EPILOGUE

C H E L S I E

ONE MONTH LATER

“C’mon, Gary!” I urge him to quicken his pace as he balances an assortment of balloons, bouquets, and an oversized teddy bear (one I told him we didn’t need, but he insisted on) out of the car.

“A little help would be nice,” he jokes, almost losing grip of the bear before he quickly recovers and shuffles his way forward.

“I can’t. I’ve got the cake,” I tell him, lifting the box into the air as a reminder. “And Lord knows things like this… need a steady hand.”

He chews on the inside of his cheek at my teasing yet truthful remark as we both reach the front door, and I ring the bell.

“Nervous?” I surmise, watching as he anxiously taps his foot against the concrete below.

“No.” He stops the motion until Warren swings open the front door to his house and flashes us both a tender smile. “Okay, maybe a little.”

“You made it,” Warren’s voice is soft, quiet, as he brushes past Gary's remark.“Thanks for coming, guys. Come in. You two are the first to arrive.”

Gary is the first to oblige as he eagerly steps inside. I’m not surprised we’re the first ones here. I don’t think a single day has passed by since Delaney and Warren announced that their bundle of joy had arrived safely that Gary hasn't gone on about meeting him or her.

In all fairness, he wasn’t the only one—the rest of the team has been dying for today to come.

Everyone insisted on surprising the two of them at their house after they came back from the hospital, but we urged them that that wasn’t a good idea. After all, in the few quiet moments I had with Delaney, she shared with me that for the first month after delivery, all she wanted was to be with Warren—and their little one.

And now, as promised, exactly one month later, the two have finally opened up their doors not only to share their little one with us all but to also announce both the sex and name of the baby.

Throughout the past month, Gary has not only learned patience but he's also learned how to completely melt my heart with the simple reminder of those three magic words.

I. Love. You.

I’ll never get tired of hearing him say it.

I’ll never get tired of saying it back to him.

Because if I’ve learned anything from this past month, it’s that new beginnings can start at any time—any moment—and with the most unexpected of people.

These past few weeks have finally felt like a taste of normal life. For a while, I suppose I hadn't realized just how abnormal everything was.

Thankfully, with Simon out of the picture, I no longer have to live with the weight of my past on my shoulders. Now, with everything out in the open, an unwavering level of support surrounds me.

Gary.

Ruby.

My parents.

Everyone has been undeniably supportive in encouraging me to take as much time as I need to get back on track.

The truth is though, I don’t need any more time. School is important to me, it always has been. And so, in an attempt to start fresh all together, I’ve decided to finish off my final year at uni by transferring to a more local school, right here, in Crawley.

Why?

Well, not only is Crawley the place where my sister is, it just so happens to be the place where my favorite footballer plays—after all, I can’t miss a game, can I?

“Mind if I put this in the fridge?” I ask Warren, gesturing the cake I made specifically for Delaney in his direction.

“I can do it,” he takes the cake from my grasp, given that just around the corner we both catch a glimpse of Delaney rocking the baby in her arms. “You two go on in…” Warren smiles. “There’s someone we want you meet.”

Warren doesn’t have to ask us twice as we make a bee-line into the living room.

“Wilks… Chelsie!” Delaney beams as she looks up at us. “You made it. Oh my goodness, it’s so nice to see you both! Come, sit. Have a seat.”

Gary is cautious as he sinks into the couch across the way, guiding me to follow as our hands are intertwined as one.

Delaney flashes me a playful wink, forcing me to blush as I plant myself into his side.

“We got these for you.” Gary places the assortment of gifts on a table just ahead. “Well, and the baby…”

“You guys…” Delaney leans forward to sneak a peek. “You didn’t need to get us anything. Seriously. This is too much.”

“Nonsense,” Gary replies. “We wanted to.”

“So too bad.” I chime in, proud of myself as Gary squeezes a hold of my palm. “Plus it’s non-refundable.”

Delaney laughs. “You guys are too sweet. You know, we really didn’t expect anything from anyone?—”

“So, Wilks…” Warren races around the corner, cutting Delaney off mid sentence as he wraps an arm around her. “Are you ready to meet your Godson ?”

Gary’s eyes widen.

My eyes widen.

Godson?

Did we both just hear that correctly?

It’s a boy.

“Warren!” Delaney scorns him with an unimpressed look on her face. “Seriously? Way to make both the sex and the announcement anti-climatic.”

Delaney’s outburst causes the baby to squirm slightly as Warren raises his hands in defense. “Whoops,” he apologizes before he carssess the baby's face to soothe him. “I got excited. I just… couldn’t wait any longer.”

Delaney shakes her head playfully. “Well, it’s out now.”

“That it is.” Warren looks up and in our direction “So what do you say, Gary? Are you ready to meet him?”

Gary nods faintly—he’s so shy, nervous, but so happy at the same time when he accepts the baby into his grasp.

“I take it that that look on your face means you’ll happily accept the job?” Delaney cheeks inflate as Warren rubs his hand along her inner thigh, the two gazing at the way Gary tenderly allows the baby to squeeze onto his finger.

It’s downright precious.

“Of course, I’ll take the job,” he tells them, eyes full of joy. “You know I won’t let you both down.”

“We know.” Warren smiles with a nod. “We know.”

There’s a peaceful silence until eventually I can no longer hold back, desperate to know the final secret. “What’s uh… his name?” I nestle in closer to Gary to get a better look of the infant's face.

He’s so much like Delaney with his button nose and rounded cheeks, yet, when he opens his blue eyes ever so softly, that's when I see Warren.

He’s perfect.

He’s adorable.

He’s…

“Named Matty,” Warren announces as he looks over at Delaney with a tender smile. “Well, Matthew, legally , but Delaney likes Matty, and I like to stay out of trouble, so Matty, it is.”

Delaney nudges him playfully. “Stop, you like it. Besides, the name Matty reminds me of my Gramps. Matty was his nickname growing up—short for Matthews. So, it only felt right. I just know he would’ve loved to meet him...”

Warren kisses her cheek as they settle in together.

“I love it,” I chime in. “It suits him perfectly.”

“I’m so happy for you two,” Gary tells both Delaney and Warren before peering over at me. His eyes remind me that we’re one—we’ll always be one. “We both are.”

“You’re happy for us? We’re happy for you!” Delaney leans forward, nudging my knee as she stares between us. “Warren and I knew you’d land someone special, Wilks.” She winks over at me before looking back at Warren. “Didn’t we, babe?”

“We sure did,” Warren agrees, with a faint nod, and tender smile. “We sure did.”

For a little while, we stay together basking in what I believe is called ‘baby bliss’ until a knock comes through the front door, bringing Warren to his feet.

“That must be everyone else.” He grazes Delaney’s shoulder. “I’m going to go answer it.”

She nods in agreement, and before we know it, within the span of the next thirty minutes, the house is filled with Crawfield players, friends and extended family. I didn’t know it was possible to have so much love in one room.

Now, I’m left admiring Gary from afar as he chats amongst his teammates, leaning my head against the doorframe as I can’t help but hide the smile on my lips, one that a familiar voice picks up on.

“So, I take it that you two figured things out.” The voice is none other than Hazel Collins, the girl I sat beside during my very first Crawfield game. Her remark is a reminder of what I initially said when she once grilled me about mine and Gary’s relationship status.

I laugh with a playful roll of my eyes. “We figured things out alright,” I joke, as Gary winks in my direction. “That’s for sure.”

“Oh, I love a good happy ending.” Hazel squeals in excitement, joining me in mutually staring over at the players, though her eyes are analyzing Green as he and Gary fall deep into conversation.

“What about you two, huh?” I ask, honing in on her stare and nudging her softly. “Still ‘just friends’?” I probe with a confident brow—I’ve learned that from Gary.

Hazel’s cheeks go bright red. “Yes. Green and I are still just friends . That’s all we’ll ever be.”

“I see.” I accept her answer outwardly, but refuse to let it go internally. It’s only a matter of time for them.

I just know it .

“Hey, are you two gossiping about us?” Both Gary and Green catch us red-handed as they make their way over to our sides, Gary kissing my cheek all the while Green cautiously keeps a distance from Hazel.

“Of course not,” I’m the first to speak on behalf of the two of us. “Though, I was just about to ask you if you’d be willing to help me with the cake?” I getsure back over to the kitchen.

“Sure thing,” Gary’s quick to agree. “Catch up with you guys in a bit?” He taps Green on the shoulder, before flashing Hazel a smile and following me into the kitchen.

“Hey, do you think something is going on between the two of them?” I ask Gary, bringing the cake out of the fridge and removing it from the box.

“With Hazel and Green?” He gathers an assortment of plates and cutlery from the drawers. “Who knows?” He shrugs, watching as I take the cake into my grasp. “What I’m more concerned about right now is if you’ve got that or not.”

“Are you kidding?” I roll my eyes. “You don’t need to worry about me. Unlike you , I’ve got steady hands and know exactly what I’m?—”

I lose track of my footing, and before I know it, I’ve managed to trip over one of Matty’s baby bottles that had fallen onto the floor and fly back, landing flat on my back.

“Chelsie!” Gary falls to my side, a look of concern in his eyes. “Christ, baby. Are you okay? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine… I’m fine.” I sit up, though, I can’t say the same for the cake—I’ve just managed to destroy it.

What’s that word again… deja vu ?

Gary flashes me a look as he stares down at the icing that's plastered across my chest, and just from the way his eyes glimmer, I know he’s being taken right back to the same moment I’ve been transported to as well.

“ Well… hello there .”