Epilogue
RAIN
Going to Miriam’s grave with Mal had become a tradition. We did it the first year after the Grays lost in the playoffs. And the regular season was done this year so Mal and I went to visit our cousin.
Our cousin.
I now thought of her as mine as well.
Mal bent down to fix some of the grass by her tombstone and when it was cleared, he held out his hand. I gave him the bouquet of flowers. Tyler was always giving me lilacs so I’d started bringing them for Miriam.
Mal placed them on the ground, in the middle and stood up to stand with me.
“Hey, sis.” He took my hand, but he was speaking to Miriam.
“I know you’re over there. I know you’re watching.
I hope you’re happy. We’re doing the best we can on our side.
I’ll let Rain have her own time with you, but I’m doing well.
Dad is doing well. Mom too. Grandpa passed, but I’m sure you know that.
I miss you, little sister. Cousin.” Mal had tears in his eyes.
“I think of you every day. I met someone recently who filled my ear about signs so if you’ve got some pull on the other side, could you send me a pink balloon.
I was told to be somewhat specific. Love you.
” He squeezed my hand before touching my shoulder and moving aside for me.
I knelt closer to the tombstone, sitting on the back of my heels.
“I asked him to give us some privacy today, but you probably already know my surprise so I won’t say it in words.
I feel like I know you by now, but I always feel the same when I come here.
I wished I had known about you earlier. Maybe I could’ve helped?
Who knows. Your brother--our brother--he helped me a lot.
He does well for others. He cares. I got to know Grandpa a bit too and I already miss him.
Can you give him an extra hug for me? Tell him his new granddaughter misses him. ”
This was where she was buried, but I didn’t believe that’s only where she was. I believed she was around us all the time. Since knowing about her, I swear that I felt her at times too. Mal said the same, but he liked to shake off the thought.
I found comfort in it. Our loved ones were still with us. That meant my mom had never left my side. I liked that idea a whole lot.
After we were there a bit longer, Mal indicated he was ready to leave.
Once we were in his car, he asked as we pulled out of the cemetery, “Do you and Tyler have plans once the Grays are done?”
“Tyler will want to go on vacation and travel around. He mentioned taking Sky and Zoey to Europe. Probably swing into New York to see Nolan. You know. Travel around to see friends. Do you have plans?”
He shook his head. “I get to travel with my work. So…” He laughed to himself. “It’s the same for me.”
“Lindy wants to come to Minnesota and do a camping thing. She mentioned cabins. Would you be interested in joining us? You are my brother.”
He softened. “I could probably be talked into an appearance. Bring Dad too.”
Now I was the one softening. “Yeah. Bring Dad. That’d be nice. I don’t think my nieces will have a problem having three grandpas.”
“Certainly not. Especially when they go and see Grandpa Keith and tell him all about the toys you know Dad will insist on bringing.”
Meeting my father had been life changing. It took a while until I was ready to meet him, and it took another year before I believed he actually wanted me in his life. I would always struggle with my stuff. It’s how I was raised, but I was doing better.
“When do you start with your new client?”
“I’m taking all of June off for hockey and training camps start mid-July, but I’ll check in with him and his team after the holiday. Touch base. We’ll go from there.”
“Are you excited to return to the NFL?”
My client had been in the first round pick for the NFL draft and he went to a team that was trying to do a rebuild.
I finished my season with the Grays and agreed to help their minor league team the following year.
A tier one Juniors team also asked for me to consult.
I’d enjoyed going between the two. There was a different air to both levels of hockey.
Freeing. Less pressure. It was contagious as soon as I walked into each arenas.
But this year I got an offer to return to American football and I couldn’t pass it up.
“I am, actually. It’ll be a nice change, but I think I’ll be going back and forth between the two sports for the foreseeable future.”
“As long as it makes you happy.”
“It does.”
Mal dropped me off outside of the house I shared with Tyler. I walked in, he was yelling at the television. He’d been watching my brother’s team in their round of the playoffs, but tonight I was grateful he hadn’t invited half the team to watch with him.
They’d taken to just showing up as well, at all hours of the day and night.
“COME ON, YOU’RE FUCKING BLIND! These refs!” Tyler was on his feet, yelling at the screen as if the referees could hear him. “Connors completely high-sticked Nolan first. It was right in front of you. How did you not see it?”
I waited a beat, but the call stayed. New York took a penalty and my brother swept past the seats, hitting the partition where two fans quickly shoved their signs in his face.
One read,
You get your skating skills from your daughter. Not the other way around.
I grinned at seeing Skylar make a face at Dane.
The second sign read,
Your wife plays better than you do.
Eric was holding that one up.
The announcers were laughing and talking about the connection from Skylar, to Tyler, to me, to Dane and how it was full circle when the penalty call was against Tyler’s best friend.
What the announcers didn’t know was that the whole reason Skylar was in New York for this game was because she and Nolan had started to see each other.
That was full full circle, in my opinion.
Tyler was still ranting about the call so I commented, “Yelling at the television didn’t work, huh?”
Tyler and Dane’s relationship had gotten somewhat better. As had mine, but they still had a healthy dose of hatred for each other when it came to all things hockey. It was a work in progress that was at a standstill.
Tyler whipped around, a smile breaking out over his face. “You think your brother would invent some technology where we could make that happen. Your nice brother. Not your dickish brother who is not winning this game against New York.”
“Is that how it works? You say it and therefore it happens.”
He came over to me and wrapped his arms around me, lifting me up for a kiss.
I was expecting a small lift, but Tyler had a different thought.
He hoisted me all the way up so I wrapped my legs around his waist, and as he kissed me, he walked back to the couches.
Sinking down, he kept me on his lap and patted my thigh.
“You can stay right here. You will make watching this game bearable if you’re within groping distance. ”
I wasn’t about to argue so I settled against his chest and watched the rest of the game in his arms.
Boston won, and with that last win, they were going to the next round where the winner would get the championship trophy.
Tyler was grumbling about the game, but I moved to the side and tilted my head to see him better. “How are you feeling about that?”
He growled.
“Are you ready to go against Boston for the Cup? Funny how that worked out this year.”
It was the first year they were going. I was doubtful it’d be their last.
“My old team couldn’t do their job, so my new team will. It’s everyone’s job to beat your brothers. I will take pleasure in doing it myself this year.”
I laughed but reached for him. Cupping his chin, I turned his head to fully look down at me. “I got a feeling the Grays are going to take it this year.”
“You got a feeling?”
He was teasing, but I had a feeling the morning Dane and Lindy called last fall to tell us they were pregnant for a fourth time.
I had a feeling the morning when Skylar called us crying because Zoey had a breakthrough in therapy.
And it was just like the feeling I had the morning when the Grays won the seventh game in their last playoffs.
The one that sent them for the championship trophy as well.
I moved my hand so it was covering my stomach.
He tracked my movement, his eyes going wide. His mouth fell open. “Wha—”
I whispered, “Yeah. I got a feeling.”
“Are—” He was speechless. “Are you serious? Are you sure?” He grew alarmed. “Should you be sitting like this? We had sex last night. Like, hard sex. Can we do that? We shouldn’t have done that. You’re pregnant? Right? That’s what you’re saying?”
Happiness coursed through me. This was the ultimate happiness and I nodded, my voice breaking. “Yeah. We’re going to have a baby.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Does this mean we can finally get married?”
I burst out laughing and shifted to straddle him. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I said, “Yes. We can finally get married.”
“And that means we can tell people we’ve been engaged for two years now?”
“Yes.”
“We can make it official?”
“Yes.”
“Can we—”
“Can you shut up and kiss me?”
“I’ll kiss you forever.”
I tightened my arms around his neck and raised myself higher so I was face to face with him. “Promise?”
His eyes darkened. “Promise.”
And he did.
Thank you for reading My Brother’s Enemy!