Haley comes barreling around the corner, round cheeks flushed, eyes bright with excitement.
“Mommy, come look what I made!”
She doesn’t wait for an answer, grabbing my hand and tugging me toward the door with all the force her tiny body can manage.
“Okay, okay, I’m coming,” I laugh, letting her pull me along.
Vik follows behind us, but I can feel his steady eyes on me. The comfort of his strong presence something I took for granted just weeks ago.
Haley chatters the entire way, words tumbling over each other as she tries to explain whatever masterpiece she’s created. Trenton stands nearby, hands on his hips, watching her with brotherly pride.
And just like that, something off-kilter inside me shifts again, righting into its place. Another crack mending from the love I’ve yearned for from a young age, but now have tenfold.
This right here—my messy, complicated, slightly dangerous around the edges life is exactly what I always needed. And now that I have it again after almost letting it slip through my fingers… I’ll never let it go.
It’s time.
I squeeze Haley’s hand gently, my gaze lifting to Vik forjust a second. He’s already watching me, understanding flickering in his eyes.
I take a steady breath, looking back at Haley as she beams up at me, waiting for me to comment on her creation.
“I think,” I start softly, brushing a strand of hair back from her face, “it’s time I told you something important.”
EPILOGUE
VIKING
“Hey,you ready? We’re about to head out.”
Trenton moves something around in the closet, ignoring the question. If we had a typical relationship and he wasn’t still constantly on his best behavior around here, I’d take it as a personal slight, but that’s not him.
“What’s up, kid?” I ask again, sitting on his perfectly made bed.
The guest room still looks just as it used to be. You’d never know Trenton’s moved in. Josie took him shopping for clothes, but I think I need to talk to her about making this space his, so he can finally have a place of his own to relax.
He pulls his signature black hoodie off one of the hangers and throws it on before turning to take me in.
“Are you sure you want me to come today? I could just stay here, work on a paper I have due in English.”
“Look, if you’re uncomfortable, I’m not going to make you come today. But it should be a good time. Everyone’s families are coming, so there’ll be a lot of people there for you to meet and some good grub too. I think Blaze is grillin’ and he makes a mean burger. I’d like to show you around, maybe talk withone of the guys about getting you in at the shop if you’d like that?”
His head snaps up at the offer, eyes lighting with excitement. “Are you serious?”
“School is your first priority, but if you want to get your hands dirty and do some of the grunt work, I don’t think the guys will mind one bit.”
“Yeah, that’s cool. I could do that.” He tries to hide his smile, but the excitement dances in his eyes, and I know it’s the right call.
The guys might be a mismatched crew with a few felonies and questionable choices among them, but having a solid group of men around Trenton when he’s been exposed to one piece of shit after the other from his mom will do him good. If there’s one thing my men will always have, it’s each other’s backs, and that always extends to our families.
“Great, let’s go then. The girls are in the car.”
He hustles out of the house, jumping in the back seat, already knowing which side is his.
“Everything okay?” Josie asks quietly as I slide in a moment later.
“Yeah, we’re good.”
Reaching over, I grip her hand and bring her fingers to my lips for a quick kiss. Everything about this moment feels so right. My kids in the car, my woman at my side, a club full of my brothers, finally ready to back my choices as president.
