Jace:First, I’m inviting you to go sledding.
Jace:Tomorrow.
Jace:With Emmy.
Jace:Emmy and me.
Jace:Both of us.
Jace:And you.
Jace:It’s my Christmas wish.
Jace:Well, one of them. *wink-wink*
I laugh. Turns out that the man has zero chill tonight.
Jace:Sorry. I’m nervous, and my thumbs are clearly unhinged. Don’t hold it against me.
Jace:Please.
I squeal. Resin groans.
“I’m disrupting your slumber, I know.” I pet his head before typing as fast as my fingers allow.
Me:It turns out I’m free for a sledding adventure. Can’t wait.
Jace:Me too. I’ll text you the time tomorrow. Goodnight, Starlight.
Me:Night, Jace.
I switch my phone to silent, turn off my bedside lamp, and nestle into the covers, wrapping Resin up in my arms and enjoying the weight of him and the sound of his even breaths.
“I feel so light, buddy. I think this might be what happiness feels like.” I confess the words into the darkness of my room, the silkiness of Resin’s ears a comfort between my fingers. And, for the first time in a long time, I dream.
Chapter Fifteen
Jace
The clock strikes two.
Today should prove to be interesting. I’m trying to work through the fact that the woman who inspired me to resume watching rom-coms again, the woman I’ve always had a spark with, has agreed to go sledding with me today. Ivy has been the woman who got away for so long. But doesn’t everyone deserve a try at the thing that seems too good to be true?
I’m not sure why I felt the nerve to finally text her. It could’ve been the shock of Ivy’s grandmother giving me her number so freely, or it could’ve been the way my chest was still burning—not from the effects of punching a bag at the studio but from her proximity at the dance rehearsal. It seems that the more often I’m in Ivy’s orbit, the more I want to experience it again.
Emmy rushes out of our bedroom—the one we’ve been sharing like we’re in summer camp at my sister’s house. She has a duvet-covered daybed filled with stuffed animals, and I sleep on a twin bed that creaks underneath my weight every time I shift. It’s like Goldilocks and the Three Bears over here, with my sister probably having the only bed that’s just right.
“Daddy, we get to go sledding!” Her bright eyes are the color of my own, and they settle some of my nerves until I remember that Emmy is going to see Ivy again as well. Is it problematic thatI want them to love each other? We’re leaving in two weeks, after all. To be honest, I feel a primal hope for my child to be accepted by her dance teacher. Maybe it’s because Jenna gave up her rights to her daughter so freely a long time ago. I can’t imagine anyone not wanting to watch their daughter grow up, but from the moment of her birth, I’ve been driven and determined for Emmy to always know that her worth is not found in rejection but in her acceptance of herself, as well as from me and our family.
“We do, Emmy Bear,” I say, reaching for her. She leaps into my arms without hesitation, nestling her face within my neck before leaning back to look me in the eyes.
“Are you excited?”
She nearly squeals, and I hold back a laugh. Her energy and zest for life are unparalleled. My daughter is the sunshine that wakes me every morning. But now the idea of having a sense of “Starlight” to make the nights magical makes me shake my head to clear my thoughts. A man can hope.
“I’m very happy to go sledding with you.” She’s still in my arms, lifted above the ground, her laugh at the change in height a reward. “Here’s the thing, though: I was wondering if you would be okay if we met a friend to go sledding with us.”
“A friend? What friend?” Her eyes are curious, her head tilted, looking directly into my eyes.
