Chapter 18

Wade

Five Years Later…

"We have to hurry or we're going to be late!" Auden calls up the stairs to me and I smile.

"I'm ready to go when you are," I tell her as I pick up our daughter, Adley, in my arms.

She's half asleep and I smile down at her as I carry her over to her car seat and buckle her in.

"Okay, I packed the diaper bag and I think that I have everything," Auden says as she rushes into the front room.

I take the diaper bag from her and rub her round belly. Adley is almost nine months old and Auden is already pregnant again. She's three months along now with our second. We find out in a few weeks if it's a boy or a girl. I know that Auden is hoping for a boy, but I'd love to have another girl, one that looks just like her mama.

"Ready?" She asks me and I nod, dropping a kiss on her lips before I pick up the car seat and carry Adley and the diaper bag out to the car.

We're headed to Jake's high school graduation and I know that Auden wants to get there early to get good seats. Auden has blended into my makeshift family perfectly. She gets along with Ray, Jake, and Ellie better better than I do. I think that they all love her more than me too. Not that I blame them. Auden is hard not to love.

"Lena and Arlowe just text to tell Jake congratulations. Lena said that she baked a cake for him if we want to stop by the bakery afterwards to celebrate."

"Sounds good."

"I'll text Ray now and invite them," Auden says and I smile.

It's still kind of crazy to me that the kid in high school who had no family, ended up having a huge blended one. I owe it all to Auden. She brought me closer with this town, with Ray, Ellie, and Jake, and with her friends too.

We park in the high school parking lot and Auden gasps and starts waving when she spots Ellie climbing out of Ray's car a few parking spots down.

"I'll get Adley. You go on ahead."

Auden grins at me as she throws open her door and hurries over to greet Ray and Ellie. I smile, watching Auden's excitement as she hugs Ellie and then Ray, who gives her a warm, fatherly pat on the back. I pull Adley's car seat out and sling the diaper bag over my shoulder, heading over to join them.

Jake spots us as he's getting out of the car, and his face lights up with that shy grin of his. It's hard to believe how much he's grown up. I remember when Ray first took him in, this lanky kid who barely spoke a word. Now, he's a young man, full of potential and ready to take on the world.

"Hey, Jake! Ready for the big day?" I call out, setting Adley down on the pavement so I can give him a quick, one-armed hug.

"Yeah, I guess," he says, looking a little overwhelmed by all the attention. "Thanks for coming."

"Wouldn't miss it," I reply, feeling a swell of pride. It's been a long road for Jake, but he's made it.

Auden comes back over, her hand resting on her belly as she smiles at Jake. "We're so proud of you, Jake. You've worked so hard to get here."

Jake's cheeks turn pink, and he ducks his head.

"Thanks, Auden. It means a lot."

We all start walking toward the school, the girls chatting about the ceremony while Ray and I fall into step behind them. Ray gives me a knowing look, one that says he's just as grateful as I am for how everything turned out.

"Who would've thought?" he says quietly, nodding toward our little group. "We've got a lot to be thankful for."

"Yeah," I agree, glancing over at Auden, who's laughing at something Ellie said. "We really do."

As we find our seats in the auditorium, Adley stirs in her car seat, and I gently rock it, hoping she'll stay asleep for a little longer. Auden sits beside me, her hand slipping into mine, and I squeeze it, feeling a deep sense of contentment.

The ceremony begins, and we watch as one by one, the graduates cross the stage. When Jake's name is called, our group erupts into cheers. Auden's voice is the loudest, and Jake looks over at us with a grin, giving a little wave before accepting his diploma.

As the ceremony comes to an end, I glance around at the people who've become my family. Ray, Ellie, Jake, and most of all, Auden. She catches my eye and smiles, leaning her head on my shoulder.

"Ready to go celebrate?" she whispers.

"Yeah," I murmur, kissing the top of her head. "Let's go."

We gather our things and head out, making plans to meet up at Lena's bakery. As we drive through the familiar streets of Lilac Harbor, I can't help but feel like the luckiest guy in the world. I started out with nothing, but now, I have everything I could ever want, a loving wife, a beautiful daughter, another baby on the way, and a family that I never dreamed I'd have.

And it's all because of Auden. She's the one who brought this all together, who made me believe that I deserved this happiness. As we pull up in front of the bakery, I reach over and take her hand, giving it a squeeze.

"Thank you," I say softly, and she looks over at me, her eyes filled with love.

"For what?" she asks, tilting her head in that adorable way she does.

"For everything," I reply, leaning over to kiss her gently. "For making me the happiest man alive."

She smiles against my lips, her hand resting on our daughter's car seat. "I love you, Wade."

"I love you too, Auden. More than you'll ever know."

As we step out of the car and into the warmth of the bakery, surrounded by the people who mean the most to us, I know that this is just the beginning of our happily ever after.