The Right Move: Chapter 44

I caught a flash of blonde hair in the middle of the third quarter when I allowed myself a moment to look into the stands.

Indy is here with Zanders and Stevie, and that alone feels like a win. The second win is coming in about fifteen seconds as the clock runs down on the final regular game of the season, ending with the Devils up by fourteen.

Our first playoff berth in six years.

It’s about time. For me. For this team. For this city.

For the first time since I’ve been in the league, my future with this organization feels hopeful. Like we could make a real championship run in the coming years. Our attention no longer lies on how to avoid being the last in the league, but instead, it’s figuring out how to be the best.

For now, we’ll take our eight seed and see what comes of this playoff run in the coming weeks when we go against the number one seed in the Eastern conference. Realistically, this season might not last too much longer, but we accomplished the one thing we set out to do, and that right there feels like our own version of a championship.

As the buzzer sounds, I stand from the bench where I enjoyed the majority of the fourth quarter and Ethan is the first man I see. He puts his hand in mine, swinging his other over my shoulder in a hug.

“Hell of a job,” he says into my ear, patting the back of my head.

“You too, man. Thank you.”

I’m not about to get all sappy on the spot, but he knows what I mean. Thank you for mentoring me. For having my back and supporting me as we transition from his captaincy to mine. For being my friend when I thought I didn’t need any.

There are no confetti, no banners, or parades for this win. This isn’t a championship by any means. On the big stage of the NBA, this is just another victory, but here in Chicago, it’s everything.

Leon jumps onto another rookie like a couple of kids on Christmas morning. Our coaching staff hugs and congratulates each other, and Dom rushes to his mom sitting in row three.

We still have a long road ahead of us, but this is a milestone I’ve yet to meet in my career, and I’ll take it.

My shower is quick, as is our postgame meeting, and I practically sprint to the family waiting room once released. Stevie and Zanders are the only two waiting for me, and as much I love them, the disappointment is obvious.

“Nice game!” my sister exclaims.

I wrap my arms around her, before doing the same to my future brother-in-law.

“You weren’t complete shit,” he says.

“Can’t say the same for you. What the hell was with you in that game I watched last night?”

“I was distracted! I just found out I’m going to be a daddy. Sorry that hockey wasn’t the first thing on my mind.”

I playfully clap my palm against his cheek. “Well, at least somebody will call you that so you can stop asking my sister to.”

Zanders’ hazel eyes swing to Stevie. “I’ll never stop begging, sweetheart.”

She slides her bottom lip between her teeth. “I do love when you beg.”

“Okay,” I cut in. “Can a man not get one night of peace? And at my place of work?”

“It’s my place of work, too, buddy.”

Turning to my sister, I get straight to the point. “Where is she?”

She shrugs. “She had to go do something.”

“What the hell could be so important that she had to leave as soon as my game ended?”

“She might come by our place later. You’ll come over tonight, right? After you go home.”

“Yeah,” I sigh, defeated. “Let me go home and change and I’ll come by after.”

Leaving the arena without a real celebration felt off and my drive to the apartment was lonely. Just as it’s been lonely every time I’ve had to walk into the empty space over the past few days. Not seeing her mess when I walk through the door, not finding her reading on the couch. Having all my lights off because I was the last one to leave.

I hated this apartment almost immediately after I purchased it, but over the past few months, the shift in energy made me excited to be home, to be with her. Now, I despise it more than I ever had before.

But when I open the front door, it’s not the lack of her books or clothes or flowers that stop me in my tracks. It’s the lack of everything else that does. My apartment is entirely bare and if it weren’t for the high level of security around this place, you’d think I was robbed.

My couch and television are gone. My bookshelf is gone. My goddamn coffee maker is gone.

The smell of fresh paint lingers in the air, and I follow the scent to Indy’s old room. It’s empty as well, but that’s because I had all her things sent to the new house days ago. The only difference is the yellow walls that once haunted me are now covered in a fresh coat of white paint.

My eyes are burning with realization as I quickly jog across the bare living room to find my bedroom just as empty.

There’s nothing here. Not a single article of clothing or dish left in the sink. It’s completely unlivable and I think that’s the point. I think last night was the last time I had to sleep in this apartment that felt like a prison more times than it felt like a home.

I didn’t expect to feel lighter, but my chest deflates from the lifted weight, no longer having to see the physical representation of my trust issues every single day.

Instead of crossing the street to see my sister, I get in my car and head thirty minutes outside of the city. I remember the first time I drove up to this house. The overwhelming knowledge that this was where I wanted us to spend our lives hit me like a freight train, and making the drive tonight, it feels the same.

The front porch is fully lit as is the entire house and when I step inside, it’s almost unrecognizable from the place I drove away from three days ago. There are rugs, and curtains, and so many fucking throw pillows on the living room couch I’m not sure how you’re supposed to sit on it. A brand-new dining table takes up another room and is long enough to seat twelve. There are framed photos of us and our friends. There’s artwork on the walls, bright and colorful just like the girl who put it there.

This place is bursting with love and attention. I don’t know how else to explain it other than it feels like the textbook definition of a home.

I head straight through the foyer and under the stairs, not wasting a second to look at anything else while I look for her. In my gut, I know where she is. I’m drawn to her as always, finding her in the kitchen where we tend to have all our important conversations.

The flowers I left her are thriving in a vase in the center of the island, and my coffee machine is plugged into the wall with my mug resting below it and her pink cup beside it.

And there she is, blonde hair, lavender sundress, and embroidered Converse. Beautiful as always with that sunshine smile I’ll never tire of seeing. My best friend and the person who owns every part of me.

“Hi.”

I want to go to her, hold her, kiss her, but I’m also stunned into place seeing her in this home. The daydream I’ve replayed in my mind for months is now tangible and in front of me.

“Congrats on your game,” she continues. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Thank you, baby.” Cautiously, I look around the room, noting the changes she’s made. The dish towels that hang from the handle of the stove. The colorful rug she’s standing on. The curtain draped over the window behind the kitchen sink. “What’s going on?”

She motions for me to sit across the island from her, exactly where she sat a few days ago as I spoke. But this time, it’s her turn.

“Should we talk about the lease?”

I laugh. “The what?”

“The lease.”

You can hardly see the fridge through the papers littering the front thanks to all the promises we’ve made to each other. The deed to the house, our bucket lists, our original lease I made when she first moved into the apartment, which I knew from the morning I wrote it was a load of shit. That girl didn’t need to follow a single rule, didn’t need to pay a penny, because deep down there was that lonely part of me, desperate for her to stay.

Indy removes the newest add-on.

“First line item,” she says, grabbing a pen and hovering it over the paper. “Rent.”

“Blue, we own the house outright.”

She ignores me. “I’m going to need at least two ‘I love yous’ every morning and another before bed. I’m a bit needy, you know. Words of affirmation and all that. And we should really build an in-home library, and maybe a greenhouse in the back for winter.”

A laugh heaves in my chest. “I think I can handle that form of payment.”

“Well, that was easy. Let’s move on. Rules.” She writes the word down, identically matching the lease I made for her.

“What are your rules, Ind?”

Her soft brown eyes meet mine, melting in front of me. “We live our happiest lives out here. You and me. Even if it’s always just you and me. Even if children aren’t in our future, we remember how grateful we are to have found each other.”

I couldn’t agree more. “Deal.”

“But at the same time.” She holds up a single finger. “We try our hardest to fill every room in this house. I’m talking morning, afternoon, and evening. You think you practice a lot for basketball?” She laughs condescendingly. “That’s nothing, Shay.”

I can’t help it anymore as I stand from my stool and round the island to meet her. Gripping her hips, I kiss the top of her shoulder. “Deal.”

She turns to face me. “Ryan, I need you to know, when I was staying at Rio’s I didn’t have to think about whether you were the right person for me. There’s no question of how badly I want you or how much I love you. You know that, right?”

Shockingly enough, that was never my concern. Indy has always made me feel wanted, and I’m sure it only made things worse for her, wanting me while believing our futures were headed in different directions.

“I know.”

“And I didn’t call over the last few days because I wanted to surprise you with a finished house, but as soon as you left, there was nothing for me to think about.”

“It looks incredible.”

“Well.” She shoots me a guilty smile. “I only had three days so I might be hiding a little mess in the bedrooms on the second floor.”

Leaning down, I rest my forehead on hers. “I love you.”

“God, I love you so much,” she says, snaking her hands around my neck, intertwining her fingers. “I missed you. Thank you for understanding my fears and treating them with patience. You make me feel deserving of all the things I want in life. I don’t know where you came from or how I got so lucky to be loved by you, but Ryan, I adore you.”

“You are. You deserve every little thing you manage to dream for yourself. I hated being away from you, Ind, but I loved seeing you stand up for the things you want. Don’t stop doing that. Even if it’s me you’re facing off with, don’t settle for less.”

Reaching up on her toes, she kisses me. Softly, quickly. “I don’t think there’s a way for me to even begin thanking you. For this home, for planning for our future.”

“You could start by asking me to move in.”

She tilts her head in contemplation. “I don’t know. We haven’t been dating all that long. You don’t think it’s too soon to be living together?”

As I lift my brow, Indy is unable to contain her mischievous smile.

“Oh, you think you’re funny, huh?”

She giggles, finding herself hilarious as I pick her up and seat her on the island. Stepping between her legs, I keep my lips only inches from hers. “Ask me.”

She drapes her arms over my shoulders. “What do you say, Shay? Want to be my roomie? Hide away with me in this big, beautiful house?”

“I think that sounds like the right move.”

Fingers threaded through her hair, I pull her into me, foreheads and noses touching.

“I will love you for the rest of my life,” she whispers against my lips.

It’s a promise, coming from the most loyal woman I know.

“Forever, Blue.”

I’m lost when her mouth meets mine. Soft pulls of her lips, sweeps of her tongue. She’s warm and tastes like fucking heaven. Her coconut soap lingers on her skin, and I inhale as much as I can, reminding my body that she’s here. That we’re okay.

I’ve gone far longer than three days without kissing Indy, when I’m on the road for work or when she is, but this intentional distance was torture. Kissing her now, in our kitchen, feels like it’s the first time all over again, with a reassurance that there will never be an end.

Her legs wrap around my waist, pulling me against her body. Her pretty sundress bunches around her hips as the ridge of my erection rubs against her pussy and though Indy’s first plan for this house is to decorate every room, my plan is to christen every flat surface I can find. This house is ten times the size of the apartment, so it might take a couple days, but I’m up to the challenge.

Gliding my palm up her thigh, I squeeze and knead her flesh until my fingers dip under the hem of her dress. I’m looking for silk or lace, something I need to tear off, but there’s nothing but soft skin over her hip bone.

“No panties tonight?”

She scoots off the side of the counter, bringing her center to rub against my erection, and now that I know she’s got nothing on, I lift her dress, watching her soft, needy pussy writhe against me.

“Easier access for you,” she breathes out.

Her lips work against my neck and jaw, kissing and biting as she fiddles with my belt. I hold her to me, tilting my head back and letting her work. She frees me from the zipper and quickly dips her hand in my briefs, grabbing me.

“Fuck,” I exhale.

“You got your team to the playoffs tonight.”

“Is this my reward?”

“One of them.” She kisses my throat. “You’re going to have lots of rewards, Shay. I figured it is only fair that since you bought me a house, I should blow you in every room of it.”

“Well, you are pretty on your knees, baby.”

“Mmm, thank you.”

Wrapping a fist around me, she strokes and twists, but before she can free me from my briefs, I pick her up off the counter and carry her to the stairs. As much as I want to fuck her on the kitchen island, the floor, the couch, the goddamn back porch, the first time we do this, I don’t want it to be frantic or hurried. I want to savor every moment of it.

While holding her, I climb onto the mattress in our new bedroom. In our new house.

Fuck, that feels good to say.

Twisting, I pull her on top of me as I lay back on the bed.

“What the hell?”

She pauses, hands on my chest. “What’s wrong?”

“Why is this bed so fucking comfortable? Has it always been this comfortable?”

She laughs. “Yes, it’s always been that comfortable. I’ll have to ask my roommate where he bought it and let you know.”

Finding the hem of her dress, I lift it over her head. “I can’t believe I bought you a bed that was a hundred times better than mine and never slept in it.”

Indy’s tits give a little bounce when she reaches behind her and unclasps her bra, and instantly my hands are on them. I roll her nipples with my thumbs before giving them a little pinch. She bites her lip at that, circling her hips over my cock.

“Get these pants off me, Ind.”

She does, pulling my boxer briefs right along with them. I take off my own shirt and in one movement, have her on her back with my face between her legs. With long, languid strokes of my tongue, I taste her and lick her. Kiss her pussy. Suck her clit.

She pulls at my forearms as her back arches off the bed, her hips rocking into my face. She’s soaked and needy. Her clit is swollen and begging, but before I can make her come, she stops me, tightening her fingers through my hair.

Her breaths are ragged. “I want to come with you.”

Indy’s brown eyes are pleading with me, flushed cheeks and chest. I climb right on top of her, kissing the pathway up her belly, her tits, her throat. My dick slides against her core, coating in her arousal.

We both watch.

“I love you, Ryan,” she says, seemingly out of nowhere.

But it’s not random. She knows we’re about to do something that I spent years telling myself I would never do. I would never have a woman I trust enough. I would never have a family. It’s not as easy as flipping a switch, but as soon as I slide my bare skin against hers once again, any old lingering fears that don’t apply to her are out the window.

“Put it in, Blue. Let me watch you.”

But before she does, she reaches up and kisses me. Slowly, deeply. Then she takes my cock, centers it, and I push inside her with no barrier between us.

She gasps and I almost lose it right there, with only my tip inside her.

She’s fucking tight and warm and wet, and the sensation is almost too much. Her slick skin on mine.

“Fuck, Ind. You feel so fucking good.”

“More,” she begs, unknowing I’m about to come right here on the spot.

She wraps her legs around my hips, and I have no other choice but to drive into her. She lets out the prettiest scream when I do, and I want to hear it again. Louder this time. There’s no one within miles to hear her taking my cock.

Rolling my hips, I pull out and thrust in again, making sure to rub her clit with my pelvis each and every time I do. Her head pushes back into the pillow, giving me an opportunity to suck and nibble on the column of her throat.

“You’re going to ruin me,” she whimpers.

“I already have. This is mine.” I push into her.

She moans.

“Tell me.”

I thrust again.

“Tell me that every part of you is mine.”

“Yes. I’m yours. I’ll always be yours.”

Evening out my tempo, I press my chest to hers, kissing her lips and whispering all the things I adore about her in her ear. She wraps her arms around me, and I do the same, wedging my hands between her body and the mattress to hold her as tightly to me as possible while I allow my body to show her just how much I love her.

And then she comes.

So prettily. So quietly, like it was just for me to experience with her.

She keeps her eyes on me as she does, and I watch her through it. Her dropped mouth, her contracting muscles. And then those muscles tighten around me, clenching my cock and pulling out my own orgasm.

I push inside of her one more time and come.

It’s overwhelming. Her skin on mine. How much I love this woman. I’m almost dizzy with blurred vision as her body pulls every last drop I have to give. It’s euphoric and calming at the same time. This woman ruined me the day she walked into that apartment, then she brought me back to life soon after, and I’m hers. I’ve always been hers.

Falling on top of her, she holds me, our chests rising and falling together.

“I love you,” I murmur into her neck.

“I love you.”

Slowly, I pull out and watch as my cum drips out and down her body. With a single finger, I collect it, pushing it back in, and loving the way it looks to have me inside of her.

I’m fairly certain I growl or some shit. I don’t know. Some possessive caveman noise comes out of my throat at the sight in front of me.

“Did you just develop a breeding kink, Shay?”

Quickly nodding, I keep my eyes locked on her open legs. “I think so. Give me ten and let’s do that again.”

She laughs, such a lovely sound tickling my ears.

I’m going to stay here all night, naked with the love of my life in our home. Or at least that’s what I was planning before the doorbell rings.

My eyes snap up to hers. “Who’s that?”

Indy’s head jerks to the clock on the nightstand. “Oh shit! I should’ve told them an hour later than I did!”

Frantically, she jumps off the bed, grabbing her bra and dress to throw on.

I’m not sure why, but I follow her lead, redressing as quickly as possible. “Told who?”

Guiltily, she looks back at me over her shoulder. “Everyone.”

“Everyone?”

“Well, everyone in our circle. You bought this house to get away from the chaos of the city, but also because you wanted a place to spend time with your friends and family without feeling like you’re constantly being watched. I just figured”—she hesitates—“there’s no better way to break in this house than celebrating Chicago making the playoffs for the first time in six years.”

The doorbell rings again and I follow her down the stairs. As she opens the front door, Indy adjusts her bra and I focus on rezipping my pants only to find Zanders and my sister waiting on the front step.

“Well don’t you two look freshly fucked.” Zanders pats my cheek before barging into my house.

“I’d give you both a hug”—my sister holds her hands up in surrender—“but I’m going to pass this time.”

The two of them take off to the kitchen, leaving Indy and me alone in the foyer.

“Can we celebrate?” she asks with an excited sparkle in her eye.

I bought this house for her to host. For her to have as many people over as she likes. I’m sure I’ll continue to be a bit of a lone wolf, to want my time alone as long as that time alone includes her. But Indy, as much as she’s learned to be content in the quiet, will always be a social butterfly.

I didn’t buy this place to hide her away from the entire world, I bought it so she could bring our world to us.

“Please?”

I won’t lie and say tonight felt complete when I left the arena. Though this is simply another win to the rest of the league, to my teammates, to me, it’s everything and we’ve yet to celebrate our accomplishment.

Bracketing her jaw, I kiss her one more time, smiling into her mouth. “Yeah, Blue, let’s celebrate.”

The house is filled with my teammates. Drinks are flowing and food is on a constant loop as Indy glides through the house with trays of appetizers to pass out.

Dom and his mom are here as well as Leon and the rest of the guys. Even the Morgans made an appearance. Ethan and Annie brought their three girls who are running around in the backyard with never-ending energy. Ethan’s mother-in-law has been in the kitchen teaching Indy her secret recipe for kimchi jjigae which she would make in batches for me and the boys to take home after team dinners when Ethan hosted. It’s my favorite comfort meal, and Indy should be careful learning Mrs. Jeong’s recipes because if they end up tasting half as good as the original, she will be the one cooking our meals for the rest of our lives.

The doorbell rings again, but I’m not sure who else could be joining us. Everyone who is important to us from Chicago is here, but as I go to open the door, Indy chases after me so we can do it together.

“Mom!” she exclaims as soon as it’s partially open, throwing herself into Abigale’s arms.

“Oh, I missed you, Ind!”

Turning towards her dad, I immediately concentrate, trying to remember everything I’ve learned. Flat open hands, one on top of the other, I slide the palm of my dominant hand over my non-dominant hand, perpendicular to each other. Then I sign “meet” before pointing at Tim.

Nice to meet you.

I continue and speak aloud in case Indy needs to correct me if I sign incorrectly. “Welcome to our home.”

Tim smiles with pride before slowly signing back to me. “Has my daughter been a handful?”

“The best handful.”

He chuckles. “Thank you for taking care of her.”

This time I don’t use my voice as I sign, wanting this conversation to be strictly between Indy’s dad and me. “I love her. She’s my whole world. My best friend.”

Tim nods thoughtfully before wrapping me up in a hug.

“Ryan,” Abigale beams when Tim moves on to giving his daughter some attention. “About time.”

I hug the woman who I’ve spent every Tuesday afternoon Facetiming for months. “I didn’t know you two were flying in tonight.”

“We were supposed to come in a few weeks, but then Indy told us about the house and the party, so we changed our trip. The house is lovely, Ryan. Nice work.”

She signs her words for her husband as she speaks before patting my chest like we’re old friends, and honestly, I feel like we are. The Ivers all do a hell of a job at making those around them feel comfortable and welcome.

Indy’s hand slides into mine as we show her parents around our new home.

Tim has kept his signs slow and clear for me as we chat. I’m still so new that Indy and her mom translate for me when needed, but there are multiple times I’m able to communicate with him entirely on my own.

There’s a burst of pride and achievement that rattles through me when our conversation flows without help, and I look forward to the day when I’m fluent.

He signs again, but I’m not able to catch his entire question. I recognize the signs for win and game. But there’s one sign that Tim makes that I’ve never seen before.

It looks similar to the sign for protect, but on his dominant hand, his index and middle fingers are crossed like the letter “R”.

“Oh,” Indy squeaks out. She swallows thickly. “Yes, Ryan won his game.”

She signs back to her dad while speaking and again I see that same unknown sign, but recognize it used in place of the fingerspelling of my name.

Tim turns to me, points, then signs the word protect again with his fingers creating the letter “R” at the same time. He points at me again.

“I’m Ryan?” I ask, using his sign for my name.

He nods, smiling.

Abigale leans her head on Tim’s shoulder as she looks at me.

“Is that my sign name?” I ask him to the best of my ability.

“Yes.”

Words stick in my throat, so I simply nod, sign, and mouth, “Thank you.”

“No. Thank you.”

He doesn’t have to say anything else. I know what it means. Thank you for protecting my daughter, for loving my daughter. But later tonight, I’ll hopefully be the one saying thank you right after I ask for his blessing to marry his daughter.

It was the first question I learned to sign, so you could say I’ve been practicing it for a while.

Grabbing a Sharpie from my gym bag, I find Rio sitting on the back porch with my sister, Zanders, Kai, and his son Max.

“Okay, what am I signing?”

His head snaps to mine, green eyes sparkling with excitement. “For real?”

“You let my girl crash at your place, you took care of her, and got her out here. It’s the least I can do.”

Rio shrugs casually, attempting to play it cool as if he hasn’t been thinking about this moment since I first met him. “I don’t really have anything on me to sign.”

“No? All right, well, I tried.”

“Wait! I have two jerseys and a poster in the car. I also have an old Wheaties cereal box that you were on.” He quickly stands from his seat. “Do not put that pen away!”

The rest of us can’t help but laugh, watching his dark curls bounce with him as he sprints through the house, dodging my teammates to make it to the front door.

“That’s my teammate,” Zanders says with a weird sense of pride.

Stealing his chair, I take a seat in the circle of Kai, Zanders, and my sister, completely and utterly at peace.

“You’re happy.” Stevie smiles softly. “It looks good on you, Ry.”

I rest my head back, letting the sounds of Ethan’s kids playing in the backyard and my teammates having a good time fill my ears. “I am. This is everything I didn’t know I could have.”

Looking through the back door, I find Indy refilling more drinks and that girl could not look more excited to be hosting a get together in her very own home.

“Indy is happy too, yeah?” I don’t know why I feel the need to ask, I guess I just like to hear the confirmation.

“She’s been so excited, planning tonight for you. You should’ve seen her the last three days, Ryan.”

“And if we happen to have lost?”

“She was having a party regardless. There probably would’ve been a bit more booze involved though.”

Ethan and Annie join our group.

“The house looks incredible, Ryan,” Annie says.

“It was all Indy.”

“The girls love it out here.” Ethan nods towards the backyard where his three daughters haven’t stopped chasing each other since they got here.

“You guys should make the move out here. Get out of the city. This town has a great school district.”

Annie’s brow raises. “A great school district? Why have you looked at that, huh?”

I shrug.

“Ryan Shay, is Indy pregnant?”

“Not yet.”

Ethan stills. “Not yet?!”

I pop my shoulders. “We’re trying.”

I catch Stevie’s eye at that, and across the way, her lips lift in a soft smile. I don’t have to say it. Our twin brains can communicate with a simple look that I don’t want to miss out on raising a family right alongside her.

“I’m moving out of the condos too,” Kai announces. “I just bought a house.”

All eyes shoot to him as Max sleeps soundly on his chest.

“You did?”

“Max is getting bigger. He’s going to be walking soon, and with baseball season starting, I’m going to need way more help. We were outgrowing the condo.”

“Ann, we should move out here,” Ethan says. “The girls would love it.”

“How about you retire and then we can move?”

Ethan looks to me. “This one is on you, Ryan. I’m going to need you to get me that championship ring so I can hang it up for good.”

I cheers his bottle with my own. “Let’s do it.”

As the conversation continues to flow around me, I watch Indy chat with my teammates and the Morgans. She does another loop around the house. My confident girlfriend has no issue barging into the small circles of basketball players hanging out in her house to see if they need anything else.

“Ind!” I call out as she passes by the open back doors. “Come sit with me.”

She drops what she’s doing to come outside and take a seat across my lap. Bringing her knees up to her chest, I wrap her up, hoping to keep her warm in that little dress.

“Can I help you with anything?” I whisper.

She shakes her head before dropping it to my shoulder. “I’m having so much fun.”

“Me too.”

She looks up at me. “Yeah?”

I nod. “Thank you for planning this for me.”

“I’m happy that you’re happy.”

“I’m happy that we’re happy.”

Indy and I might be opposites, but we’re more alike than I initially thought. We care about those we love. She’s nurturing and I’m protective, but it all comes down to a common denominator— we love hard.

She swings her arms over my shoulders as we get back to the conversation between our family and friends.

“Kai, when do you leave for spring training?” she asks.

“We’re headed to Arizona next week.”

“And what about Max?”

This is Kai’s first baseball season since finding out that the baby boy dropped off on his doorstep is his son, and though he’s one of the biggest names in the MLB, his first priority is Max. I’d imagine balancing his hectic baseball schedule while raising his son all on his own is going to be tricky.

“I’m still looking for a nanny that’ll stick.”

“Well, stop firing them all,” I laugh.

“I can’t help it.” He drops a kiss to Max’s head. “I don’t trust anyone with him.” He looks to Indy. “Hey, Ind…”

“Don’t even think about asking,” I cut in before she could agree.

“But he’s really cute,” Kai adds innocently.

Indy sighs. “The cutest.”

He waves us off. “I need someone willing to travel with the team and put up with our insane game schedule, anyway. And I highly doubt your boyfriend would let me steal you for an entire summer.”

I wrap her up tighter. “Yeah, not a chance in hell.”

The group continues to talk among themselves when Indy leans her head on mine, speaking quietly. “I’m excited to be home with you all summer, neither of us traveling for work.”

“I’m excited to be home with you forever, Blue.”

She smiles, soft brown eyes filled with so much love. “Forever sounds perfect.”

Forever does sound perfect.

I could not be more content, with my people, with my girl, and with my team on the way to the playoffs. This life, this home, this relationship is everything I never let myself want, and it’s more than I knew I was allowed to dream for.