“I'm more than thankful for Winnie.I don’t know what I’d do without her.”
“Someone sounds like he’s in love,” Covey singsongs.
“No one’s in love, Covey.You need to get your head out of your butt.People don’t fall in love that quickly.”Wheeler rolls his eyes as he turns on his shower and steps under the spray, not bothering to close his curtain either.
My jaw clenches as I tug the curtain shut and turn on the water.I hate how Wheeler always acts like he’s the love guru and he knows everything.The man is single as can be.What can he possibly know about love?
“That’s crap!I fell in love with Lils almost instantly.You don’t need to spend years with someone to know you’re meant to be with them,” Smithy practically growls.
“Yeah, even as a kid, I knew I wanted to spend my life with Charlie,” Wyatt adds.I'm not sure when he came in here, but I'm glad he jumped in on the conversation.
“I fell in love with Macy the first time I met her and we were freshman in high school,” Cord calls, more than happy to put Wheeler in his place.“Not everyone needs years to figure it out, Wheeler.”
“Oh!Burn!”A collective yell echoes off the walls, making me chuckle.
“Are you saying Schmidt’s in love with Winnie already?”Wheeler’s voice is tight with anger, but he’s trying his hardest to remain calm.
“I'm saying it’s none of your business and if he is, you can't blame him.You fell in love with her too, it wouldn’t be his fault he fell faster.”
A hush falls over the room.I quickly finish washing the soap out of my hair and wrap my towel around my waist.I don’t want to get in the middle of this.It’s no one’s business how I feel.Winnie’s the only person who needs to know.
As soon as I'm in my suit, I sling my bag over my shoulder and head towards the door to the locker room.I can't wait to see my little girl.
I push out into the hallway and a smile instantly spreads across my face as I spot my girls leaning against the wall talking to Liliana, Macy, and Charlie.
“There’s my little girl.”
The second Tali hears my voice, she’s pushing away from Winnie and trying to get down.Winnie chuckles as she sets Tali on the ground and my daughter takes off at a run towards me.I bend down and scoop her into my arms.
“I missed you, Tali Girl.”
“I miss you, Daddy,” she whispers, burying her face in my neck.She doesn’t care that my damp hair is getting her face wet, she just wants to be close to me.
“Daddy?When did you learn to say daddy?”I peer down at her.
“We’ve been working on it.”Winnie grins as she moves my way.“I thought you might like it.Plus, I got tired of calling you Da-Da.”
“I love it.Thank you, Winnie.”
Dropping my duffle bag to the ground, I snake my free arm around her waist and tug her into my side.I press a gentle kiss to the top of her head and let out a soft sigh.I don’t think I’ve ever been happier than I am right now.
“Oh my gosh!We need a picture,” Charlie squeals as she takes out her phone and snaps a few photos.“You three are adorable together.”
“Can you send that to me?I’d love to have a picture from Tali’s first game.”
“Of course!”
My phone dings inside my bag, but I don’t bother looking at it.I can see the pictures later.I want to hear all about Tali’s first game.
“How was she?”I ask softly.
“She yelled ‘Daddy’ every time they showed your picture on the big screen.She loved it.”
“Thank you for bringing her.It really means a lot to me.”
“I was happy to!I love coming to games, so I don’t mind at all.I definitely like the box better than the stands too.”She grins up at me.
“Did you get her a jersey?”I peek down at my daughter and notice the jersey she’s wearing.
