33. Epilogue Part 2

Epilogue Part 2

Elias

I t was past seven by the time I snuck in the door—but by the dim lights I knew Jarman had likely crashed. He had a few big days with his team. I was no different, but my kiddos were super fun, and he had to travel with teenage boys, which were a whole different ball game. The smell of food wafted down the hall and despite the scent luring me in, I couldn’t help but pause in the hallway. The photos that lined the walls made me smile, between the ones of Jarman and I through the ages, they were filled with ones of us with our friends, with our teams, with his family. The ones with my family hadn’t gone up. My mom and dad had been… amicable, mostly since my sister had a baby and I wasn’t going to pass up being in my nephew’s life, but our relationship was still strained.

I continued down the hall, following the dim lamp light and the smell of some sort of Italian food. The image that greeted me nearly made my heart explode. My man was fast asleep with Ralph on his chest, audibly purring. As much as he swore at the cat— “ Sweetheart! Your stupid cat is on the bench again! —Ralph! Don't get in the cupboards! Mouse! Tell Ralph to stop scratching the couch!”— I knew he would love him as much as I did. I brushed Shane’s cheek and his eyes fluttered open. “Shit, sorry sweetheart. I didn’t mean to nod off.” I knew as much, and leant down to kiss his lips. Even months after we got together, there was never a moment I didn’t melt into his touch.

“It's okay. You’ve been working hard. Dinner smells amazing.” He picked Ralph off his chest, kissing his head before placing him on the ground, because he “hated” the cat.

Shane got up and rounded the couch, kissing my lips again before looking down at the time. He frowned. “You’re home late. Is everything okay?”

I bit my lip to fight off my excitement. “I had to pick up your birthday present,”

The lines between his brow deepened. “We agreed to celebrate this weekend when we were both free.”

I rolled my eyes. Like that was ever going to happen. “Come,” I demanded, pulling him down the hall.

“Eli… what have you done?”

“Nothing you wouldn't approve of,” I teased, bouncing into the sitting room where he’d given me Ralph.

Shane dropped my hand and I turned. He was staring a cross at the crate with watery eyes. “You got me a dog?”

“Yep!” I jumped up and down as he slowly approached the crate, holding his hand out for inspection.

“Do they have a name?” His voice was thick as he let the puppy lick his fingers through the bars.

“Well, his name was Bobo. One of my players got him for Christmas, but turns out they’re very allergic to his fur and they have been trying to rehome him. I know I said we can't change their name, but for now… I think Bobo is an awful name and it doesn’t suit him.”

Shane laughed, opening the door and the mix of gray and white fur pounced at him, kissing his face and wiggling his fluffy butt. After Shane took me to see the wolves in the summer, we both really wanted our own. So selfishly, this present was for the both of us.

“And Ralph was a totally suitable name for a cat?”

I put my hands on my hips. “Yes! Because hearing you scream ‘Ralph’ all the time makes my day.” It really did, his big, rumbly voice yelling at a cat named Ralph was perfection.

“Well, meet Peter.”

I blinked, my mouth falling open. “You are not calling our beautiful, majestic dog, Peter .”

He grinned widely, effectively shutting me down. “Yes, I am. Like Peter Pan—that way he’ll never grow up.”

Well, I had to admit that was cute. And Peter started making cute scuffling noises in agreement.

Our night was me and Ralph watching Shane settle Peter in, who really made himself at home. We watched hockey, with Peter at Shane's hip and Ralph on my lap, who thankfully didn’t seem to mind the new addition.

As we climbed into bed with our two babies, I was grateful for the decision to get a California King bed.

Shane laid on his side facing me, eyes filled with warmth. “Have I told you how much I love you lately?” He hummed against my lips, hand possessively holding my hip.

“You have, but I won’t complain about hearing it again.”

He laughed, kissing me deeply. “We need to kick our children off the bed. I want my other birthday present.”

Agreeing wholeheartedly, I jumped up and made a commotion so both Ralph and Peter ran out of the room. Before they could realize, I closed the door and put on music to drown out their protests. “We are terrible dads,” I said, Shane meeting me at the end of the bed.

“Oh, the worst.” he deadpanned, stripping me of my briefs and kneeling at my feet.

I was struggling to believe it wasn’t my birthday. But every day with Shane was a day worth celebrating. Those love-filled brown eyes gazed up at me and I knew I would never be alone again. There, I thought, maybe it was time to lock that shit down…