Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 84344 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84344 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
“Hey,” the reporter says. “Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” I say, smiling at him and looking up to see that the interview is on the Jumbotron. I put the hat on my head. “It’s surreal,” I state, finally taking in the crowd and the moment.
“I have to ask you,” he starts, and I wait for it. “You finished last year, and you surprised everyone with the trade.” I nod my head. “I know it wasn’t easy, but it got you here, and you’re a Stanley Cup champion. Tell me how it feels.”
“It’s really crazy, to be honest. I never thought I’d play for anyone else, but things just happened, and I signed here. My only goal was to come into the season proving to everyone that Nico made a good choice on taking me.”
He laughs and looks over at Nico, who holds his hands over his head and claps. His smile is so big. “Besides that, what motivated you?”
I put my hands on my hips, feeling the tears come. “That’s a big question,” I admit, looking up at the box and raising my hand to wave at my family. I blink the tears away, but they fall anyway. “I didn’t have the easiest start to life. As anyone who does their research knows.” I make a jab at him. “It doesn’t matter where you come from. It matters what you do with what you have.” I look up at Alex, who has a hand to her mouth. “But most importantly, my family,” I say, my face filling with a smile. I look at Alex, and I put my hand in front of my mouth and blow her a kiss. No one knows this, but we are surprising everyone by getting married two days after we get to Bora Bora. The only person who knows is the one setting it up for us there. “My best friend and rock. She was the reason I chose Dallas.” I smile. “But the one person who motivated me the most has to be my son.” I point at Maddox, who jumps up and down and points at himself while he looks over at Max and my father. “The sky is the limit, kiddo.”
Epilogue Two
Alex
Five Years Later
“What is that I hear?” I ask, putting my head back down on the pillow. My eyes close, and my body finally relaxes into the bed. “Is that the sound of silence?”
“Hmm,” Dylan says and turns to his side to bring me closer to him.
“No.” I push away from him. “This is why we have Irish twins,” I say. “Every single time I get the all clear, you want to knock me up again.”
“You mean twice.” He laughs as he buries his face into my neck, kissing me. Six weeks ago, I gave birth to our baby girl, Maya. Twelve months before that, I gave birth to our son, Maverick. “I did it twice, actually,” he says. “Technically, I did it only once.”
“Well, there isn’t going to be a second or a third time,” I say, turning on my side and cuddling into him. “I love our babies, but I’m so tired.”
“Why don’t I take the next feeding?” he whispers, pushing the hair away from my face. “Tomorrow morning, I’ll wake up with the kids.”
“We have everyone coming over tomorrow,” I remind him and close my eyes with his arms around me.
I wake up when I hear our Maya squawking beside me. “Sorry, I just need your boob, and then I’ll take her.”
“What about the bottle in the fridge?” I ask sleepily, pulling down my nursing bra. Our daughter finds it as soon as I put it next to her mouth.
“She finished both,” Dylan replies, squatting down by the side of the bed. “She must be going through a growth spurt.” He leans forward and kisses her head. She kicks her feet, thinking he’s going to take her away from me. I turn over and switch her to the other boob, and my eyes slowly drift closed. When I wake up a couple of hours later, my breast is still out, leaking a puddle beside her.
“Morning,” I say, moving her to me. She happily takes my nipple while Maverick lets out the biggest cry of his life.
I look over to see Dylan getting up out of bed. “There he is.” I hear his voice through the baby monitor.
“Da da da da,” he says, and I can picture him jumping up and down in his crib. I listen to Dylan talk to him about what he dreamed about, and then I hear him give him kisses until he giggles. “Mama.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. You only tolerate me,” Dylan says, and I can hear him walking down the hall with him. “She’s feeding Maya.” He walks to the door and comes in. “See, let’s go get a bottle, and then you can have Mama.” He leans down with him so I can kiss him, and when he goes to walk out of the room, Maverick throws his head back and cries, pointing at our bed.