"Yes, Logan. God, yes."
I stand up, lifting her off the ground as our lips meet and the world is just us for a few seconds. When we break apart, we'reboth crying—her mascara smeared, my face soaked—and neither of us can stop smiling, and Tyler is tugging at our legs.
"Does this mean Reese stays with us forever?" he asks, looking between us with hopeful eyes.
"Forever," Reese tells him.
"Look what I have!" Elena's voice cuts through our moment as she approaches, something small and velvet in her hand. "Found it in your jacket. Figured you might need it."
She passes me the box with a wink, and I open it to reveal the emerald and diamond ring I picked because it reminded me of Reese's eyes. Reese gasps as I slide it onto her finger.
The celebration continues around us – the Cup being passed from player to player, champagne spraying, cameras flashing – but we remain in our sweet moment. Tyler between us, my arms around them both, champions in every way that matters.
"I love you guys," I shout above the noise.
"We love you too, Daddy," Tyler answers while Reese smiles at both of us.
When I imagined the joy of winning the Stanley Cup, it was the best thing I could have dreamt. I had no idea the moment could be even better than that.
Chapter 31
Reese
Elena stands behind me, twisting my hair into something elegant while I stare at my hands doing my best to sit still. I’m failing. I’m too nervous to make small talk. I keep catching myself staring at my wedding dress, trying to imagine it on my body instead of a hanger. A short time from now, I’ll be someone’s wife, and I can’t decide if I want to laugh, cry, or throw up.
"Stop squirming," Elena murmurs, bobby pin clenched between her teeth as she twists another section of my hair a little tighter than she needs to.
“Ouch!”
I laugh, but it comes out shaky.
"Sorry. I can't help it."
She meets my eyes in the antique mirror propped against the wall, her fingers never pausing in their work.
“It’s OK. You’re just nervous.” She says.
"Not about marrying him," I say quickly. "Just about... everything else. Walking in front of all those people. Tripping. Forgetting my vows. Tyler dropping the rings."
"None of that matters." Elena's voice softens as she secures another pin. "All that matters is Logan seeing you in this dress, and you two promising forever."
The dress hangs on a wooden rack beside us – simple, elegant, with delicate lace and a shimmer when it catches the light. We found it on our first shopping trip to New York, and I knew immediately it was the one. I can't stop looking at it, can't quite believe I'll be wearing it down the aisle.
I’m fiddling with my engagement ring, twisting it around my finger. I love to look at it and think about the night Logan proposed – not just on the ice after winning the Cup, but later, in private, when he got down on one knee again, this time with the ring, and told me all the ways I'd changed his life.
I turn from the mirror to gaze out the window. The Sister Bay resort sprawls before me, Green Bay gleaming in the distance. Guests mingle on the lawn, making their way toward the barn where the ceremony will take place. I spot several of Logan's teammates – Kovy with his wife, Benny chasing his toddler across the grass, their wives laughing together. Logan's childhood friends from Minnesota huddle in a group, already drinking beers and laughing.
And then I see them – Jessica and Tyler. She's kneeling in front of him, straightening his tiny bow tie, her expression patient and kind. Tyler squirms, clearly uncomfortable in his formal wear, but he's beaming with importance. My ring bearer. My almost-stepson. My heart.
"They're here," I murmur.
Elena joins me at the window, makeup brush in hand. "Jessica's been amazing. I never woulda thought."
It's true. After that day in court when she withdrew the motion, everything changed. The mediation was what we needed. We established clear boundaries, open communication. She saw how happy Tyler was with both of us in his life.
"Did you ever imagine this?" I ask Elena.
"Honestly?" Elena turns me back toward the mirror, dabbing concealer under my eyes. "No. Certainly not the Jessica part. I knew Logan would come to his senses. I just didn't know how long it would take him."
