Epilogue
Reese
Lying on my back on the living room floor, I braced for impact.
My one-year-old daughter Cecilia toddled toward me at full speed and threw herself onto my chest. I grunted dramatically, and she exploded in a flurry of baby giggles.
I had no idea why she found that so funny, but “jump on Daddy” was a game that made her laugh every time.
“Ceci, you got me,” I said, and she giggled again.
She pushed herself off me and wobbled for a moment before returning to the edge of the carpet, ready to run at me again.
“Uh-oh,” I said. “Here comes Ceci.”
Her wispy blond ponytail bounced, and her big blue eyes—just like her mommy’s—sparkled with delight as she ran and fell on my chest again.
Grabbing her, I picked her up and held her over me while she laughed and squirmed. Then I brought her down onto my chest and kissed her head.
I loved her so much.
Summer and I had wasted no time tying the knot.
Our wedding had been in the fall, just a few months after I proposed.
My family knew the truth—that it was the only wedding we’d ever had.
As for the rest of our guests—and Tilikum in general—they thought it was an unofficial formality, held so our family and close friends could celebrate with us.
The important part? Summer was my wife.
And nine months later, our honeymoon baby arrived.
Adding a baby to our family had been incredible.
Exhausting sometimes, but worth it. As her due date had approached, I’d worried I wouldn’t have what it took.
Relating to Nate had been one thing. I’d met him when he was ten.
But beyond holding my youngest nieces at family gatherings, I didn’t have much experience with babies. I’d never even changed a diaper.
But as soon as Ceci was born, all my doubts flew out the window. Maybe I didn’t know what I was doing, but it didn’t matter. I loved her so much I hardly knew what to do with myself. I’d figure out the rest.
And Summer is an amazing mom. She makes up for everything I lack.
Ceci slid off me and moved to the coffee table. I sat up and grabbed Summer’s psych textbook before our tiny terror could start ripping out pages.
“This isn’t for you.” I stood and took the book to the dining table.
Summer was juggling motherhood and school like the rock star she was. It kept her busy, but between my flexible schedule and a big family who was always around to help, we made it work.
“Dad?” Nate called from another room.
I couldn’t help but smile. He’d been calling me Dad since before I’d married his mom, but hearing it still spread warmth through my chest. “Yeah, chief?”
“Do you know where my shoes are?”
“Where did you take them off?”
“I don’t know.”
I chuckled as Ceci fell onto her backside with a bump. “Your big brother and his shoes. Can’t seem to keep track of them.”
She clapped her hands.
“Let’s see if we can find them.” I picked her up. “Are they by the door?”
Ceci pointed to the door. She liked to point to things.
“I don’t see them. Do you see shoes?”
She pointed at Nate’s backpack.
“Nope, not shoes. Let’s check the garage.”
Shortly after the wedding, we’d moved into our new house.
Much to Nate’s relief, it had four bedrooms, and he didn’t have to share with the baby.
Plus, it was right down the street from Annika and Levi, so he could walk to Thomas’s house.
And we weren’t far from Theo and Penelope, whose son James was almost the same age as Ceci.
I carried her into the garage. Nate’s shoes were there, so I grabbed them and brought them into the house.
“Hey, Nate,” I called. “Found your shoes.”
Summer burst from the bedroom down the hall, already talking. “Snacks. I’m snack mom and I totally forgot. Do we have anything we can bring?”
It was almost time to leave for Nate’s summer league flag football game.
He’d discovered football, and it had turned him into a whole new kid.
For the first time in his life, his size wasn’t the object of disparaging whispers among his classmates.
As soon as he’d walked onto the field, the other kids had practically cheered.
And sports were helping him gain control of his body, which had done wonders for his confidence.
“I bought snacks,” I said as Summer rushed past me, heading for the kitchen. “A big bag of those mini oranges and a bunch of string cheese.”
Pausing, she turned toward me. “You did?”
Ceci reached for her mom, so I passed her to Summer. “Yesterday. I figured you wouldn’t have time.”
“Oh, thank goodness. If we had to stop at the store, we’d be late.” She gave Ceci a few kisses on her chubby cheek. “Hi, baby. Can you say mama? Mama?”
Ceci babbled, but nothing that resembled “mama.”
Nate came out of his room dressed in his green flag football T-shirt and shorts.
“Hi, Ceci.” He tickled her and she giggled. “Can you say Nate?”
She stuck her fingers in her mouth.
“Nate,” he said again, then paused. “How about brother? Can you say brother?”
We watched her expectantly, as if she might actually say a word that time. But she didn’t—just slobbered on her fingers, her big blue eyes bright and happy.
With a shrug, Nate grabbed his shoes and took them to the couch to put them on. I grinned at how big they were. His feet seemed to be growing even faster than the rest of his body.
I’d been the same way at his age. And while he wasn’t mine biologically, we sure had a lot in common. A lot like me and my dad.
Getting out of the house with a baby was an exercise in chaos, especially for Nate’s sports. Did we have the diaper bag? What about snacks, extra clothes, toys to keep her occupied, a blanket for the grass in case we wanted to put her down… And where were the damn camping chairs?
When we were sure we had everything, including the snacks for the team, we left. Almost before we’d pulled onto the street, Ceci tugged off her shoes and socks and tried to toss them at Nate. He played with her bare feet, making her laugh.
Reaching over, I took Summer’s hand and twined our fingers together. She looked at me, her blue eyes shining, and flashed me that smile that did me in every single time.
I loved her so much.
We drove to the elementary school and parked near the sports field. Nate ran off to join his team for warmups while Summer and I got our armfuls of stuff out of the SUV.
My mom and dad arrived and parked next to us. Mom reached for Ceci as soon as she got out of Dad’s truck. Ceci pointed toward the field.
“Did your brother go that way?” Mom asked in a sweet voice. “He’s playing football.”
Ceci kept looking toward the field, as if hoping to catch a glimpse of her big brother.
“Ceci, can you say Grandma?” Mom asked. “Grandma.”
She just smiled and chewed on her fingers.
While Mom got Ceci’s socks and shoes out of the SUV and put them back on her feet, Dad unloaded their camping chairs, then we made our way to the sideline.
Once we’d situated our stuff, we sat down to watch the game. Ceci started out in Mom’s lap, then moved to Dad’s. After a while, she wanted down. She was rarely happy to sit in one place for long, so I got up and held her little hand while she toddled around the grass, pointing at things.
Eventually, she wandered too close to the parking lot, so I scooped her up and brought her back to our chairs.
I pointed at the field, where Nate was lining up for another play. “There’s big brother.”
Chewing on her fingers, she kicked her feet.
“Can you say Nate?”
Summer, Mom, and Dad all watched her. Would she say it?
She didn’t. Just slobbered on her fingers some more.
Leaning over, she reached for her mom, so I handed her to Summer and grabbed a toy for her to play with. Nate’s team scored a touchdown, so we clapped and cheered along with the other parents.
Summer sat down and settled Ceci back on her lap. Mom handed her another toy.
Ceci looked over and pointed at me. “Dada.”
Summer gasped. “Did she just…”
“Dada,” she said again. “Dada, dada, dada.”
“Oh my gosh, she did.” Summer’s eyes were wide. “Is that your dada?”
It took me a second to swallow the lump of emotion that rose in my throat. Reaching for her, I scooped her into my arms and settled her on my hip.
“Dada.” She pointed at my face, almost poking me in the eye.
“That’s right, baby girl. I’m Dada.”
Summer waved a hand in front of her eyes and sniffled a little. “Sweet girl.”
I gave her a few kisses on her soft cheek, making her giggle and squirm. And not for the first time, I marveled at the reality of my life.
I had it all.
A beautiful wife. Two amazing children. A big, sometimes messy family. A home.
I’d spent so long thinking that life wasn’t for me. That I couldn’t go home. But the power of Summer’s love and my family’s forgiveness had transformed me. I’d been able to let go of the crushing weight of guilt and self-loathing. I’d been set free.
Because the truth was, love was that big. Bigger than my mistakes, bigger than my fears. And I was going to spend the rest of my life loving them right back.
Keep reading for a preview of book one, Protecting You.