“Whoa,” Noah laughed, catching him around the middle before he could faceplant. “Morning, Bat Kid.”
Miles barely acknowledged him. His eyes were locked on me, wide and hopeful and a little bit scared, like he wasn’t totally sure this was real yet. He scrambled out of Noah’s arms and crawled across the mattress until he was right in front of me
“Don’t leave again, Ms. Em,” he said, pressing his hands flat against my knees like he needed proof. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too, kiddo,” I said softly. I reached out and brushed his hair back from his forehead, my fingers gentle and steady. “I’m not going anywhere.”
His lip trembled for half a second before he caught it, trying to be brave in that way kids did when they’d already been hurt once and didn’t want to be again. Then he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around my neck, squeezing hard. He cried when I came back last night, and I had too. Then it was all laughter and hugs.
“Your breath smells,” he whispered, then pausing. “Is that okay to tell you?”
Noah and I burst out laughing. I covered my mouth with my hand, jumping out of bed. “Wow, kid. Thanks for that.”
“Where are you going?” Noah asked, his sleepy voice filled with amusement.
“To brush my teeth!”
“It’s okay. I still love you Aunt Em, even if your breath stinks.”
“Miles!” My face heated with embarrassment as I ran to the bathroom and brushed my teeth like crazy. Kids were too honest sometimes, but damnit. Miles was the best, and I crawled back into bed, nuzzling him and placing a kiss on his head. “Thanks for letting me know. Teeth health is very important.”
“I know, Em. I brush my teeth two times a day.”
Noah met my gaze, his warm and soft and adoring, and I smiled back.
Miles wedged himself between me and Noah like it was the most natural place in the world, octopus tucked under his chin, Sassy pressed against his legs. Noah wrapped an arm around both of us, pulling us in without thinking.
For a moment, none of us spoke.
The morning light spilled in through the window, warm and soft, catching on the edges of the room like it was blessing it. Miles yawned dramatically, then rested his head against my arm, already relaxing.
“We’re a team,” he mumbled sleepily.
I looked up at Noah, who was already looking at me, something deep and quiet and certain in his eyes.
“Yeah,” I said softly, pressing a kiss to the top of Miles’s head. “We are.”
EPILOGUE
Noah
Eleven months later…
“Why am I nervous?”I scrubbed my hand over my face, scoffing at my thoughts. “There is no reason to be. None.”
“Great sign of health. Talking to yourself,” Oliver chirped, joining me in the hallway outside the workout room.
“Actually, self-talk can be healthy. It’s better to speak out loud and manifest than hold thoughts in. Doc told me that, and I believe her over you any day, bro.” Quinn clapped my back and wiggled his brows. “Today istheday, yes?”
“Yeah, it is.” I exhaled and rocked back on my heels, staring at my teammates and Ivy as she neared us. She, too, knew of my plan to ask Em to marry me. Despite beinga goddamn professional football team, they were gossips and way too involved in my business.
Plus, they helped plan the clues, so I wasn’t complaining too much. It had almost been a year since Em and I decided to be together for real, since she said I love you in that bathtub to me. And it had been the best year of my entire life. It was still hard—life with a six-year-old wasn’t easy, and while Miles had more good days than bad, he still missed his mom. He saw a therapist once a week to help navigate grief, and I made sure to still see Sloane as often as I could.
“You ready for this, Abbott?” Ivy asked, her easygoing smile on display. “Em’s gonna love this.”
“She will. I know she will. I’ve been planning this for months, and she knows it’s coming, yet it’s giving me anxiety.” I shook out my arms, letting some of the nerves go. Em told me numerous times she wanted to be my wife. So the jitters were silly and misplaced.
“Because there’s a chance she’ll say no?” Quinn asked, earning a punch from Oliver. “What? The girl has other options.”
