Epilogue
Standing in the living room,I watch Morgan in the pool with our dog, Max. It took six months, but I finally enticed my girl to move in with me under the guise of taking care of the pup. I had to fib and say it was a lifelong dream to be a dog owner, but I don’t regret my lie two and a half years later.
I smile as she tries to coax the Augie into the water with her.
“Nokavik, are you listening to me?” Tanner, my new agent, asks.
“Kind of,” I admit.
“So you heard what I said about being traded?”
“I heard you,” I sigh. I knew this was coming but hoped it wouldn’t. With many of my former draft mates retired, I’m among the team”s oldest and most expensive players. After a disappointing season, the team is looking to add young blood to the roster. My salary would pay for three or four rookies and overseas players. To free up cap space, they’ll send me to a team hoping for an experienced all-star to help clinch the cup. It’s not the worst thing to happen, but I hate change.
“What frozen hellscape am I going to?” I ask, defeated.
“That’s the good news. You’re going to the Sunshine State. The Tampa Thunder are excited to have you.”
Tampa? I can work with Tampa. Morgan will move with me wherever I go, but convincing her to move to Milwaukee or Winnipeg would have been a tough sell. Thankfully, it’s the offseason, giving us time to find a place and move without working around a busy playing schedule. There is one thing I need to do before I break the news to my girl.
“What are we doing here?”Morgan asks as we pull up to the familiar cafe. “I thought we were meeting Fitz and Tabby.”
“We are, but Tabby is craving the sausage and Monterrey kolache. I told Fitz we’d pick it up on the way.”
Morgan nods as if her friend’s pregnancy craving is the most normal thing in the world. Tabby is four months pregnant with their second child, and Morgan has been working hard on a blanket and hockey skate booties for the little boy.
I lead us on to the deck near the takeout window, but instead of placing an order, we walk over to the other side, which is adorned with flowers and string lights. This is out of character for the mom-and-pop shop that upgraded from a food truck years ago.
The cafe may be basic, but it was the second-best investment I ever made. The first sits heavy in my pocket.
Taking in the scene, Morgan turns to me, confusion across her angelic face. The way her bronze skin and blonde hair shimmer in the sunset light consume my thoughts, and I almost forget the reason we are here.
When I remember, I slowly lower myself onto one knee and wait for her to peer back in my direction. I almost laugh at the shocked expression she wears when she does.
“Morgan, these last three years with you have been nothing short of incredible. Your sunny disposition brightened my darkest days. You opened me up to new experiences and gave me a life I never dreamt I’d lead. I want to spend every day I have left on this earth making your life as magical as you’ve made mine. Will you give me that opportunity and the honor of calling you my wife?”
Tears pool in her ocean-blue eyes as she takes a stuttering breath. She shakes her head back and forth as if she can’t believe this is happening before realizing the mixed message.
“Yes,” she exclaims, hands clutching each other in front of her chest. “Of course, I’ll marry you.”
“Even if it means you’ll have to leave LA?”
“I’d follow you to Timbuktu.”
Rising, I pull her face into mine and sink into the kind of kiss we’ve shared a million times. This time, though, we kiss with new adventures looming on the horizon.
When I finally pull away, I grab her hand and slide on the ring. It’s over the top, but so is my girl. She hits me with her genuine smile as she stares at the four-carat oval diamond surrounded by a halo of smaller stones. Transfixed on her new bling, she doesn’t notice the cafe doors sliding open beside her.
Streaming outside, we’re both engulfed in hugs by our loved ones. Morgan laughs as she embraces her mom and Tabby. Her dad, Frank, pats me on the back. We’ve come a long way from the cold shoulder he offered on our first meeting. He swore me to secrecy, but he teared up when I asked for his daughter’s hand.
“I can’t believe you did this!” my girl cries, surveying the love surrounding us.
“I have one more surprise,” I admit. “Do you think you can handle it?”
“I don’t know, but let’s find out.”
Giving the signal, the last guest joins our party.
“BOBERT!” she shouts at the tall man who wraps his arms around her. In the three years I’ve known Rob, he’s changed a lot. He’s no longer the scraggly starry-eyed rookie. He’s filled out and matured a hell of a lot. Losing the love of your life can do that.
He’s made the most of it and has quickly become one of the top pitchers in the MLB since being called up last season. That may be a silver lining in his suffering, but having what I have with Morgan, I know it isn’t worth the trade. Hopefully, he’ll discover that sooner rather than later. I hate seeing the dull emotions behind his eyes. He doesn’t have Morgan’s sparkle, but he lost some of his playful spirit after Carina left.
Letting go of her brother, my future bride barrels into me. “Thank you,” she whispers against my neck.
“Anything for you, Zlatí?ko. You know that.”
Wiping the wetness on her cheeks with my thumbs, I press my lips to hers in a chaste kiss. “Here’s to a lifetime of only happy tears.”
“Here, here!” our onlookers cheer. It’s an impossible promise, but one I’ll strive to make true for the rest of our lives.