It’s my mom’s bench, the one that used to sit half faded and forgotten. It’s been stripped and refinished, the wood warm and smooth, bright, and beautiful again. And carved neatly into the backrest are two words that make my knees go weak.
Grace Eleanor.
No Murphy. Not anywhere. That name isn’t welcome here anymore. We’re wiping it away.
Ollie watches my face, his expression soft and careful. “The town wanted to surprise you,” he says quietly. “Maggie got together with a bunch of people and had it done.”
I sink onto the bench, my fingers tracing the letters like they’re real, like she’s real. Tears blur my vision, but I don’t wipe them away. I don’t need to.
“She’d love this,” I whisper. “She would have hated how Sully turned out.”
“I know,” he says, sitting beside me and pulling me into his side. “But she’d be so proud of you. You are the greatest gift of my life, Poppy.”
I lean into him, pressing my face into his shoulder, breathing him in. For the first time in my life, pride fills me of where I’m at and what we’re doing. We’re building a legacy that we can all beproud of. Owen gets a better shot at life than he would have if Sully stuck around. We are going to make it out, break this generational curse, and build a good new one.
“Never in my life have I craved someone’s presence like I do you,” I tell him as he kisses me like I’m his prize.
Walker and Violet’s backyard is strung with white lights, even though the sun’s still high, the lake glittering behind the house like it knows something special is happening. There’s smoke curling up from a flat-top grill out back, the sharp, mouthwatering smell of soy sauce and garlic mingling with the clean lake air. Japanese steakhouse right here in Bridger Falls, with a personal chef. Only Walker and Violet could pull this off. He’s over the moon excited about their new baby that he’ll give Violet whatever she’s craving.
I stand near the patio doors holding Ellie, watching everyone mingle, laugh, and chat. Maggie’s telling a story with a cocktail in hand. Owen’s already gotten the chef to give him a shrimp skewer off the grill and is talking his ear off.That’s Owen. Our little unofficial mayor, who never met a stranger. Jack’s helping Walker carry out trays of food while pretending he isn’t sneaking bites too. Cami’s laughing so hard at something Violet says, and she waves when she sees me.
Ollie comes up behind me after he sets out a tray of food and presses a kiss to my temple. “You okay?”
I nod, smiling. “This is an amazing baby shower.”
He grins. “Yeah. I noticed Walker really went all out with the chef.”
Ellie lets out a happy squeal and reaches for him, and he takes her without hesitation, settling her against his chest while she bats at his chin with her chubby little hands.
Violet waddles out onto the deck, one hand on her eight-month belly, the other holding a lemonade with fruit in it and an umbrella hanging off the side. “Okay,” she announces, glowing and dramatic. “Who wants to see the nursery?”
Everyone cheers like they haven’t already seen it twice. She’s so proud of that nursery, she’s redone it like three times. None of us knows what they’re having, and they aren’t finding out.
We pile inside, laughing and bumping into each other, and Violet leads us down the hall with the pride of someone who built something sacred. The nursery is soft and warm and perfect. Pale wood. A hand-painted mural of mountains and water. A crib Walker put together himself, after she gave away the nursery to us the first time. They refused to let us pay them back, so I told them they all get free oil changes for life. Walker responded by saying, “We’ll see.”
Violet presses her hand to the wall. “I wanted it to feel calm in here,” she says. “Like he or she is going to be so relaxed and at home.”
Cami’s eyes go shiny immediately.
Maggie smiles. “It sure is beautiful, sugar.”
Violet’s mom and dad are here, and they’re a hoot. Her mom reminds me of my mom and having her around heals something in me I didn’t know needed healing. She’s taken Ollie and I under her wing and says she’ll visit us, too. I just adore her.
I press my lips together, feeling something deep in my chest loosen. I love seeing all of them so happy.
Back outside, food is served, and drinks are passed around. Sutton sits beside me at the long table, Crew asleep in her arms. She watches him for a moment, then sighs with a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. She’s been coming around more often, and we love having her here.
“I have this editing conference in Vegas next month,” shesays quietly, glancing toward Maggie. “And I’m thinking about canceling.”
Maggie swivels in her chair so fast she almost spills her drink. “Why would you do that?”
Sutton pauses then says, “I’ve never been away from him. Not even overnight. I don’t like the thought of leaving him.”
Cami leans across the table, eyes bright. “You should go. You deserve a break.”
I nod. “Crew will be just fine. Didn’t you say your parents were keeping him?”
“More than fine,” Maggie adds. “He’ll be spoiled rotten with your mom and dad.”
