Dom comes up behind them, holding his arms out in front of him, creating a circle like a giant rim.
“Can you show me how to score, little man?”
Iverson throws his stuffed basketball through Dom’s open arms.
“Nice shot, my guy!” Ryan cheers with so much pride on his face.
Iverson claps for himself then points to Ryan’s teammate. “Dom! Dom!”
Ryan passes our son off to him, and Dom instantly takes him to the real hoop, helping him throw a ball though the net before putting his little hands around the rim to hang all while Dom holds on to his legs.
Navy takes the rare opportunity of being her dad’s only kid and wraps her arms around his neck, burying her head in his shoulder.
“Are you my needy girl today?” Ryan quietly asks her. “Did you learn this from your mama?”
Ryan’s teasing ocean eyes find mine.
“Yeah.”
“I love you, Navy girl.”
I watch her little lips tilt slightly as she closes her eyes.
Navy is my sweet baby. Emotional but fierce. She loves hard and she’s a good friend to her brother. We love our girly dresses and bows, and our favorite morning activity is picking out our outfits together. But when it comes to bedtime, the only way she’ll fall asleep is if her dad reads her a story. It doesn’t matter if he’s on the other side of the country for work, she has to see Ryan’s face before falling asleep. I couldn’t count how many times he’s read to her over Facetime from the locker room before a game.
Ryan loves it. He cherishes the nights when he’s home and makes an even bigger effort when he’s on the road. I truly couldn’t ask for a better father to our kids.
Navy catches Ethan’s girls running by. She pops her head up from Ryan’s shoulder before wiggling her body to get to her feet, wanting to play with them. Our daughter can’t keep up with the older girls whatsoever, but they’re good about slowing down and making sure she’s included.
I find Ethan chatting away with Ron Morgan, but Annie shoots me a wave as she watches over her girls and mine.
Ethan stuck true to his word and retired after the Devils got their first championship last season. They came close the year before, losing in game six of the finals, but Ethan held on for one more year and ended his career on a high note.
Ryan misses him on the court and in the locker room, but Ethan still comes to most of their home games and swings by our house on nights we host team dinner. Not to mention all the weekends our families spend together now that they moved out of the city and closer to us.
Ryan slides his palm around me, grazing my lower back until his fingertips rest on my ass. “Did the kids sleep for you?”
“Iverson a bit longer than Navy, but yes. She was crying and wanting you.”
“She sounds like her mama.”
I wrap my arms around his neck. “Yeah, yeah.”
Peacefully and fully content, he smiles. “I love days at the arena, having all of you here.”
“We wouldn’t be anywhere else. Give them hell tonight.”
“I’ll do my best.” He pops a kiss on my lips. “I love you, Blue. I better hear you screaming for me from the box upstairs.”
“You will. And later, you’ll hear me screaming for you in a different way.”
“Jesus, baby. I’m wearing basketball shorts. Can you try to not give me a hard-on on national television?”
“No guarantees.” I give him one final kiss. “I love you. Good luck out there.”
I turn around to gather our kids and head upstairs so we can watch him play the game he loves.
“Oh, and by the way,” I call out. “Tay told everyone you’re scoring a hundred points tonight, so it might be kind of embarrassing if you don’t follow through on that.”
He laughs. “I’ll do what I can.” His eyes rake over his jersey I’m wearing. “You look good wearing our last name, Mrs. Shay!”
Over my shoulder, I watch him check me out as he slowly walks backward to the court.
I take him in just the same. Glistening skin, freckled cheeks, and silicone wedding ring on his finger that he’s allowed to wear during games. “Right back at you, Five.”
He shoots me a playful wink before jogging back to the court and refocusing on his game.
The kids and I rejoin the rest of our family upstairs, and I can’t help but count my blessings. The man I love gave me the life I always dreamed of, but it’s so much more than I ever could’ve pictured for myself.
He swept my romantic heart right off her feet, and little did I know the day I moved into his apartment, that my new roommate would be the center of my happily ever after.
THE END