Epilogue Weston
Epilogue
Weston
One year later
Antonia and I dropped Cutter off at the University of Richmond.
The current senior class helped us carry all his things to the third floor.
Antonia made Cutter’s bed while he and I unpacked his belongings.
She hadn’t said much on the trip, and I figured it was because her heart was breaking.
For over a year now, he’d been her rock, and I expected he didn’t even know it.
While she had Nova, who was Miriam’s spitting image, Cutter was Antonia’s first true love, she had once told me. She’d been there from the second Miriam had found out she was pregnant, through her pregnancy, and in the delivery room when Cutter was born.
What I didn’t know until after we’d started touring colleges was that Antonia had never lived in the dorms at Boston University, because of Cutter.
She didn’t want Miriam to struggle raising her son, so they had an off-campus apartment together.
It wasn’t until Miriam had bought the house in Grove Hill that they all stopped living together.
I had wondered how it was so easy for Antonia to become the guardian of her friends’ kids, but once I heard the entire story, it all made sense. There was no one else more capable of raising Miriam’s children than Antonia.
“Do you want to raise your bed?” she asked Cutter, her voice pulling me from my inner musings.
“Should I?” He looked at both of us for the answer.
“Let’s try it and see.”
Antonia finished putting the bottom sheet on the bed and then stepped back so I could raise the bed.
The mechanism was something we had asked for before school started and allowed Cutter to have his bed at three different heights.
The tallest would give him a ton of storage space under his bed and allow for a beanbag chair or one of those small dorm room couches.
Once I had the platform spring in place, Cutter and I slipped the mattress back on.
He had to heave himself up there, which wasn’t much of a challenge, considering he’d grown another two inches this year.
As soon as he was up there, though, I knew this would be a no-go.
He was going to smack his head on the ceiling.
“Let’s try the next level, bud. I’m afraid you’re going to knock yourself out.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.”
The mid-level seemed to be the winner. He still had ample storage underneath and could easily sit on his bed.
Antonia went back to making it even though we all knew he’d leave it a mess by the morning.
She had focused on a lot of the milestones a teenager needed to hit but rarely worried about those of a mother. This was one of them.
After we’d unpacked and put everything away, we drove Cutter to the nearest box store and stocked him up on snacks.
Because he had a full athletic scholarship to pitch, he could go to the cafeteria and eat whatever, but the boy was growing and had all but eaten us out of a home this past year.
He was liable to eat a tree on his walk to the café if he didn’t have something to snack on.
Back at campus, we parked and walked him to his dorm, even though he’d been here plenty of times to meet with his coaching staff. We paused at his dorm, and I watched Antonia struggle.
She smoothed his shirt over his shoulders and sniffled.
“Remember, top grades. Don’t fall for the peer pressure of drinking and partying.
You’re here to represent your school and community.
I have a meeting set up for you next week with a national company that does a lot of business here.
They want to do some commercials with you. ”
“I remember.”
“You don’t take money from anyone unless you run it by me first, got it?
” she said as she looked at him. I had to give her credit; when I’d explained the Name, Image, and Likeness situation to her, she’d taken it upon herself to protect Cutter.
There was still a policy to follow, and he couldn’t take money from just anyone.
Antonia had put her knowledge to work and represented Malik and Jayden as well.
Malik was now the proud father of a little girl and attending the University of Richmond on a full basketball scholarship.
He and Janelle were coparenting, and she’d been extremely supportive of him moving to Virginia.
He was paying child support and had already started a trust fund for his daughter with the help from Antonia.
She refused to take a fee from the boys, stating they needed someone in their corner who cared about them and not their bank accounts.
“Don’t forget, you’re throwing tomorrow,” I reminded him. He had a strict schedule to adhere to, and it was important he do so.
“Coach already texted me. I’m going to go see him after you two stop hovering.” He winked at Antonia. Their relationship could be a lot different from what it was, and at times I’d feared Cutter would lose who he was after his mom died, but he hadn’t.
“Okay, we’ll leave you. We’re heading to the beach, but it’s just a couple hours away. If you need us, call.” Antonia gave him a quick hug and then stepped back.
“I’ll be fine.”
Cutter and I hugged, and then something told me I needed to encourage Antonia to say what she needed to say. I placed my hand on her hip and leaned in. “Tell him what’s on your mind.” She nodded against my scruff.
Antonia cleared her throat, not that it did anything for her. She tried again. “Cutter, I—”
“I love you, Mom,” he said before she could get the words out. He crashed into her open arms and held her tightly. My eyes watered, watching the two of them.
“I love you too. Do good, okay? Don’t squander this opportunity. Your mom would’ve wanted this for you.”
“I know, and I won’t. Tell Nova I’ll call her every Sunday.”
Antonia nodded and released him, wiping her tears. Cutter and I hugged again, and then he jogged off.
A lot had changed in the last year and a half, except for how I felt about Antonia. I reached for her hand and held it tightly. “It’s going to be okay. He’ll come home at Thanksgiving and eat us out of house and home.”
“I’d like to come for Parents’ Weekend,” she said as if it weren’t already on our family calendar. “It’s important he knows he has a support group.”
“He knows, but yes, I’ll take the time off, and we’ll fly down.”
In the car, she didn’t say much as I drove to our hotel. We’d decided to spend a couple of days at the beach as a mini vacation before driving back to New Hampshire. The southern weather in August was still warm and relaxing.
We checked in, set our stuff down, and set out to explore the quaint town. We shopped, taste-tested samples of fudge, and roamed the streets until it was time to head back to the hotel and change for dinner.
“We could order in,” she said as she pulled her belt tight around her waist.
“We could, but we have a reservation, and while our once-a-month weekend in Boston is nice, I’d like to take my girlfriend out.”
She rose onto her toes and kissed me. “You know the house is going to be quiet.”
“Not by much,” I told her. “Nova’s social calendar is filling up, and she told me she wants to play soccer.”
“She mentioned it. I don’t know anything about it.”
“Shocker,” I said teasingly. “Everyone is learning at her age; she’ll be fine. I’ll take her and get her signed up next week.”
“You’re the best.”
My eyes fluttered. “I try.”
The restaurant where I’d made our reservation abutted the beach. I’d asked for a coastal view and wasn’t disappointed with where they sat us. We were so close, there was sand under our feet.
We ordered a bottle of wine and perused the menu. When she told me she planned to order a salad, I knew we should’ve come here tomorrow night. Sometimes she made herself sick with worry, and having dropped Cutter off, she most likely wasn’t feeling well.
“Do you want to go back to the room?”
“No, this is lovely.”
I reached for her hand. “He’s going to be okay, and if he’s not, he’s going to call you.”
“I know. It’s silly, but I’m going to miss him.”
“And you can see him whenever you want. Thanks to modern technology, you can video chat by pressing a button.”
Antonia relaxed. “Easier said than accepted.”
I didn’t even want to think about when Nova left for college. Antonia was going to be a nervous wreck.
After dinner, we walked along the beach, watching as the waves came ashore and the sun went down.
“I think this is a good spot,” she said as she dug into her handbag. “Miri would want to be where her son is.”
She opened a small bottle and shook out some of Miri’s ashes. The slight breeze in the air helped push them all around.
We were silent for a moment, standing there, watching the ashes disappear. I pulled her close, and she rested her head on my shoulder.
“It’s nice here.”
“It is,” I said. “We’ll have to make this an annual trip.”
“Next year, he’ll want his car.”
This time I was going to be the voice of reason. “I don’t know if I’ll be comfortable with him driving this far without someone with him.”
Antonia raised her head and looked at me. “You could always drive down with him and then fly back. Malik may want to ride with him as well.”
“Definitely a possibility.” I kissed the tip of her nose, and she sighed.
I was madly in love with her and had been since the day I’d met her.
I’d been there at her worst, and when she could’ve pushed me away, she hadn’t.
Instead, she’d invited me in, folding me into her chaotic life as a new mom.
There wasn’t anywhere else I’d rather be.
Slowly, I got down on one knee and fished the ring I’d bought for her out of my pocket. Antonia stepped back slightly and covered her mouth with her hand.
“Weston.” Her voice was barely above the sound of the waves, but I heard her clearly.
“Somewhere around the three-week mark of knowing you, I said I was going to marry you. I’ve never felt this way about anyone, Antonia. Ever since you walked into the gym, and still to this day, I go to sleep and wake, thinking about you.
“When we all moved in together, you gave me the family I’d always wanted. Together, we’re raising two amazing kids, and I’m so thankful to be on this journey with you.”
I held the ring between my two fingers and then held it a bit higher. “I know we haven’t talked about taking this next step, but I’m hopeful you want to be my wife. Will you marry me, Antonia?”
Antonia crouched to my level and held my hand in hers. “Weston, you’ve been my guiding light since I arrived. You were there, a constant in my life, waiting for me to notice you. I noticed and continue to do so every day that we spend together. Saying yes to you would be . . .” She paused.
“But?”
“No buts,” she said and cleared her throat. “Can I finish?”
I nodded.
“Saying yes to you will be the easiest thing I’ve done in a long time. Yes, I’ll marry you. Under one condition.”
“Name it.”
“We get married at Christmas, when Cutter’s home. Just us and our friends and family, in our home where Miri’s watching over us.”
“Sounds like the perfect wedding for me. Before I slip this ring on your finger, you should know, Cutter gave me some of Miriam’s ashes. I had the diamond created with them.”
A single tear slipped down her cheek. I wiped it away, never taking my eyes off hers. “I knew you’d miss sharing this moment with her, so I did what I could to make sure she was here.” I slipped the ring on her finger and then caressed her cheek with the back of my hand.
Antonia held her hand out, allowing the setting sun to cast a prism in the diamond. She beamed.
“I’m sure you can figure out that I asked Cutter for permission, but I asked your father as well.”
“He said no, didn’t he?” Antonia laughed.
I couldn’t help but laugh right along with her. “It was your brother. I’m going to have to work on him.”
She cupped my cheek and looked into my eyes. “I love you. I know our lives are hectic and I don’t say it enough, but know that I do. Aside from the kids, you’re the best thing to happen to me.”
“I love you more,” I said as I pulled her to me and sealed our lips together. We’d already become a family, and now we were going to make it official.