Page 46

Epilogue

“C an someone please tell me why this place looks like a dream come to life?” My mom yells from the back porch of the cottage.

“No wonder you love it here so much.”

I come up the steps towards her from the garden with freshly picked hydrangeas. It’s April, and we finally have a sunny, somewhat warm day in Toronto. The Salisu and Harris families are both here to help prep the cottage for the baby and to throw a small garden party themed baby shower for us. Sonora has been facetiming with the girls every other day to help get all the details in place. Already taking on all the responsibility of keeping everyone up to date, like the mother she was born to be. I step up to my mom.

“Because it is a dream come to life, Mom. It’s my dream. Lee’s dream.” I hand her the flowers, and she smiles, taking a big whiff of them as she mumbles under her breath.

“Yeah, it’s about to become my dream, too!” Pulling my waist into her for a side hug.

“That’s all Lee and Millie. They’ve been in the garden getting it ready for the springtime.”

I say as we overhear laughter coming from inside the house. We both turn and head inside to see a full house, overflowing with love and happiness.

Soph and Millie are on the couch sorting through flatware and napkins, rolling them together, while Liam and Bouch sit on the floor in front of them, cutting pale yellow ribbons.

Bouch speaks up as he cuts a ribbon and holds it next to Liam’s, making sure it is the right length. Turning to Soph and Millie behind him.

“Pretty sure. We should switch tasks with you ladies.”

Soph scoffs. “No way I’m letting you near the knives.”

Millie and I laugh as I follow my mom to the kitchen where Mr. and Mrs. Harris are cooking a meal for us all to have for lunch. It’s so nice to finally have everyone here at the same time, letting some of the stress fall from my shoulders. The season has been tough. Being a rookie, trying to find the dynamic of the team, and all the eyes of Toronto on me to perform has been a lot. My performance after the Dallas game only improved from there, having Lee in my corner every step of the way. She is always cheering me on, shoot, the refs even all know her by name now. She has been a force on and off the court in her own ways as well.

Shortly after we got back from Dallas, Lee stopped working for S.T.O.T. and started an online shop for the clay pieces she posts. It took off overnight, and she had to start a pre-order system for her pieces, and she works on them when she can out at the cottage. She and the girls attend every home game we have, and through the first two trimesters, she flew to most of my away games, sitting on the edge of the court every time.

This past February, I was named Rookie of the Year and attended All-Star Weekend, and luckily for us, it wasn’t too far from Toronto, over in New York at Madison Square Garden. It was the same week as NYFW, so the girls ended up coming with Lee and met up with Sonora. We all had a great time attending events at MSG and on the upper east side, making a whole week-long event of it. They even gave me a little baby Titans jersey, and the girls all screamed with excitement.

I climb the stairs as I hear the soft notes of a song with honeycomb in it playing out through the room at the end of the hall. I walk in to see Lee sorting through bags of baby clothes as she sings along.

“Well, what do you have there, Sunshine?” I pick up one bag and look inside at the piles of clothes and shoes.

“Um, do you not know your sister? This baby girl is going to be the most stylish kid sitting courtside next season.” I laugh and pick up a pair of baby Nike dunks.

Shaking my head, seeing all the little outfits and shoes makes it so much more real that we will have our little nugget with us so soon now.

“I will have the two most stylish girls at the game.” I smile at her and pull her chin with the hook of my pointer finger as I lean down to kiss her lips.

Lee breaks the kiss, still smiling as the sun casts into the room.

“This big girl better get out of me in a few weeks so mama can breathe again, shit.” She says as she sits a little straighter and moves her body to the side, trying to readjust herself to be more comfortable.

“Here, baby, go sit and recline in the rocking chair by the window. I’ll put these away.”

“Sheesh, B, you really are the best.”

She says as I lift her to stand. She walks to the wall next to the changing table. Running her fingers over the collage of clay flowers on the wall, her smile falters as she takes in Mimi’s old room. She stops when she spots the light pink bowls molded together sitting on the shelf filled with pacifiers and clips. She gasps and turns to look at me.

“Did you put this in here?”

She looks at me now on the floor, sorting through the clothes.

“Yeah, I thought it would be perfect for the shelf. That way, she has a connection to you and Mimi in her room.”

Lee opens her mouth to talk and then clamps her mouth shut as several tears fall. I stand and go to her.

“Oh, Sunshine, we don’t have to put it in here. I just thought we could keep it with her so you could tell her stories about you and Mimi, this cottage, the pottery.”

Wrapping both arms around me, she hugs me with our daughter in between us.

“It’s perfect babe. Absolutely perfect. I couldn’t think of a better place for it. Thank you. For all this.” She says, gesturing around the room.

I take my hands and place them on both of her cheeks, bringing my lips down to hers.

“No, thank you, Sunshine. For doing this with me, being patient with me, loving me, and growing our baby girl so beautifully. You both are everything I could have ever wanted.”

She looks at me, tears still misting her eyes.

“We were always meant to be. Our lives have been molded together ever since I first met you at the park, ever since you showed up in the Six, and ever since my heart knew that it belonged to you. We’re in this life together. Always.”

I lean down to give her another kiss, and just as our lips touch, I feel a shove at my ribcage. Lowering my gaze, I place a hand on Lee’s belly.

“You’re molded to us too, baby girl.”

I respond with a laugh as I bend to my knees and kiss Lee’s stomach.

“Always.”