by Remi Grey
She smiled at me. “I know.” She pulled away from me so she could see me face to face. “I love you, too.” The way her full lips curved upwards and her eyes brightened with so much light made me want to grab her and kiss her over and over again.
“I got you something,” I said. I handed her a key.
She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion before looking down at it, eyeing it like some sort of strange object. “Come with me.” I got giddy thinking of her reaction when I would show her what the key was for. She took my hand and followed me out of the basement and to my car. I could tell she was looking for the big surprise in the driveway but instead I drove a few miles until we were in the city.
I took her hand again.
“Where are we going?” she asked finally, beginning to get anxious.
“Just wait,” I reminded her softly.
We walked down the sidewalk before I stopped in front of a building. She made a face at me. “I’m waiting on you. I mean, you have the key…”
She peered back down at it as though she had forgotten then unlocked the door, still very unsure, before we both entered. It was an open space, with unpainted walls and a barely finished floor, but it was hers.
“What is this?” she asked me.
“This,” I began. I thought back to Helen’s words--to the something amazing I had to do for Sara. Even though, being there for her felt right, I couldn’t resist the beauty in this building and the beauty Sara had the potential to instill in it. “It’s going to be a Visual and Performing Arts Center where children can come and learn about music and art for free. This is a place where they can be themselves.” It was everything people didn’t know Ian was about.
She turned to me, a mix of emotions playing on her face. “It’s still a work in progress,” I added to excuse the unfinished look of the area. “But there will be walls and stairs installed. We’re going to get the best teachers and tools and--” She stopped me short with a hug.
“I love it,” she said. “Thank you, Tyson. Thank you.”
We smiled up at each other, her eyes searching mine with happiness brightening them, before leaning in to each other. I wrapped my hands around her waist and drew her closer to me, feeling the warmth flowing through me as I thought about how much I loved this girl.
Epilogue
Sara
I was wearing a baseball jersey as I painted in the art room of the Ian Benson Center for Visual and Performing Arts, known by the kids in the area as the BenCen. It was where I spent most of my time as the main coordinator and where I felt the most at peace.
I never thought that I could be surrounded by so much that reminded me of Ian and not want to cry. The five years that had followed his passing had been ones of learning and growing. Now, seeing his portrait hanging in the lobby of the building--a creation made in conjunction with the first fifty students admitted into the center--made me smile every time. His memory, his impact on others, now made me smile.
“Mama!”
I looked up from the canvas to see my three-year-old daughter, Madison, running into the classroom, her dad following behind with a tired expression on his face. She jumped on me and screamed.
“Hi, baby!” I exclaimed as I squeezed her close. “You really can’t keep up with a little girl, honey?” I asked Tyson as he approached me. “I thought the ring you earned from the championship was proof enough that you could.”
He leaned into me and kissed me softly.
“Nice to see you too, sweetheart.” His newly grown beard looked good on him. I returned the embrace, savoring his taste.
“Ewww,” Madison squealed. “That’s nasty!”
Tyson picked her up and threw her into the air, making her laugh excitedly. My cheeks hurt from smiling so widely at the sight of them. I peered down at my canvas, at the painting I had created of my new family and couldn’t help but smile. I had found my happiness.
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About the Author
Remi Grey loves to write sweet, steamy, and spicy romances. She is obsessed with all forms of romance with a happily ever after. As an indie author, your support means everything. Thank you so much for reading.