Epilogue
JAKE
Six Months Later
The last six months of my life have been a whirlwind of celebration, love, and success.
Seriously, I have to pinch myself sometimes to make sure this is all real.
I’m no longer just the Playboy of the Hawks; I’m one of the winners of the champion team, and the BlueHawks will go down in history as winning in the very first year they made it into the playoffs.
More importantly, though, I’m Cara’s husband. She’s my wife.
All mine.
Fuck, I really am the luckiest guy in the entire world.
As though summoned by my thoughts of her, my wife strolls into our living room, her hands behind her back like she’s hiding something.
I frown and go to stand up to figure out what it is, but she pins me with a look that has me raising my hands, "OK, I surrender," and staying exactly where I am.
“What are you up to, princess?” I ask, suspicious but also intrigued.
“I have a present for you,” she says, her smile giving her away. This is more than just a present, I’m sure of it.
“But it’s not my birthday,” I say, thinking back rapidly through the calendar to ensure there’s not a celebration I’ve missed. But I come up empty, only deepening my confusion.
“You look so concerned,” Cara laughs, shaking her head. “I promise you’ll like it.”
“I can’t stand the suspense,” I tell her, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her down onto the sofa with me. She squeals, wriggling out of my grasp.
“Okay, okay,” she laughs. “Here.”
She hands me a box wrapped up with a bow, and I take it from her, giving it a shake to see if I can figure out what’s inside.
She looks at me with amusement, but I see the impatience in the way she’s fidgeting, and the slight hint of nerves in the way she’s eyeing the gift.
She pulls in her top lip and bites it, her eyes focused on the box in my hands.
I slip off the ribbon and pull open the box, reaching in to pull out…
The whole world comes to a stop.
In my hands is a tiny baby grow with the words "Ice Ice Baby" and a pair of hockey sticks printed on the front.
My mouth drops open, utter joy rushes through me, and for a second, all I can do is gape.
“You…I…a baby?” I bubble out, unable to form a proper sentence through my sheer excitement.
Cara has tears in her eyes as she takes my hand and lays it on her stomach. “A baby, Jake,” she whispers. “Our baby.”
Carefully, now realizing the precious cargo she’s carrying, I pull her onto my lap and hold her tight as my hand splays across her belly, as though I can already feel the life she’s growing.
I thought my life couldn’t get any better, but she’s just proved me wrong.
And I’ve never been happier to be wrong before.
The End
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