Page 44 of Wake Me Up (New England Bay Sharks #5)
T he Jonas Brothers sing “I Dare You” with special guests Rascal Flatts, and my face hurts so freaking bad from grinning because I’ve never seen Aviana look so happy in my life.
She screams every word, just like she has all of the other songs, and leave it to Tripp to sing along with her because he learned all of their popular songs the past few weeks once he gave her the tickets.
The boys opted to stay back in Maine with my parents because I’m pretty sure they think they are too cool for this boy band.
I crimped Avy’s hair, and she’s in the cutest Jonas Brothers T-shirt with a bright pink tennis skirt and Vans on her feet, making her the coolest kid ever.
The past month has been grueling for her, and now that she’s feeling like herself again—minus the random seizures—she deserved this tonight. She really, really did.
I dance along to the music, but I keep my eyes on Tripp and Aviana because how could I look away?
I feel a tiny twang of pain in my heart, knowing Jamie would have given anything to be here for this, but I know my late husband enough to know he’d have been so happy that my kids have a man in their life who loves them the way that Tripp does.
I don’t think I ever imagined we’d all be this happy again, but it feels so good to wake up and smile instead of constantly feeling that ache in my chest. The pain of losing Jamie is still there for all of us, and I guess that’s something we will carry our whole life.
Losing him changed us, just like Tripp losing his dad altered him.
The song ends, and Tripp looks at me, grinning as the sweat beads down his face. Aviana fans herself with her hand, but bounces up and down.
“This is the best day of my life!” she squeals before throwing her arms around Tripp. “Thank you, Tripp! Thank you for making this happen!”
Despite Aviana being seven years old, she’s tiny. So, like many times before, Tripp lifts her up and puts her on his shoulders before standing behind me as the band starts to sing “Leave Before You Love Me.”
I spin toward Aviana and Tripp and smile, and he kisses the top of my head.
“Thanks for sharing your kids with me, darlin’,” he murmurs.
“Thanks for wanting me to,” I say, pushing past the lump in my throat.
I glance up at my daughter, who’s singing every word, swaying around on Tripp’s shoulders, and my heart squeezes inside my chest.
Sometimes, life really sucks. That’s true.
But gosh … sometimes … it’s really, really freaking beautiful. And seeing your child smile a true, genuine smile? There’s nothing more beautiful than that.