Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Charles
Ten years. It’s been ten years?
I stare at the invitation, wondering how the hell so much time has passed. College feels like yesterday, but as I flick back through my memories of Zeke’s and my life together, they’re endless.
Ten years has been an eternity, and even with all the time apart early on, we’ve had so much good together. So much that I’m grateful for.
But with this reunion, our Kappa and Sigma days are going to have a one-night-only encore, and just for once, I’d like to be the ones who come out ahead.
Before Zeke gets home and sees the invite, I text Bailey a photo of it.
Me:
Our overgrown children are going to be all over this
Bailey:
Chad already lit up the second he saw it and that group chat has been going crazy. I’ll bet my apartment that they have something planned
Of course they do. Apparently, Zeke didn’t even need the invitation to already be getting into trouble with his brothers. The thing is, he’s worked his ass off, during college and every year since, so cutting them off at the knees with whatever they have in store doesn’t sit right.
Bailey:
They’re going to get arrested
Me:
I dunno, they survived college without that happening, and I’d like to think they’ve absorbed at least a speck of common sense since then. Maybe … maybe we let them have their fun?
Bailey:
… Zeke? Do you have Charlie’s phone?
Me:
Oooh, nice try with the nickname. But no, it’s me. And I only mean—what if we let them have their fun … and we have ours as well?
Bailey:
I’m listening
So we use the time between now and when Zeke gets home to plan how we find out what they’ve got in store and come up with a counter plan. I can’t fault Zeke for getting excited about this shit because it’s fun plotting with a friend. Maybe we can get some others in on it?
The front door opens, and I hurry to close down our chat and look casual when my husband walks in.
My husband.
We haven’t told anyone, and we probably never will, but it means a lot to me that I can legally call him that instead of just doing it in my head.
“Hey, baby.” He sets his gym bag down and comes over to give me a toe-curling kiss.
I melt into him, and like that, the years don’t matter. Five, ten, twenty … if this is my life, forever, I have some universal force to thank for that because he’s fucking perfect.
“Hey …” I breathe when he finally lets me up for air.
“What are you up to?”
Well, I can’t tell him that I’m texting with Bailey to foil his plans, so I grab the invite and hold it out to him. “Can you believe it’s been ten years?”
“Fucking hell …” There’s no surprise on his face as he scans the details. “We’re going, right?”
“I assumed it was as good of a chance as any to catch up with friends.”
He drops the invite, then sets his hands on his hips and looks around the apartment with a deep sigh.
“What’s the matter?”
“This is our home.”
“Yes …” We’ve lived here ever since we moved to LA, and sure, we probably should have moved somewhere at least with an extra bedroom, but we’ve made this place ours, and I’m not in a hurry to go.
“I’ve just been thinking …”
“Okay, and?”
It takes him way too long to get the words out for my anxiety to be comfortable.
“The thing is, I’ll be lucky to have one more Olympics in me. Things are going well, my times are good, I feel ready, but I know that if I make it in, they’ll be my last competitive swims.”
“You’re going to retire?” We’ve talked about it in a vague sense, but Zeke’s never given any indication he’s done.
“I am. I love the sport, but I’d rather go out on a high than try to cling to just one more race, one more medal. I likely won’t be at my peak for the next ones anyway, so if I can make it onto the podium, I’ll be happy. Winning gold in your thirties is way too rare to think I’ll be an exception.”
He’s always been modest but realistic, so I don’t try to correct him.
“Which brings me to the question that’s been on my mind a lot lately: what’s next?”
“That’s up to you. My career is flexible, and I’ll adapt to whatever I have to.”
“I know I’ve always said I want to go into coaching—and I still think I do—but do you think your dads would listen to a business proposition?”
Considering Zeke struggled with taking their money early on, I’m glad to see he’s changed since then. “Of course. What did you have in mind?”
“I want to open my own swim center. To train future Olympians, starting from a young age. Competitive training only. Have my own team. Aim big.”
“I fucking love that idea.”
He looks a little bashful as he scuffs his hands through his hair. “I thought … you could tutor, or eventually have a team of tutors, for our athletes.”
The fact he wants to bring me in on his business idea thrills me. “I’d love that,” I tell him. “We could run the place together.”
“Exactly. Your dad could help us with the legal side of things, point us in the direction of how to set up a business, all that stuff we have no clue about.”
I barely stop myself from jumping up and down. “Yeah. Whenever you’re ready, so am I.”
“Awesome. And … I was sort of thinking that we could do it on the East Coast? Move closer to everyone so it’s not forever between visits. I think, well, it would be better for our kid to be near their grandparents as well.”
Oh my god. My heart. I clamp my hands over my mouth to stop from making some stupid, inappropriate noise, but Zeke doesn’t miss my reaction. He grabs the front of the Sigma Beta Psi sweater that he gave me forever ago and tugs me off the stool and into his arms.
“You like that idea?” he asks, voice dipping low.
“You know I do.”
“You wanna be Papa Charlie?”
Even the name makes me bury my face into his shoulder. Zeke’s given me everything I ever could have wanted, and right when I think I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, he’s all, “Wait, there’s more!”
“I’m gonna talk to Robbie and Brando,” he says.
“About what?”
“Their adoptions. Get some details from them and where to start.”
“What? Like … now?”
He nods. “When we see them for the reunion.”
“Wow.”
Zeke’s smile is soft as he cups my face. “These ten years with you have been better than I ever dared dream of.”
I know exactly what he means.
“And now I’m ready to get started on ten more.
My whole life, I’ve been training for the Olympics, and we’ve made that our entire priority.
You’ve been so fucking good to me. So these next ten years are yours.
My focus is you. Whatever you want. Starting with a mini monster that I know you’ve been dreaming about for years now. ”
“Oh my god.” I’m getting that head-spinning, too-happy high that’s all too common with him. I shouldn’t be surprised though; Zeke’s always been able to read me more easily than I can read myself.
“To the decade of parameters,” Zeke says, lips twitching.
I thump his shoulder. “And our very first one is that you’re never able to mention that word again.”
“Whatever you want,” he promises. “I’ll do anything for my Charlie.”