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“Hey,” Mom said, “did you ever get those photos back? I was thinking it would be fun to hang one over the mantel.”

“Oh, yeah, I forgot to show them to you,” I said, getting out my phone and going to the folder, trying not to fall apart at the sight of Gage and me happy together.

“Oh my god, it’s him,” Mom said.

I nodded, fighting tears. “He looks good in the pictures, huh?”

“No, look.”

I tracked her gaze, seeing Gage getting out of his car by the field. He began walking our way, followed by all of his siblings and two older people I didn’t recognize. Where those...

I gasped, covering my mouth.His parents.

“GO, LEVI!” Gage yelled, and I turned my head to see Levi walking out of the dugout with his bat. With a grin, he lifted a hand in a wave, going up to the plate.

The rest of Gage’s family cheered as they walked closer to the bleachers, standing by the chain link fence.

Tears spilled down my cheeks as I looked between them and my son. Gage’s entire family was here, supporting Levi.

The first pitch, he swung and missed. But Gage clapped his hands together. “You’ve got this. Keep that elbow up!”

Levi nodded, hitting his bat against the plate and squaring up again.

Cheers for him filled the air. From my family, from Gage’s family, from a group of cute teenage girls in the front row.

The next pitch came in fast, but Levi swung faster, his bat cracking against the ball, making it sail through the air... and over the back fence.

“THAT’S HOW YOU DO IT!” Gage yelled, pumping his fist in the air. “BRING IT HOME!”

Grinning ear to ear, Levi dropped his bat, jogging the bases.

We stood, yelling for him as he rounded the plates, and when he came home, he jogged to the dugout, still smiling.

A hand nudged my back, and I realized it was Cora, shoving me toward Gage.

My legs were rubber as I walked to him where he stood flanked by his family. But he stepped forward to meet me, and even though we were surrounded by people, we entered our own bubble. Just him and me.

His eyes were soft on me, drinking me in like a thirsty man. And then he reached up, touching the dandelion at my ear, trailing his fingers down my cheek.

I shuddered against his touch. My entire being craved for it to mean more. “What are you doing here?”

He glanced at his family, and then he looked at me. “I promised I would be here. And my family wanted to support Levi.”

My heart constricted. This was for Levi. Not for me. I tried to keep my voice from breaking as I gave a shaky smile and said, “Levi’s going to be so glad you made it.”

“And what about you?” he asked, tilting his head.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I came for Levi today, but I’m staying for you, Farrah.”

“But your business...”

He shook his head. “I stepped down as CEO and cancelled the partnership with Romero Corp. I’m with you, Farrah. If you’ll have me. I mean, us.” He gestured at the people behind him, trying to act like they weren’t watching and listening in. “I worked things out with my parents, my siblings love you, we are all here for you and your kids to make one big family. We might not be perfect. We might hold on to our pride and say shitty things when we’re angry or scared. We might make bad choices at first and have to learn from them, but we’re here. I’m here. And I love you, Farrah. God, I love you and your kids more than I’ve loved anything in my life. So please, forgive me for being a dumbass and taking longer than I should have to realize that you are the most important thing to me. You, Farrah, come first.”

From behind me, Andrew yelled, “GIVE HIM THE SHIRT, MOM.”

I chuckled tearfully and turned, getting the shirt from Andrew, who stood with Cora at the edge of the bleachers. Then I held it up, Drew’s puff paint design on full display.