Epilogue
GRIFFIN
Six months later
The chandeliers sparkle like fallen stars over a room filled with New York’s sharpest legal minds.
Waiters in crisp white jackets refill flutes and deliver plates of halibut and truffle risotto.
Velvet drapes soften the gleam of the skyline beyond the windows.
At the center table, all eyes are on me.
It’s time for my speech. I’ve practiced it until I know it by heart, yet my hands are trembling.
Nothing ever gets to me, but this woman has completely rewritten my code.
Selena looks up at me with an open, adoring gaze.
She’s changed my life in too many ways to count, and I owe her the entirety of my happiness.
She would scold me for saying that out loud; she’d remind me that I own my own happiness.
But before her, I was a cold, transactional creature.
With my wife, I’ve become a man with the empathy to match my power.
I stand at the microphone, the final speaker of the night. Behind me, a banner reads: Congratulations, Griffin Calloway – Senior Managing Partner, Calloway, Paxton and Gill.
“I’ve made a lot of deals in my life,” I begin, my voice smooth but wavering with a rare weight of emotion. “Some clean, some calculated, a few completely reckless. But the one that changed everything wasn’t made in a boardroom.”
My gaze shifts to the front table, where Selena sits in a deep sapphire maternity gown. Her belly is full and round, pressed against the edge of the table. She looks like she could go into labor if she even sneezes.
“She’s about to change my life again… any minute now, so I’ll be brief.
” Laughter ripples through the room. “Marrying my wife was the smartest decision I ever made. I wouldn’t have taken the risk of this new firm if she hadn’t reminded me what the law is really for: community, advocacy, and protection for those who have no voice. ”
I pause, letting the silence settle. “Selena has made me a better lawyer, but more importantly, she’s made me a better man.”
Selena blinks away tears and blows me a kiss.
“And sometime within the next month, if not this evening, she’ll make me a father.
” Another round of warm applause follows.
I smile, but there's a new gravity behind it. “I didn’t have the best example growing up. My father believed power came before people. I thought I had to become him to survive. I was wrong. All I need is honesty, empathy, and love.”
I raise my glass high. “To new beginnings and to building something that lasts. To the two people who taught me to truly live—my wife and my son, whom I cannot wait to meet.”
The room erupts. I return to my seat and slide my arm around her waist, kissing her cheek.
“I love you,” she whispers through tears.
Some people never find this. I was on the road to becoming one of them. Selena was a beacon of light, and now I’m hers, body and soul.
SELENA
“Are you sure?” Griffin asks for the millionth time. “I can go alone.”
“I am not missing this game. I’m not due for a week, so the Gremlin will just have to stay put.” I put my foot down. It’s the playoffs, and we’ve been traveling to Canada every week to see Cayden play.
“Well, he’ll be thrilled to have you there.” Griffin gives me that adoring look that has become his default setting. I don't think this man could love me more if he tried.
“And I get to soak up some newborn energy from little Star.” Scarlett’s baby was born four months ago, and she is the calmest soul in the world.
“What do you think we should call the Gremlin? We can’t actually name him that.” Griffin is constantly stressing over the name.
“Elijah or Greyson,” I say firmly.
“Greyson is close to Gremlin,” Griffin muses.
“And it starts with a G,” I add.
“Yes, but we aren’t that family that does matching names; besides, we won’t match you.” He kisses me deeply, and suddenly I want to skip the game and stay in bed. Pregnancy makes me incredibly horny for my husband, and he is always happy to oblige.
We board Cayden’s private jet, as commercial airlines won't take me this late. Our whole group—Scarlett, Beckett, baby Star, Mia, and Marcel—pours into the private box at the arena. The air is electric with the sound of scraping skates and screaming fans.
Cayden flies across the ice, weaving past defenders before blasting the puck into the goal just as the clock runs out. Mia is screaming so passionately I think she might have an aneurysm. The crowd explodes. Scarlett holds baby Star up like Simba in The Lion King.
Griffin cheers, “Cayden won the whole damn season!”
And right then, my water breaks. And I mean, it gushes.
Griffin pulls me close for a victory hug, sees my face, and looks down. His eyes go wide.
“Get an ambulance! Selena’s having the baby!” he screams like a madman.
Chaos ensues. Griffin, Beckett, Marcel, and Cayden—still in his sweaty hockey uniform—barrel through the arena with me in a wheelchair. Scarlett leads the way, yelling at fans to move, while Mia follows with baby Star.
Griffin jumps into the ambulance with me, holding my hand in a vice grip.
“You’ve got this,” he whispers, kissing my forehead. “We’ve got this.”
Two hours later, little Elijah Griffin Daniel is sleeping peacefully on my chest. Griffin Sr. is sharing the hospital bed with us. It’s cramped and perfect.
“He’s just who I hoped he’d be,” Griffin gushes. “A little boy version of you. Look at all that blonde hair.”
“He has your eyes,” I tell him.
Later that night, I video-call Celeste.
“Oh, my God,” she whispers, tears forming. “He’s beautiful. Did you pick the name?”
“Elijah Griffin Daniel,” I say.
“You named him after Grandpa.” Her voice is soft. “Mom won't be mad about the family name now.”
I say my goodbyes with promises to bring the baby to Iowa soon. Griffin needs to see where I grew up.
In our private suite, I curl into my husband, holding our son, and fall asleep safe, protected, and loved. No faking, no contracts. Just us.
The End