Alone at last, I climb onto Kodie’s lap on the couch and wrap my arms around him before tucking my face into the crook of his neck and breathing him in.
“I’ve had such a good day—thank you.”
“We didn’t ambush you too much earlier?” he asks, forcing me to pull my head up and look at him.
“It was perfect. You are perfect. Sutton is perfect. We are perfect. Thank you for opening your life and your family to me.”
“We weren’t a family before, baby. Something was always missing. We were just people battling our way through life. You being here is what makes us a real family.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too, Trouble.”
Pushing to stand with me in his arms, he walks toward the stairs, promising to end the day as we always should. Together. And maybe, just every once in a while, breaking a few rules while we’re at it.
One Year Later…
Nostalgia hits me the second I hear Sutton’s first steps out of her room.
As she moves closer through the darkness, my smile grows.
This past year has been incredible.
Kodie and Sutton have given me a life I never thought I could have.
The love, the laughter, the endless hockey talk and happiness.
It’s been everything I was only ever able to dream about.
No. Actually, it’s better.
Sure, not everything has been easy.
Loving and living with a not only professional hockey player but also a father and his daughter has been challenging.
At times, it feels like we’re all being pulled in different directions, when all we really want is to be together.
But once all our obligations are over, and we do finally find ourselves under the same roof once again, everything settles back into place.
For a few months after I officially moved in last Christmas, Kathleen stayed in the pool house, but as we settled into a routine and I found my footing with school runs and all the other things Sutton needed while Kodie was on the road, she started looking for a place of her own.
She hasn’t gone far. She’s only down the road, and for one reason or another, she’s still here almost every day. But it’s given her the space and the life that she deserves. Although this morning, she’s right down the hall. My dad is too.
Warmth spreads through me as I think about spending the whole day as a family.
The door creaks as it always does when Sutton steps into the room.
I remember last year fondly as she tiptoed around the bed to get to Kodie, beyond excited to tell him about Santa’s visit.
But this year, her steps slow sooner, and when I crack an eye open, she’s standing right in front of me.
Her eyes find mine in the darkness, and her already beaming smile grows wider.
“He’s been,” she whispers excitedly. “He’s been.”
My heart swells in my chest. Watching this little girl grow and learn is such a privilege. She amazes me every day with her kindness, her compassion, and her love.
“Oh yeah? Has he left you lots?” I ask.
