Page 41

EPILOGUE

Christian

Two years later…

“ M om, Dad, can we go out on the ice now?” Finley asks.

I glance over at Maya, raising an eyebrow. “What do you think? Is it time?”

She nods, her smile widening. “Everyone’s here, so let’s do it!”

“Just…please be careful, baby,” I say as I take her left hand, the one where her wedding band and diamond ring shimmer underneath the arena lights. I help her step down onto the ice in her sneakers, since skates would be even more dangerous.

Finley skates laps around us while Maya and I slowly make our way to center ice, where our friends and family are gathered around. Maya and I decided to invite our parents, even though we didn’t think they would show. But both are here, waiting expectantly with Preston, Elle, Audrey, Luke, Jason, and the rest of our teammates.

“I’m so excited,” Maya whispers, her voice barely audible over the sound of happy chatter.

“Me too,” I reply, squeezing her hand.

She smiles up at me, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “You really don’t have a preference?”

“I don’t,” I assure her. “As long as he or she is healthy, right?”

“Right.”

We’ve been through so much the past two years, but we’ve made it to the other side. And now, we’re a real family. One that’s about to become a little bigger.

It’s sort of funny how Maya and I got pregnant with Finley after one time together, or half of a time, but it took us months trying before we managed to do it the second time.

Not that I minded the practice. Besides, I knew we had the rest of our lives to grow our family.

Maya

The crisp, cool air from the ice bites at my cheeks as Christian leads me to the waiting crowd. There’s something almost magical about how empty the arena is other than our little group.

With a kiss to my cheek, Christian takes two hockey sticks from my brother, then skates off closer to the goal where Finley is waiting.

“Ready to find out?” Elle asks as she holds up the two pucks.

I glance over to see if my guys are ready, and I can’t help but smile brighter. Seeing them together like this, bonding in their special way, makes my heart swell. It feels surreal, like the kind of life I used to dream about but never truly believed I’d have. Yet here we are, my family—complete and whole. Or it will be soon.

“Ready?” I call out to them.

“I am!” Christian ruffles Finley’s hair with a grin. “You ready, buddy?”

Finley skates backward then forward, excitement radiating off him in waves. “I’ve been ready to find out for weeks!”

Preston takes the pucks and skates over, placing one in front of both guys, then backs away.

“On the count of three,” Christian says as he lines up his shot and Finley does the same. “One…two…three!”

They both hit their pucks at the same time, sending them shooting toward the goal…and leaving a burst of pink powder behind.

“It’s a girl!” I exclaim.

“I’m having a sister!” Finley cheers with his stick raised in the air.

“Great job, buddy!” Christian tells him, giving him a hug before skating over to me, wrapping me in his arms, making me feel like the luckiest person in the world. “We’re having a baby girl!” His laughter echoes through the arena, filling the space with pure joy.

“Did you ever imagine we would end up here?” Christian asks quietly, his voice soft and full of awe.

I shake my head, smiling. “Not like this. But it was fate.”

Not long after Finley and I got settled in our house down here, I found my perfect job at a retirement center a block away from Finley’s school. During winter break, Christian and I were married by a magistrate at the courthouse. He moved in with us, and we had our first family Christmas together.

Two years ago, I never could have imagined having this life—never could have believed we’d be here with so much love between us.

But Christian and I built something strong, something real. We’ve fought for each other, for Finley, for the life we have now with a little one on the way.

It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s been worth every moment of doubt, every hard decision, every step it took to get right where we belong—together.

The End