52. Chapter Fifty-Two
Chapter Fifty-Two
JACKSON
T he house is quiet when I wake up, the kind of early-morning hush that feels almost sacred. For a second, I just lie there, staring at the ceiling, my body heavy from last night’s game — and the celebration that followed.
I can still hear the echo of the crowd, feel the sting of champagne in my eyes, Russo’s voice yelling something about lifelong bragging rights. We passed that Cup around like a newborn, each guy holding it with a mix of reverence and wild disbelief.
The early light slips through the curtains, painting soft lines across the sheets. Ava’s curled against me, her head on my chest, her hair a dark, messy halo. One of her hands drapes across my chest, the other resting lightly, almost unconsciously, over her stomach.
I brush a strand of hair from her face, careful not to wake her. There’s no rush today. No flight, no practice, no looming game.
I slip quietly out of bed, grab my phone, and step into the hallway to call my mom.
She picks up almost immediately.
“Jackson?” Her voice is soft.
“Hey, Ma,” I say quietly.
“Oh honey, congratulations on the Cup! I was crying and cheering so loud I think the neighbors heard me,” she says with a laugh.
I can’t help but smile. “Thanks, Ma. That means a lot.”
“I actually have bigger news,” I continue, emotion flooding my chest. “Ava’s pregnant, and I’m going to propose to her soon.”
There’s a quick inhale on the other end, then a quiet, choked sound.
“Oh… Jackson,” she breathes. I hear her sniff, the tears coming fast now. “I am so happy for you. She always felt like family to me. You both deserve this happiness.”
I swallow hard, pressing my thumb against the bridge of my nose. “Thanks, Ma.”
“You’re such a good father already,” she continues. “And now… seeing you build this new piece of your life… it just makes my heart so full.”
I exhale, my shoulders dropping. “We’re telling the boys today,” I say.
“They’re going to be the best big brothers,” she says, her voice warm, tender. “Please give Ava my love. And tell her I’m already planning to spoil that baby rotten.”
I let out a soft laugh. “I’ll tell her. Love you, Ma.”
“I love you too, honey,” she says, her voice thick but strong.
We hang up, and I stand there for a second, just breathing, the hallway quiet around me.
I slip back into the bedroom quietly. Ava stirs, her eyes blinking open slowly as I sit down on the edge of the bed.
She lifts her head slightly. “Everything okay?” she murmurs, her voice husky with sleep.
“Yeah,” I say, reaching for her hand. “I just talked to my mom. Told her about the baby…”
Her eyes soften instantly. “How did she respond?”
“She’s really happy,” I say, my thumb brushing across her knuckles. “She says to give you her love. She’s already planning to spoil this baby.”
Ava lets out a breathy laugh, her eyes glistening a little. She shifts closer, resting her forehead against mine.
“We should tell the boys soon,” she whispers, her voice careful but sure.
“Yeah,” I say, my fingers lacing with hers. “I want them to know. I want them to feel included in all of this.”
Her eyes glisten for a moment, and she presses her forehead to my shoulder.
I hold her there, my palm moving in slow circles over her back.
After a few more quiet minutes, she finally pushes up, brushing her hair away from her face. “We should probably go see what kind of chaos is happening downstairs.”
“Probably,” I say, though I don’t move right away.
When we step into the kitchen together, Miss Taylor is already moving around the stove, humming softly as she cracks eggs into a bowl. She glances over when she sees us, her eyes crinkling.
"Morning, you two," she says, voice soft but knowing.
Before long, we hear the thumping of feet. Ava laughs under her breath, turning toward the hallway just as Liam and Noah come tearing into the kitchen, their hair sticking up in every direction.
“Daddy!” Noah shouts, launching straight into me. I catch him, scooping him up easily, even though he’s getting too big to carry this way for long.
“You were so fast last night!” Liam says, eyes wide as he bounces in place. “And when you fell into the boards and got up and scored… that was the coolest thing ever!”
I set Noah down, ruffling both their heads. “Thanks, buddy. I heard you cheering.”
Liam’s face lights up, pride shining bright. “We were so loud! Miss Taylor said we might lose our voices.”
Miss Taylor laughs from the counter. “I did say that.”
I glance at Ava, silently asking. She nods, her eyes soft but sure.
“Hey, guys,” Ava starts, her voice warm and calm. The boys immediately quiet down, leaning closer, their eyes flicking between us.
“There’s something really important we want to tell you,” I say, resting a hand on each of their small shoulders.
Ava takes a small breath, glancing at me before looking back at them. “You know how families come in all shapes and sizes?”
They nod, though Noah’s brow furrows like he’s trying to solve a puzzle.
“Well,” she continues, her voice catching just slightly, “our family is about to get a little bit bigger.”
Liam’s mouth falls open, and Noah gasps loudly.
“A puppy?!” Noah blurts, eyes wild.
Ava laughs, her eyes tearing up. “No, sweetheart. Not a puppy.”
Liam leans forward, brows drawn. “Then… what is it?”
Ava presses her hand to her stomach gently, her fingers splaying. “There’s a baby in here,” she says softly.
Silence. For a beat, the kitchen feels like it’s holding its breath.
Then Noah’s mouth drops open. “Like… a real baby?”
Liam’s eyes grow even wider. “Like… a brother? Or a sister?”
Ava laughs, watery and bright. “Exactly like that. We don’t know yet which.”
Liam’s hands fly up to his head. “We’re gonna be big brothers?!”
I feel something pull in my chest, a sudden, overwhelming rush of love. “Yeah, buddy,” I say, my voice rougher than I mean it to be. “You guys are going to be the best big brothers ever.”
Noah lets out a shriek and flings himself at Ava, wrapping his arms around her neck so hard she nearly falls backward. Liam isn’t far behind, wrapping his arms around both of them.
Ava gathers them in, laughing and crying all at once. I wrap my arms around all three of them, pulling them in close until we’re a tangled, messy knot of warmth on the kitchen floor.
“We’re gonna teach the baby everything!” Noah shouts, pulling back just enough to wave his hands around wildly. “Like how to play dragons and hockey and how to do a really big jump!”
Miss Taylor’s eyes are glossy as she watches from the stove, one hand pressed to her heart.
Ava wipes her cheeks with one hand, her other still cradling Noah’s back. “I think this baby is going to be very lucky,” she says, her voice thick with emotion.
I lean in and kiss her temple, then press my forehead to Liam’s hair. “We’re all lucky,” I murmur.
Later that afternoon, I slip out onto the back deck with my phone in hand. The boys’ laughter floats through the open windows, and I pause for a second, staring down at the contact on my screen.
I take a breath, then hit call.
“Jackson,” Ava’s dad says when he picks up. His voice is steady, a little rough like always.
“Richard,” I say, rubbing the back of my neck. “Hope now’s a good time.”
“It is. What’s on your mind?”
I glance out across the yard, heart thudding hard. “I wanted to ask you properly. Out of respect. Because Ava means everything to me.”
I take a deep breath.
“I’d like your blessing to marry Ava.”
A slow silence stretches between us, long enough that my palms start to get sweaty.
Finally, he lets out a low chuckle. “Brad never would’ve had the guts to ask me this,” he mutters. “And if he had, I’d have told him hell no.”
Then his voice softens. “But you… you’ve always looked out for her. Even when you two were just kids. Part of me always believed it’d end up like this someday.”
Memories of backyard games with Greg, of Ava trailing behind us, flash through my mind.
“You’ve got my blessing,” he says. “Just… make her happy.”
“Thank you,” I say. “I will.”
We hang up a moment later, and I stand there, phone still in my hand, the weight in my chest replaced by something steady and certain. I realize my eyes are stinging.
I know, deep in my bones, that this is it.
Our family, messy and loud and perfect.
And soon, when I ask Ava to marry me, it won’t feel like starting something new.
It’ll feel like sealing what’s already ours.