20. August

AUGUST

Hudson

Holding Ezra Brooks Hart in my arms, watching Riley sleep, surreal. It's the happiest moments and the moments that you realize that life and love hang in the balance of one another. They are intertwined and have a profound effect on one another. Love gives life the deepest of meanings and purpose.

I never thought I could love my wife more than the day I professed it, until the day we were married right here on our dock, while the sun set, surrounded by all the people we love, until the day Ezra was born, and that changed everything.

There isn't anything I would not do for my wife and child, and there isn't a moment that I have to be away from them that I don't wish I was right here like this.

With the new season just around the corner, and the team taking more heat than ever, I don't want them sitting in the stands, watching me; I want them in a fucking bubble of happiness and joy.

Riley tries to tell me I'm worse than she is, but she's no different. It's fucking crazy how no one tells you just how much you change after kids. But as my wife pointed out, our parents are living proof that you do eventually loosen up.

It's also more exhausting than I expected.

Oh, we have plenty of help; her family is full of help. There's been more than once in the two weeks since Ezra's birth that I was truly concerned Tessa and Molly were going to play a game of tug of war with Ez.

Riley laughed her ass off and nearly popped a stitch from her C-section doing one of those seriously beautiful belly laughs at seeing my reaction.

There was a second when both of us considered the one-and-done thing, but we were at a family function and swore that Kendall, Maggie's Mom, and Sarah, Iz's, were more uptight than Tessa, Jade, and Phoebe, who have more than one. Jade, Mom, Ryan, and surprisingly Jackson are so incredibly at ease around our child, no matter the sound, smell, or bodily fluids that come out of tiny little Ez. So, we've decided on tabling the decision for now and revisiting it in a year. And yes, that's all in two weeks. Two.

"Uncle Hart?" Lily whispers when she walks into the family room where we are watching films and Riley is asleep.

I pat the spot beside me. "Climb up here and snuggle in."

She does just that.

I wrap an arm around her and pull her closer.

She leans over and smiles, whispering an almost inaudible, "Ezy, you gotta hurry up and grow so we can play."

"I'd prefer you both stop growing and stay little forever."

"Why?" she asks.

Not wanting to get deep, I go with, "Easier to hold."

"Can I hold Ezy?"

"You hungry? Wanna get something to eat first?"

"Dad says I gotta wait till he gets up. Ry, she just had a baby."

"Yeah, well, a girl's gotta eat, right?"

I help her slide off the couch and stand up, holding Ezra a little tighter.

Once we are in the kitchen, she talks at her normal level. "We got sweet toast?"

Sweet toast is French toast .

"We do."

"Dad says it's the best."

"You gonna eat an egg to get some protein in you so you can grow muscles like me?"

"Got the cold kind?" she asks.

"You bet I do."

I grab Lily two hard-boiled eggs, hoping she'll eat them both, but I'm pretty sure she won't.

"Hey," Riley yawns, holding out the phone. "Ava."

"Am I on speaker?" Ava asks.

"Ava, what's the good word?" I ask as Riley takes Ezra and I grab the bread needed to make Lily's sweet toast.

"Ryder's been found not guilty."

I hold back the desire to yell, "Fuck yes!" and go with, "That's awesome news. Is there more?"

"SU has offered him a spot on their team."

"Yes!" Riley whisper-yells.

"But he's been out of school for three years so, technically, he can go pro, and that's exactly what he wants."

"He's going to change the game."

"And he's going to do it as a Knight," she says with a smile in her voice.

"Can he start now?" I ask.

"We're ironing all that out, but if he has to be here just to train so no one else snags him up until the draft, that's where he'll be."

"That's awesome." I smile at my wife, who is beaming.

"Philly may have stolen it from us this year, but not this coming season, and certainly not the one after. We'll have a Bowl win this year or next," Lucas pipes in.

"Or?" Riley huffs. "How about both?"

"Damn right," Ava hoots.

"Damn right," Lily mimics her.

"Hey, you." Riley kisses the top of her head. "What did we say about adult words?"

"Sorry." She frowns then looks to me and sees my dumb ass grinning, and she laughs.

"Lily," Lucas calls to her.

"That's me."

"It's gonna be a good year, kid," he assures her.

"Is Daddy going to win a ring?"

"He is," Lucas promises.

"Can I have one, too?" she asks.

"You certainly can."

The End

Beau Boone

is coming soon.