Total pages in book: 11
Estimated words: 9744 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 49(@200wpm)___ 39(@250wpm)___ 32(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 9744 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 49(@200wpm)___ 39(@250wpm)___ 32(@300wpm)
Claire grins. “They sure are gorgeous together.”
“So gorgeous.”
“I know. I love their faces. They’ve officially moved in together, which Benji is not a fan of, but I don’t care. As long as she’s happy. She went too long without being happy.”
“Absolutely,” Claire says. “That’s what I had to tell Phillip. It’s so funny, but I think he still doesn’t like Jude. Insane since we’ve been together for, like, ever, but he still thinks of me as a baby.”
“Oh, just wait. You’ll do the same to Harrison and the new one. It’s rough,” Lucy says, laughing. “Angie may think she’s an adult, but in my eyes, she’s my little girl, running around fighting ninjas with my dildos.”
That has all of us laughing hysterically. Kids do the darnedest things. Autumn walks up as we laugh, and I see that the girls have joined the boys in the ocean. I look up at my mother-in-law and see such bliss on her face.
“You needed this, huh, Mom?”
She reaches down, cupping my shoulder. “We all did,” she says, looking back at Jayden. “Sometimes family can be a lot. But most of the time, family is what you need to heal.”
I glance over to where she is watching Jayden laugh so hard. His eyes are watering, and his face is red. My heart explodes in my chest at the sight of him, and I’m so thankful for our family. When I look back to Autumn, I nod. “You’re right.”
She meets my gaze. “Did you tell him yet?”
“No.”
She scolds me with her eyes. “You should. He won’t be upset. He’ll be proud.” I swallow past the lump in my throat, and she cups my face. “I know he will.”
I don’t have the words for a response, and I’m thankful. Because if I had said something, I might have missed Jayden, Jude, and Jace racing into the water for the kids while Benji watches with a smirk on his face. His days of running are over after a nasty ankle injury that was a contributing factor to his retirement. The boys dunk one another, they play, and they splash with no cares in the world. We all watch them in awe because of how perfect it is.
Our laughter is loud, but our love for one another is louder.
And that’ll never change.
CHAPTER 4
Growth is Change
Jayden
I know everyone was upset to miss the birth of the newest member of the Sinclair clan, but I think Claire knew she had to get everyone out of the house before she went into labor. When we landed in Nashville, we got the picture of Claire, Jude, Harrison, and the brand-new addition, Hadley Reese Sinclair. Talk about the cutest little girl I’ve ever seen. I remember when Angie was born and how overwhelmed I was by her beauty, but seeing Hadley is different. She has the longest lashes and the cutest little nose. I adore her just from the photo. I think it’s because I know how much my brother and Claire wanted her.
My mom? Well, she got off the plane and then got on the next flight out. It was funny as hell, and I tried to talk her out of it to give Jude and Claire some time to adjust, but she didn’t hear a word I said. It was comical, to say the least.
I sit in my truck outside of the arena, looking at pictures. I’m buying time. I don’t want to go in and clean out my locker. Baylor asked if I wanted her to come with me, but I said no. I needed to do this alone. She, of course, was agreeable and told me if I needed her, she’d come up. Even the boys wanted to come. I didn’t want them to see this part.
While I really mourn the loss of my career.
I enjoyed the time with my family to the fullest. I love that they know I need them when I do. It sucks to see all the kids getting so big, but then it’s fun because they’re great kids. I know my mom enjoys being with all the kids more than being with us. She did her time with us; now it’s time to spoil those grandkids. But Mom being Mom, she spoiled me too. With love.
Hockey is something great about you—it’s not who you are. You are a fantastic dad, my love, a great husband, and the best son a mom could ask for. Don’t forget that.
I love my mom. She told me that when I got up to get a glass of water in the middle of the night and she was up watching crime shows with Charlotte. She’s right, and I know that, but still, it’s hard to stomach when all I’ve ever known is hockey. I’ve learned a lot through this injury, though, and there is more to life than hockey. Family. My sport doesn’t always love me back, but my family…they love me even when I don’t love myself.