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“Yeah, I’d agree with that,” Kristen says. “She might be gathering snacks for them because they’d just grab beer if they were in charge, but she’s the MVP. She knows her shit.”
“Right.” I process. “So, basically this is Dungeons & Dragons, but make it sports-bro edition with touchdowns and tight-ends instead of sword fights and dragons.”
Maddie laughs. “You’ve never been into football?”
“No. One of my brothers is, but not like this.” I gesture toward the living room. “Thisseems like a lot.”
Maddie keeps smiling. “The Black brothers areinsaneabout it. Like, they prep for Fantasy Draft weekend later in the year the way most people prep for a wedding. There are spreadsheets. Mock drafts. Group texts that start at 6 a.m. from March on. They take itveryseriously.”
Olivia joins us again, listening in on our conversation. “No lies. Gage has Lucy put his pick times in his calendar. And he color-codes his spreadsheet.”
My wide eyes are my only response. I can’t imagine Gage color-coding anything.
Olivia laughs. “Green for top targets, yellow is backup options, orange for risky picks, red for the ‘Do Not Draft List’, blue for sleeper steals, and purple for Hayden’s favorites.”
I frown. “Why is he tracking Hayden’s favorites?”
“Strategic warfare.” Olivia grins. “He wants to screw Hayden over.”
“Hayden’s the best,” Kristen says. “He’s won three out of the last five seasons. Gage would rather lose than let Hayden win.”
“Wow.” I’m suddenly seeing my man in a whole new way.
“Yep,” Olivia agrees. “Gage doesn’t just watch football. He prays at the altar of it.”
“Let’s be real,” Kristen says. “All the Black men treat it like their religion.”
“Okay,” Maddie says. “Enough about football. I want to plan a shopping trip. I need a hospital robe. Something special that you all help me choose.”
“I feel like this should just be you girls,” I say, sensing this is a special occasion for Madeline. “You only met me two weeks ago.”
“No.” Maddie smiles at me. “We met you at my wedding. And well, we all knew who you were before that.”
My brows pull together. “Huh?”
Maddie’s eyes are sparkling like she’s been holding onto a secret. “I saw the way Gage watched you at Luna’s birthday party last year. You were already on your way to being one of us back then.”
“I second that,” Olivia says.
I’m staring at them in shock when Gage walks into the kitchen, his hand gliding casually across my hips as he passes. He doesn’t stop, just keeps on walking to the fridge, but that one beat of contact, warm and easy, is all kinds of domestic.
He grabs beers from the fridge, popping one open and tucking the others under his arm. On his way back through the kitchen, he catches my eye. Doesn’t say a word. Just holds my gaze long enough to make my stomach flip before disappearing into the living room.
The girls catch all of it, shoot me matching knowing looks, and dive straight back into planning our shopping date for next month, like they didn’t just leave me here, rethinking every moment I’ve had with Gage since that party.
I join in, adding the shopping trip to my calendar, along with a book club night with them two weeks from now.
These women have let me in without question. No proving myself. No careful dance. Just open smiles and soft welcomes. Which isn’t something I’ve ever experienced. Not even in school. I’ve never fit anywhere easily like this, andgod, I love it.
Over the course of the last two weeks since I saw them at Gage’s parents’ home, they’ve added me to the Black brothers’ group chat. When I gave Olivia my number, I thought she was adding me to the girls’ text thread. I got the surprise of my life when I started receiving texts from everyone. And I honestly wondered what Gage would make of it. Whether he’d think it too soon in our relationship for this level of family connection. He gave zero fucks about it. In fact, when I mentioned removing myself, he emphatically told me not to. It seems my man enjoys the fact I’m bonding with his family.
Being with Gage is easy. The hardest part is juggling our daughters and trying to find alone time. Our free nights don’t always align, so Gage is spending a lot of nights tucking Luna into bed, leaving her with his nanny, and coming over for a few hours with me. Except, of course, if I’ve got Sarah, because I still want to keep our relationship away from the girls. Gage appears ready to be done with that but hasn’t bossed me into his way of thinking yet.
He also hasn’t said a word about James and his ongoing bullshit, though I see it in his eyes and the tightness in his jaw that he has feelings, and not good ones. I haven’t told my ex I’m dating Gage, but he’s aware. Of course he is. Social media is practically treating Gage’s love life like breaking news.
Since the day I made it clear I was done with his manipulation, James has shifted to other ways of fucking with me. He’ll “accidentally” forget which nights he has Sarah, drop last-minute schedule changes on me, and conveniently “lose” important forms for school, forcing me to chase him for signatures. He’s started popping up at Sarah’s activities, too, all smiles and Dad of the Year energy, but I’m no fool. I see what he’s doing. And so does Gage. My only hope is that Gage doesn’t lose his shit and get into it with him on my behalf.
The same goes for work. He’s ready to go scorched earth for me there, too. Whenever Sofia’s name comes up, or I’m mentioned in a bad light on social media, he’s visibly unimpressed. Still, he’s kept his distance and let me handle my own business, which is something I appreciate more than I’ve said out loud.