Page 108 of Hold 'Em Tight

“Hunter!” Link shouts. “Make her put those down!”

Hunter grins up at Link, before bending down and whispering something into their daughter’s ear. She smiles up at him and cheers, before running over towards us.

“Look, Daddy!” Haisley says in her sweet voice. “I’m gonna be a cheerleader, just like Katie.”

“The fuck you are,” Link growls. “No daughter of mine is gonna be a cheerleader.” He spits the words like it offends him.

Haisley’s face drops, and her lower lip starts to wobble. We all watch, waiting to see what happens next. Would he really deny his daughter this? What's wrong with cheering? It’s a damn hard sport.

“Fuck,” Link grumbles, scooping her up into his arms. “Fine. Fine. You can be a cheerleader.”

“Yay!” She hugs Link's neck and kisses his cheek hard before wiggling her way out of his arms and running back down to Hunter.

“She’s got you wrapped around her little finger.” Mateo chuckles. “Not some big bad killer when she’s involved."

“Watch it.” Link shoots him a death glare. “Or I’ll show you just how wrong you are.”

Mateo chuckles, and I shift further away. Yeah, he scares the living shit out of me, that’s for sure.

“Come on,” Rylee says to Raven. They get up and take off down the stairs, and move over to the girls.

Rylee starts to show Raven some cheer moves, and the little ones watch and try to copy.

A smile takes over my face as I’m hit with this overwhelming happiness.

“I wish you could have met her,” I whisper, my eyes flicking up to the sky. “You would have loved her.”

I think about my sister everyday. But with some therapy, and rebuilding the relationship with my mom, it doesn’t hurt as much as it used to.

With each day that passes, we slowly heal from our past traumas. Using one another to lean on for support.

As I look at my family scattered around the place, all smiles and laughs, I can’t help but feel like the luckiest man in the world. And while I wish my sister could be here to enjoy this with me, I know she’s looking down on us, cheering us on.

Forever Katie’s guardian angel. And I couldn’t think of anyone better to keep our little girl safe, right alongside us.

THE END!