Hailey ran straight up to the hospital bed, placing a small bouquet of bright flowers on Quinn’s lap. “I picked them out for you,” she announced proudly. “But my daddy paid for them.”
“Oh,” Quinn breathed.
She stared down at the flowers like they were the most precious gift. She lifted them carefully, bringing them to her nose for a soft inhale. “They’re beautiful. Thank you so much.”
Hailey beamed.
I sat back as my family surrounded her. Mom spoke to her first, unable to resist pouring out her motherly concern and comfort. She handed Quinn the gift bag, and her whole face softened as she opened it. It was Quinn’s old Cardinal jersey, the one that had been ripped. Mom had repaired it for her.
Quinn stared at it in shock, tears welling as she thanked her. Something warm bloomed in my chest. I’d never seen her so unguarded with anyone other than me.
Roman offered her a gentle compliment, and she actually smiled at him, so wide her teeth showed. When Dad wrapped her in a careful hug, color rushed into her cheeks, and she looked so startled by the affection it made my throat tighten.
As I watched her absolutely light up, surrounded by my family, it made me love her even more. I wanted to spend the rest of my life giving her every good thing she’d been denied in her life. I wanted her to experience every moment of safety, every scrap of joy, every ounce of love she’d never been given but had always deserved.
For the first time in a long time, I didn’t fear the future. I didn’t fear the hope of what could be. There was so much that needed to be figured out, so much left to face, but the darker parts of life didn’t feel as intimidating now that I wasn’t going to be alone.
Epilogue
Graham
Two weeks later
“I’mgoingtothrowup.”
“No, you’re not.”
“I am!”
Quinn pressed her hands against her stomach as she bounced on the balls of her feet.
Her gaze was trained on the football field in front of us, honed on the Cardinals’ sideline. It was the two-minute timeout during the conference championship game. Ohio Central was down by three points and were preparing to kick a field goal to tie.
“Here, sweetie, have some of this.” Dottie leaned back from the row in front of us, her red sequin jacket sparkling in the stadium lights as she offered Quinn her whiskey flask.
Quinn’s eyes widened before she snatched the flask and took a swig.
I gave Dottie a look. “How’d you manage to sneak that in here?”
Dottie waved me off. “I’ve been alive a long time, babe. I’ve learned a thing or two.” She winked and her husband, Earl, chuckled at her side.
Quinn took one more pull before she handed the flask back to Dottie. “Thanks.”
“Anytime, love.”
Quinn went back to bouncing on her toes. “This timeout is taking forever,” she muttered.
I placed my hands on her shoulders, giving them a light squeeze. “They’ve got this.”
She stopped bouncing, but her toe started to tap instead. “How are you so calm?” she hissed.
My fingers massaged the tense muscles in her neck and shoulders. “Me? Calm?” I leaned close and whispered into her ear. “Never.”
She shivered, but it didn’t last long. She twisted and slapped me on the arm, her face hard with annoyance.
But the blush in her cheeks gave her away.
“Stop trying to distract me!” she grumbled. “I want to be champions, Graham. I want to make the playoffs and none of that happens if we miss this kick.”
