Page 85 of Before It's Too Late

“That’s fine.” Zach sat his beer on the resin table as Riley came around in front of him. Riley passed Peyton to him and walked around the table. Leaning down, Riley pressed a chaste kiss to Abbey’s lips.

Riley and Abbey. Their relationship was one Zach had never seen coming. Within days of Abbey first coming home from the hospital, Riley, Zach’s friend from work, had come to visit and help out. He and Abbey had hit it off right away. They were friends for a while before Riley came out to Abbey as a transman. He started testosterone therapy and after about a year, confessed to Abbey that he was falling in love with her. They’ve been together ever since.

Zach had asked him once why he’d asked him out back on his first day of work. He remembered chuckling at and agreeing with Riley’s simple reply. “You were cute, but I’m glad you said no, because your sister is cuter.” Riley didn’t care about gender. He liked who he liked. Zach could definitely relate, and he couldn’t have asked for anyone better to take care of his sister.

“Hey, babe.” Riley sat down. “Did I miss anything?”

“Only Taylor riding her bike without training wheels for the first time.”

“Oh my God, really?”

“Don’t worry. I got it on video,” Abbey said, grinning at her fiancé.

“Good.”

Zach kissed his daughter’s cheek as the two-year-old tried to squirm out of his lap. He let her down and Peyton ran straight to their lemon beagle, Daisy. Yes, Taylor had picked out the name. Cael had adopted Daisy when she was about six months old, just a few weeks after Abbey had come home from the hospital. He’d made the excuse that dogs were good for therapy. Regardless of the fact that he was right—Daisy brought a lot of extra joy to their lives when Abbey was in the early days of her own physical therapy—Zach knew it was less about the therapy and more about the fact that Cael had fallen in love the first time he’d held her.

Cael’s big heart did him in every time, but it was one of the many reasons Zach had fallen for him.

“I can’t believe Taylor and I won’t be living here anymore,” Abbey said.

Zach gave her a thoughtful look. “It won’t be the same without you guys.”

Abbey pressed her lips into a sad smile. “I know. But look at you. You’ve got your own family now, and it will be growing again soon.”

“Yeah.” Zach puffed his cheeks, blowing out a breath. “Not sure I’m ready for that yet.”

“Yes, you are. Besides, you and that gorgeous, amazing husband of yours need your own space. You’ve both been helping us for long enough.”

“You’re still part of this family, Abs.”

“And you and Cael are the best brothers a girl could ever have. Seriously.The Best. I can’t imagine where Taylor and I would be if it weren’t for the two of you, but it’s time, Zach. I need to do this for myself.” Abbey clasped Riley’s hand, looking over at him. “And for us.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Zach took a long pull of the amber lager.

A little more than four years ago, all their lives changed. At the time, it had seemed as if for the worse, but looking back, he couldn’t help but think that maybe Abbey’s accident had been a blessing in disguise, because as painful as the road had been, Zach wouldn’t trade what he had now for the world.

*** The End ***