Page 45 of Against All Odds (Ember Falls #3)

thirty-four

Everett

“ I t’s a girl,” the doctor says as she moves the ultrasound wand.

“A girl?” Violet asks, her voice full of love and excitement. “We’re having a girl?”

Dr. Cowles nods. “You are.”

A girl. A little girl with potentially Violet’s amber eyes and dark-brown hair. One that I’m going to have to chase boys away from because she’ll be so beautiful, so smart, and so much freaking trouble.

Violet looks to me, and I lean down to kiss her.

“God, I love you so much,” I say, my voice thick with emotion.

The last week has been pretty fucking perfect, and this is the cherry on top. We were told yesterday that the judge signed the paperwork for Dylan’s paternal rights, Violet agreed to move in with me instead of us going back and forth each morning, and now this.

“I love you too.” Her hand rests on my cheek before she returns her attention to the doctor. “The baby is healthy, right? You said everything looks okay?”

Dr. Cowles smiles. “Yes, the heart looks good, as does everything else we can see. You’re progressing along really well, and I don’t see anything out of the ordinary.”

Violet lets out a long sigh. “Okay. Thank you. I’m just so relieved.”

I am too. Violet has been under a ridiculous amount of stress, and hopefully this will ease her mind and allow her to relax. Things in our lives are settling, and I honestly didn’t think she could endure another setback.

The doctor wipes her stomach and moves the blanket back to cover her. “You’re welcome. I’ll see you in a few weeks, okay?”

Violet nods, and once the doctor leaves the room, she takes my face in her hands. “We’re having a little girl.”

“Yes, I’m in a world of trouble, aren’t I?”

She laughs and nods. “I think you are.”

“There will be boys.”

“Oh yeah?”

I sigh. “There are always boys, and they want the girls.”

Violet snorts a laugh. “I seem to remember you being one of those boys.”

“Exactly.”

Yeah, I’m so screwed. If they’re anything like me, I’m going to have to invest in some kind of repellant, or maybe I’ll just follow her around. I can retire and make sure no one approaches her. That sounds reasonable.

“I think I did okay with the boy I found,” Violet says, bringing her lips to mine. “You turned into an amazing man.”

“After a lot of stupid,” I say before kissing her again. “It’s the stupid I worry about.”

Violet shakes her head. “We have a few years before we have to worry about any of that.”

“If she looks anything like you, I’m going to be swatting them away like flies.”

I remember back when she was young, I wasn’t the only boy who liked her. Miles had a crush on her too. I could see it in his eyes. Then there was that other kid who ended up moving here when we were sixteen. He wanted her too.

Violet laughs and gets off the table. “You’re ridiculous.”

“I’m not wrong, though.”

She gets dressed and we head out. On the ride back to Ember Falls, she calls her mother, which goes exactly as I thought it would—very .

.. odd. Instead of overwhelming joy about having a granddaughter, she only said she was happy and then proceeded to talk about the new find they had yesterday with so much enthusiasm.

It made me sad for Violet.

“I promise, my mother will be over the moon,” I say once they hang up, taking her hand to comfort her.

“I know she will.”

My mother may not remember everything, but she sees Violet every morning when we go over there, and if she’s working late or can’t make it there at night, Mom always asks where she is. She doesn’t always recall that there’s a baby, but I do my best to talk about it each time I see her.

“How about we stop and get some coffee?” I suggest with an ulterior motive, but hoping she won’t catch on.

“You know, you really need some help with this addiction,” Violet says with a laugh.

“And you need help with your baking, but I don’t complain.”

“No, because you reap the rewards.”

She’s not wrong. When we got back from California, she baked a lot. It soothes her, and both my staff in the office and the teachers at school beam with joy when they see a wrapped basket in either of our hands.

“That I do, love, that I do.”

Violet laughs. “All right, let’s get some coffee. Besides, I want to see Hazel and tell her it’s a girl.”

That is the plan.

Plus a surprise.

We get to Prose & Perk after driving way slower than I ever have, to which I explained that I didn’t want to chance anything since the temperature has dropped into freezing levels, which means ice.

Even though the roads are fine.

I help Violet out of the car, and she clutches my arm with a huge smile. I love this woman so much. Seeing her happy fills me in a way I never thought possible.

She’s sunshine and stars and comets and heaven. All the brightness that illuminates the dark that used to surround me is inside her, and I’m blessed to bask in it.

When we get inside, Violet stops short as she sees the assembly of people who yell, “Surprise!”

Her eyes come to me and I grin. “They wanted to celebrate your official address change.”

“And baby shower!” Ainsley yells.

“And joining the Ultimate Frisbee Significant Other Club!” Penny adds.

“You guys! This is too much.” Violet slaps my chest. “And you knew?”

“Of course I knew. Now, where’s my coffee?” I ask, looking at my best friend, who rolls her eyes but brings a cup to me.

“You’re such a pain in the ass,” Hazel complains.

“Yes, but you love me anyway.”

She snorts. “Only because I get to have Violet back do you get to stay in my good graces.”

I laugh. She’s so full of shit.

Violet pulls Hazel in for a hug. “Thank you for this. I seriously can’t believe you’re all here for me.”

When I was in California, I got to witness firsthand all the people who love her.

They were there, like an army behind her, ready for battle.

Ana she never questioned, knowing there is nothing Ana wouldn’t do for her.

But Eleanor was paid to be with her all the time, and while I believe their friendship was real, it was also transactional.

Here, there’s none of that.

We don’t care about what you have, just what we can give.

Violet walks through the crowd, hugging Miles, Lachlan, and Killian, then all the girls. I walk over to the guys, giving them a handshake and a pat on the back. “Thanks for being here, guys.”

“We wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Lachlan says with a smile.

“For all the shit we give you, you know that we’d do anything for you.”

I do know that. Miles has been my friend since I can remember, and Killian and Lachlan are there for me anytime I need them.

“I’m glad everything worked out this way,” Killian says.

I watch as Violet is swarmed by the girls, all of them laughing and smiling as they talk. My chest aches at the sight. She’s happy, and I’d like to think I have something to do with it.

“I am too.”

Lachlan clasps me on the back. “So do we have to wait to find out what the sex is?”

I chuckle. “Yup, you sure do.”

“Such a prick.”

Killian laughs. “You know, I thought we might be celebrating another thing.”

“Did you?”

“I did.”

I’ve thought about it every day since we left. When we got back, she handed me the ring and asked me to hold on to it and allow us to settle in a little more. She explained that until all her problems are settled—meaning Dylan—she wants to wait.

Me being impatient, I wanted to argue, but that’s unfair to her and also acting like her dickbag ex.

So I’ll wait. Being with her is all I’ve ever wanted. I don’t need a ring or a piece of paper to tell me that she’s mine. And that I’ll always be hers.

“Not yet, Violet and I are in no rush. Well, Violet isn’t. I’d marry her tomorrow.”

Miles laughs. “Been there.”

“How did you handle it?” I ask.

“If you ask Penny, she’d say like a petulant child, but I think it was more of a manly stance.”

Lachlan snorts. “Yeah, you were so manly as you pouted.”

He shrugs. “Just give her time, Ev. She’s been through hell.”

“Did her piece-of-shit ex release his statement yet?” Killian asks.

“No, we keep waiting.”

Lachlan shakes his head. He dealt with this with his ex as well.

She wasn’t as vile or public about it, but he worried for a while that she was going to want custody back of his daughter.

She decided she didn’t in the end, but I remember how stressed he was, thinking he could lose Rose. “I hope he does right by Violet.”

“Me too. Speaking of Violet, I’m going to see when she wants to announce our big news.”

I head over and wrap my arm around her. “Hi, baby.”

“Hello, love. Are you having fun?”

“That’s what I was going to ask you.”

She looks around at all our friends. “The best time ever.”

“The guys want to know.”

Violet laughs through her nose. “The girls too.”

Just then Hazel comes over. “We have some food in the back and a cake. I’d like to decorate it with the right color ...”

“Nice try,” I say.

Hazel lets out a very long sigh. “You’re annoying, that’s what you are.”

I shrug. “What can I say? I am who I am.”

Violet grins. “I happen to love who you are.”

Hazel makes a gagging noise. “Ugh, I forgot how much I hate being around you two when you’re all googly eyed.”

“After the last few weeks we’ve had, I think we should get a pass.”

“Fine, but you get two days. After that, no more of it,” Hazel jokes. “We wouldn’t want to let you get a big head. Besides, I think you owe me.”

I owe her for so much. She’s been there for me through it all, but most recently, it was Hazel who came to my rescue when Violet was in California.

I was a fucking mess. All I did was worry about her, and when I came to Hazel, told her that I needed to go, she didn’t hesitate.

She packed a bag and came to stay at my house.

I clear my throat. “I wanted to thank you again for staying with Mom.”

Hazel snorts. “Everett, shut up. Of course I was going to stay with her. She’s like my second mother, but more than that, Violet needed you. I would do anything for you guys.”

Violet steps forward. “We know, and you’re an amazing friend.”

“I would agree with that,” Hazel tries to joke.

She hates compliments. She almost runs solely off sarcasm and the need to cause me stress. I just won’t stop telling her how much I appreciate her.

“And you truly are. I wouldn’t be here without you,” I say in all honesty.

Hazel blinks and then practically chokes on a laugh. “Everett Finnegan, who are you? You had the perfect opening to give me shit and you didn’t?”

“I’m turning over a new leaf.”

She rolls her eyes. “Anyway, can you please tell us what you’re having now?”

Violet shares a look with me and I nod. “It’s a girl!”

The room erupts, and the rest of the day we’re surrounded by the people we love.

I’m standing at my father’s grave, a place I haven’t visited since we laid him to rest in the back corner of our family lot. I just couldn’t find the strength to stand before the man I would never measure up to.

This morning I woke before Violet and looked at the fresh snowfall out the window, immediately remembering this day when I was a child.

This was my father’s favorite time of the year, the first snow.

He would say it was like a fresh start to a whole year.

The ground was new and you could use that time to change things so when it melted, it went down to the roots.

I kissed Violet’s forehead, rolled out of bed, and got dressed to come here and say some things I needed to say.

I brush the snow off the top of his headstone and sink down, resting on my heels. “Hi, Dad,” I say, my throat thick with emotion. “Been a while.”

As if he doesn’t know that.

My fingers slide over his name, and I continue talking.

“After you died, things sort of just existed. Mom, me, the world, it was as though while we were here, we were lost, which I think caused me to stay away. I didn’t want to tell you any of it.

I didn’t want to tell you that I was failing you,” I admit, hating the words and the truth in them.

“You always told me it was my job, as a man, to take care of the women. I didn’t really understand it until you were gone. ”

That was when my life went from one extreme to another. My mother needed me to be strong, to take care of her and make sure she was happy. I’ve tried, and I think I’ve done a good job at it so far, but it’s been a struggle.

“I’m doing my best, Dad.” I sigh heavily, closing my eyes as my hand sits on the cold stone.

“My life is mirroring yours in so many ways, and I’m afraid,” I admit.

“I know I’m not half the man you were, but I want to be.

I’m back with Violet, sort of like you and Mom.

You guys fell in love when you were kids and were together until death did you part.

She’s pregnant with a little girl. While the baby isn’t biologically mine, I’ll raise her as my own, the same as you did with me.

I pray the similarities in our life events end there,” I say, speaking the worry into existence.

“If you could keep an eye on us, that would be great.”

I can almost hear his laugh, telling me that each man makes his own destiny, but he’ll definitely watch out because that’s what dads do.

He was always good with the one-liners, always quick to offer advice that never sounded like it. Sometimes I find myself quoting him, and I can’t help but smile.

I exhale, my breath coming out heavy, causing a cloud to form from the heat and cold mixing.

“I should get back to her so she doesn’t wake up alone.

I’ll come again soon, Dad. I’ll bring Violet and the baby.

Maybe someday Mom will want to come, too, but I hope you know that we love you and miss you.

” I rise, resting my hand over his name.

“Thank you for everything.”