kids, she’s become so much a part of the fabric of our family and our daily life that we can’t see our home without her.
Having River here gives us a lot of freedom. I’m able to keep my practice and Dawson is able to pursue whatever interests him. But for the most part, he loves being retired and loves being a dad more than anything.
At the moment, Dawson is helping coach a youth hockey team in Kalispell, a small city of nearly thirty thousand about twenty minutes from our home. It’s also where I have my practice. Even in a place as small as Kalispell, there’s a need for a child psychologist. I’ve even had patients begin coming in from surrounding areas. It’s really rewarding work, and having Dawson’s love and support plus River’s help with the kids is helping me pursue my own goals.
“What are you going to do today, babe?” I ask.
“It’s a beautiful day. I think I’m going to go ride horses for a while. Want to go with me?”
“I wish I could. I’ve got to get into town soon for my appointments.”
He gently kisses the top of my head. “Have I ever told you how proud of you I am?”
“You have. But I never get tired of hearing it.”
Dawson ended up playing three more seasons in LA and won two more Cups, giving him a total of five in his career. Outside of those insane Montreal teams back in the 50s and 60s—which had players win double-digit championships—and a few in the modern era who have six rings, Dawson is one of the most decorated players in league history. You can say I’ve become something of a student of the game. Even Sammy is impressed with my knowledge.
His team won the Cup in what would be his final season, and after that, we gave up the condo in downtown LA and moved to Montana full-time. It’s a stunningly, naturally beautiful place with clean air, open land, and is an incredible place to raise our children.
We had Dominic, nicknamed Anders, before we left LA—named after Dawson’s best friend, of course. And the elder Anders, who retired with Dawson after their final Cup win, has been a doting godfather, to say the least. Then, after moving to Montana, we had Daisy and Dylan, the youngest of our brood.
“Well then, I’m proud of you, Dr. Devon,” he says. “And I love you even more than that.”
“Then I am the luckiest woman in the world.”
“That’s fair since I’m the luckiest man in the world.”
“Yeah. You really are,” I say with a grin.
“Don’t I know it.”
