He’s never held anything over my head, even though he missed so much when it came to Ryan. He’s been patient and kind and, above all else, understanding and loving.
Everything about this man is loveable. Even the parts of him that are annoying, and I know that everyone can be annoying, but even those parts aren’t deal-breakers. I’ll take the dirty, smelly hockey bag and stinky gym clothes every single day as long as it means we’re together.
The moment he slips the ring onto my finger, my breath hitches. There’s a weight to it, but it’s a welcome weight. It’s stunning, but I wouldn’t care if it were a simple band as long as he was the one putting it on my finger.
Eli stands, and before he can reach out for me, I wrap my arms around him, burying my face in his neck as I burst out into sobs. Happy sobs, but a sobbing mess just the same. His hand slides up my back, tangling in my hair before he gently tugs my head away from his neck so he can look into my eyes.
“I love you, Wrenly. I love us.”
When I feel his warm palm against my belly, I suck in a breath. His smile widens, and he lets out a chuckle. “This is the best day of my life.”
I hope he always feels that way because standing here in the kitchen, food cooking, our son happily playing, me in his arms—it’s the best day of my life, too. In fact, every single day I’ve been here with him has been the best day of my life. And it all just keeps getting better.
Every hour.
Every minute.
Every second.
The best day ever.
THE BISON STATE, MAMA
ELI
EIGHTEEN MONTHS LATER
A three-year-old and a one-year-old is a rodeo that I don’t think I could have ever imagined. In fact, it’s a downright shit show half the time, and it’s perfect. I don’t want life to be any other way.
Last night, we arrived in North Dakota late. My parents eagerly took the kids from us and put them in their shared bedroom. They set up a whole space for them, and I couldn’t have been more surprised when they did.
Not that I’m surprised they love being grandparents, but how welcoming they’ve been to Wrenly since the moment they met her. She wasn’t my girlfriend, wasn’t the mother to my son. She was and has been family since the moment she walked into the house.
Rolling over onto my side, I slide my palm from her hip to her belly. She moans at the feel of my touch. I don’t think she’s awake yet. It was a long day yesterday. We had to fly from Cleveland to Fargo with one stop, then we had to drive almost two hours to my parents’ place in Grand Forks.
With toddlers.
Two toddlers.
What an absolute wild ride all of that was.
And in a week, we have to go back and do it all over again to go home. The season is officially over again, and as much as I want to just bask in my month off from the ice, there is no rest for the wicked.
We’re spending a week here, a week in Texas, and then a week as a family of four in a rented cabin in the mountains. For holidays, everyone has started coming to us, but when I get a break from training, we go to them.
This is probably the best tradition we could have started. Not only because we get two weeks of grandparents doting on the babies and we’re able to sleep in and relax a little, but also because Wrenly and I are able to reconnect.
Like right now.
We’re alone in a bedroom with a locked door. That is a slice of heaven I never thought I would ever appreciate as much as I do. I gently guide Wrenly onto her back, then look down at her sleeping face and smile.
She’s so fucking beautiful.
Instead of pulling the sheets off her, I crawl beneath them, straddling her calves. I reach for her panties and gently glide them down her legs. Shifting to one side of her legs, I wrap my fingers around the back of her thighs and spread her legs before I settle between them.
I throw her legs over my shoulders, then bury my face against her pussy and start to eat her. Long, languid licks before I swirl my tongue around her clit, then more licking. I take my time tasting all of her and slowly waking her up, hopefully in the best way possible.
I know when she starts to wake up. Not only does she begin to move against my mouth, lifting her hips to meet my tongue stroke, but her fingers find my hair, and I feel her grip the strands and tug, so I know that she’s fully awake.
