Epilogue
CHLOE
Four Years Later
I feel his hand before I hear his voice.
“Dais, you okay?” Cal rolls onto his side, eyes heavy with sleep, facing me.
“Can’t sleep. Nerves.”
Nerves. Butterflies. Anticipation. Today—maybe, I don’t know what time it is—is the first day of skating lessons for The Power Play Foundation.
When I told Miller about my idea to open my own skating school, he upped the ante. He shared his dream of starting a foundation. He’s wanted to provide kids with lower income the opportunity to have gear and a place to play. Additionally, start a scholarship for school.
Crafting the business plan and getting the documentation that we needed took us about a year. Then we started small, gradually growing and expanding to today.
Midway through, the board at my job was interested in taking us on. Financially supporting our foundation and giving us a place to operate out of.
“Nothing to be nervous about. It’s going to be amazing.”
“Yeah?” I ask, weirdly needing extra reassurance from him.
“You’ve worked tremendously on this, Dais. ”
A labor of love is what this has been. And healing. Getting to do this with Miller has been my favorite part. Our relationship is the best it has ever been.
I lean my head forward, kissing my husband. “Adler was able to secure a few more volunteers and some of Miller’s teammates are coming to help. We were able to take on every kid from the waitlist.”
“What does that take the total count to? Three hundred?” he guesses.
“Mhmm.”
“Then why are you nervous? That’s what you wanted.”
“I don’t know. Just am.”
“Well—” He scoots closer. “I think I know how to calm a few of those nerves.” My favorite eyes in the world sparkle with desire, heating my insides.
Cal rolls on top of me. Starting his descent down my body with my mouth. Pushing his tongue into my mouth, his hands grab at the hem of my “ My Therapist Knows About You ” graphic tee, pulling it up over my body, leaving me naked.
Stubble scrapes across my skin as he kisses my jaw then each of my favorite spots as he works his way to my chest. My breasts swollen like my stomach.
“I love you.” Giving each one the attention they deserve. “And I love you.” I cough and he looks up at me. “I love you the most, Dais, but come on.” Cal palms my left breast, playing with my nipple between his fingers. “You pregnant might be my favorite you.”
“Because of my boobs?”
“No.”
He kisses between my chest, leaning back as he straddles me. His hands palm my growing stomach; our baby girl officially half-baked last week .
“Because you are growing a mini you. And I can’t wait till she’s as fierce and sassy and beautiful as her mother. Another Henry girl that’ll have me wrapped around her finger and utterly obsessed.”
“She’s half you, you know?” I smirk, knowing full well that she will have an attitude as big as mine.
Cal leans forward kissing my stomach, rubbing his hands on the side. “Yeah, sure. But why wouldn’t I want her to be exactly like my favorite person in the world?”
I try to fight the blush painting my cheeks.
To be fair, Aaron is a miniature Callum. Blond locks and these big gunmetal-blue eyes. Which I am one hundred percent okay with, but it would be nice if she looked like me. Maybe my freckles.
Any thoughts about what she might look or be like are tossed aside when Cal’s tongue reminds me why his mouth is my favorite mouth. Sinking inside of me, I whimper.
His hands find my waist, gently flipping us so that he’s on the bottom and I’m straddling him. I raise up and inch myself onto him. Callum loves this position or any position where he can see, touch, be as close as possible to my stomach. I kiss him tasting myself on his lips and let out a moan.
Cal rubs his thumb over his name on my skin. Tightening his grip, he aides my movements till we find a rhythm that has both of us panting and trying to stifle the others’ cries.
“I love you, Dais. I love being yours.”
“I love you, too, Pretty Boy.”
Our door opens. I climb off Cal quickly as he tugs the sheets over us. Our two children—one a ball of fur. The other three and learning how to climb out of his bed—come running into the room.
“Mommy up!” Aaron squeals. His little hands tug on the comforter, our bed still too tall for him to climb onto.
Tucker on the other hand jumps into the bed and wedges his way between Cal and I.
“We’ve gotta fix the lock on that door,” Cal sighs .
This isn’t the first time we’ve been interrupted this week. On Tuesday, Tucker barged into the room and licked Cal’s butt while he was deep inside me from behind.
I grab my shirt that is thrown over the lamp, pulling it back on. Leaning over the side of the bed, I pick Aaron up.
“Hi, sunshine.” I kiss his chubby cheeks.
He leans forward kissing my nose then twists to kiss my belly. “Hi baby,” he says sweetly.
Aaron is out of this world excited to be a big brother. When we told him—after the third time. The first two he was convinced I was birthing a puppy. I think Cal might have agreed to us getting a puppy to my dismay. Anyway. Once he understood enough for his age, he became excited.
Watching him plop another kiss to my stomach, my shirt showcasing a nice wet spot, I picture the type of brother he’ll be. Like his namesake. I don’t hope, but know.
“Mommy and daddy sweep?”
“Yeah, mommy and daddy sleep,” Cal snickers.
***
The four of us slept for another two hours before Aaron was up again.
Cal made us breakfast before we took Tucker for a long walk. Aaron is determined to hold his leash from the stroller or while Cal is giving him a piggyback ride. It’s the type of mess and determination that makes you smile.
Now dressed and ready, we head to the rink.
I planned to get there before everyone, but Adler beat me. Her back is to me, red curls bounce across her lower back. She’s holding a clipboard in one hand, pointing and demonstrating something in the other .
“Adler—” I have to pause. Blink a couple times. “Emerson? Beatrix?”
“I told you I found some extra volunteers.”
“I cannot skate, but, paperwork? I’ve got it babe.” Beatrix smiles, giving me a wink.
Emerson moves around Adler, swallowing me in a hug.
“Where’s my favorite Sullivan?”
I can hear his little legs running (waddling) down the corridor. “Emme!” Over my shoulder, he’s holding Audrey’s hand. Cal behind him with Liam and George.
“Did you know about this?” I ask him. When his response is a two dimple smile, I roll my eyes. “Of course.”
Emerson scoops Aaron up, careful of her own growing belly. Emerson is pregnant too. Our girls’ only due two weeks apart.
Liam and Emerson split their time between Chicago and London. They bought a place a block over from ours in Lincoln Park. George and Beatrix still live in London with their three kids. Audrey and Maya moved here last year and are currently planning their wedding.
Even Mom and Dad moved. They couldn’t resist being closer to their grandchildren.
“They are helping with check-in which means I was able to move that team to the ice and assisting with gear,” Adler informs me. We leave our family to go find Miller and the rest of our team before this whirlwind of a day starts.
Hours later, I’m exhausted but satisfied.
Everything about today has been a dream. I’d expected and planned for a few kinks, but we were able to adapt and keep them behind the curtain.
Kids were thrilled about getting to skate with professional players. A mini hockey game broke out and it was cute when they let the ten-year-olds win. Miller even took to the net to let Riley score on him, scooping him up after zooming around the ice .
Skating backward, the last person on the ice, I take a deep breath. My feet are throbbing and I know I probably shouldn’t have been on them as long as I was, but I couldn’t help it.
I pause in the center of the rink.
Take another breath. Soak today in. Soak in the past thirteen years.
Finally the quiet isn’t as loud. Being alone doesn’t cut me and my emotional walls no longer look like the ice beneath me.
Finally, everything has fallen into place.
I hear giggles and look over my shoulder.
Skating to the boards, my favorite boys are waiting for me. Aaron is in Callum’s arms, sitting on his hip, holding the tiniest pair of skates. Behind them our family files in and down the stairs. Smiles, laughter, and love filling the place.
Mom and Dad popped by during our last session. Mom brought flowers and cookies for everyone. Now, Dad is carrying Miller’s youngest on his shoulders while Mom is talking with Callum’s dad and Sienna.
They visit often. Sienna is still repairing her relationship with Callum—I still have my guard up, ready to give her the finger if needed—but he’s happy.
As I assist tying Aaron’s skates, Cal pulls my hair into a braid.
“What are you feeling, Dais?”
“Everything.”