Page 152 of Your Last First Kiss

“You see, I’ve never had an attachment to Henry. But that doesn’t mean you guys feel that way about Damon. So, I think it should be your choice what you want it to be. But for me? I’m actually thinking Mulligan sounds good.”

It takes a few breaths for his words to register, and when they do, I spin so fast my ponytail whips him in the chest.

“What?” I ask with a shaky voice.

Dillon shrugs. “Mulligan literally means ‘a do-over,’ Penny. And I feel like this, all of you, are my do-over in life, like a new beginning. And this way, the kids won’t feel like they’re choosing between their dad and me.” He can’t quite control the growl that escapes with the word dad.

A few months ago, Eddy was singing a different tune about parental rights after his attorney told him he would still owe back child support when he gets out of prison.

A month later, we got all the paperwork in the mail, and then we spoke with each kid separately so they could think about the adoption on their own terms.

“You want us all to be Mulligans?” Kai asks with a furrowed brow, like he’s thinking really hard about something.

“No,” Dillon says. “I want you to be whoever feels right to you, and it’s not a decision you have to make today. We have plenty of time for you to think about it. All of you,” he says, smiling at the other kids. “I’m just telling you what I would like. Your last name doesn’t change who you are to me. It won’t change how I love you.”

“I wanna be a Mulligan,” Landon says quickly, and my tears flow faster.

“Me too,” Gage sings.

All eyes turn on Kai, but once again, Dillon knows just how to handle this.

“We won’t make any decisions today—”

“I think I’d like a do-over, too,” Kai says quietly. “Mulligan sounds like me.”

Dillon and I stand in silence looking at Kai as the other kids pull snacks and drinks from their backpacks. Lia isn’t as quiet as she used to be, but she reads the vibe of every space she enters in seconds. If she isn’t sure how to feel, she remains completely silent.

We’ll speak to her privately at home. She’s still too young to fully understand what we’re talking about.

“Are you sure?” I finally ask. “We won’t pressure you, and we’ll respect whatever decision you make.”

Kai nods twice. “I’m sure if he’s sure.” He gestures to Dillon.

“I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life,” Dillon says confidently.

My eyes drop to the ring he just placed there. The weight of it grounds me to this moment.

“We all have to make choices, right?” Kai asks quietly, but he’s staring straight at Dillon.

“Yeah, kid. We do.” Dillon’s words are choppy. Like he’s forcing them out through a sea of emotions.

Kai nods again but drops his eyes to the ground. “Then I choose Mulligan. I—I choose you, Dillon.”

Dillon takes a shuddering breath next to me, then he whooshes past me and slams into Kai with a giant bear hug.

“I choose you too, Kai,” I hear Dillon whisper. “I choose all of you. Forever. I promise you that.”

“I know,” Kai chokes out while pulling away. “I know,” he says again before turning to join his siblings.

With Mari babbling happily on his back, Dillon walks to me with love in his eyes.

“What about you?” he asks. “Are you okay with Mulligan? I know I should have discussed that with you first, but when Gage pushed, it just slipped out. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while, though. With my childhood the way it was, I never wanted to be a Henry anyway, so it doesn’t matter to me, but I know your parents were pretty amazing, so it just felt right.”

I’m nodding into his chest as he wraps me in a hug.

“Mulligan is great, Dillon. It’s perfect, actually. My parents would have loved you.”

He leans down to kiss the top of my head. “Then let’s spend the rest of our lives making this do-over the best one anyone has ever had. Together. Forever.”

Tilting my head up, I find him staring at me with so much love he’s vibrating with it. “I love you, Dillon. You’ve taught me how love should be. You’ve given me a gift I’ve been missing for a long time—unconditional love, and I’ll never be able to thank you enough for that.”

“I love you too, sweetheart,” he says gently. Then he sweeps his arm out like he’s wrapping all our kids up in this embrace. “I promise to love all of you until my last breath.”

And I see it in his eyes.

Dillon never breaks his promises, so forever is what we’ll get.

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