by Peyton Storm
Anyway, I love you, kid.
-Tack
I’d read through more than half of the journal before I bothered to check the time. At last glance, it was already past two a.m., but I was determined to finish it. I couldn’t tear my eyes from their words, couldn’t imagine how hard that must have been for my mom. Their story ended in question, but day after day, I got to watch their happy ending unfold.
Greyson had been drafted by Houston, keeping him close to home, close to us. They’d taken things slow, and I now see that had been, at least in part, for me. They didn’t marry until I was ten and my baby brother, Jake, didn’t come until two years after that.
Dad had never missed a beat, nor birthday, nor holiday, nor any given Wednesday, Saturday, or Sunday. I always had him close. He’d even taken to teaching Jake how to pitch, much to Greyson’s dismay.
I became a big sister again at age fourteen. My other stepdad had hoped for a girl, and when the surrogate shared the ultrasound pics and confirmation, we celebrated. All of us. Reagan looks just like our dad, only with rich brown eyes and chestnut hair. She was sure to give ‘em hell. I’d be back on weekends to witness it because no way was I going to miss it. Not for the world.
My alarm went off too early, but I pulled myself from bed anyway. We’d spent the day at Mama’s beach house. It’d been a wedding gift from Greyson. Small, simple, and everything Mama ever dreamed of.
I laid the journal on top of my open suitcase on the floor and headed down the hallway. Before my shower, even before my coffee, I had to find my mom.
In the kitchen, I found my stepdad and kid brother making a mess and massive stacks of pancakes. I wasn’t prepared for the emotions that rushed over me when I saw the two of them. Jake high-fived me as he raced from the room to God knows where. Greyson stood awkwardly, with his spatula held in mid-air.
He knew I’d read it. Neither of us really knew what to say or do.
“Mom?”
The corner of his mouth lifted as he tipped his head to the side. “Out back. Oh, hey, coffee?”
“No, thanks,” I mumbled and headed towards the patio doors.
Greyson had turned back towards the stove, so he never saw me coming.
“Whoa!”
He rocked on his feet when I slammed into his back and wrapped my arms around his waist as hard as I could.
“I love you too, Half-Pint.”
I found my mom by the pool, and, like most days, she sat on her yoga mat for her morning meditation. I didn’t want to disturb her, so I quickly and quietly unrolled my mat alongside her. It was a morning ritual I’d take with me. We sat side by side with our knees almost touching and closed eyes, breathed deep, and took in the Texas sun.
“Paisley…”
She’d already told her story. No way would I put her through telling it again. She was the strongest woman I would ever know. I reached out, took her hand, and helped her to her feet.
“We better hurry before the boys devour all the pancakes.”
She winked in response and ran straight into Greyson’s waiting arms.
“Still gross,” I teased and joined Jake at the breakfast table.
“Chop chop, girl! Let’s go! You haven’t even showered yet.”
My dad, forever punctual.
“Okay, okay. Just one more bite.”
With all the festivities and planning and packing, I wasn’t sure when I’d have another one on one chance with my dad, so I asked if he’d take a little walk with me, just the two of us.
“So it’s safe to say you read it then?”
“I did.”
It had been small talk for most of the way, but it was crunch time, and we needed to get back soon. I stopped him at the bottom of the driveway, turned to face him, opened my mouth, and nothing came out. The weight of it all slammed into me like a wall of bricks. All he’d sacrificed for both me and my mom. How he’d come to terms with Greyson coming into the family and how he even treated Jake like one of his own. I don’t know that I could have been so selfless. Tears fell for the both of us, and even at eighteen years old, and much closer in height, I was still his little girl, and he would forever be my hero.
It took four vehicles to get my entire family to GT Field for graduation. The local paper was sure to attend. They covered the town’s only high school graduation every year, but a bit more press was expected. Greyson alone would draw more than local attention, but given he’d also invited his entire SteelHorns squad, it was liable to become a bit of a spectacle.
Dad stepped in and hired additional security to cover the grounds, and thankfully, they’d be discreet. While I loved that the team would be there for my big day, I didn’t want a circus. It wouldn’t be fair to the other graduates and their own families. But then Greyson’s six-four, three hundred and twenty pound Left Tackle, yelled out.
“Hey, Lil’bit!”
“Tiny” barreled straight ahead and lifted me clean off my feet. Welp, so much for not drawing extra attention. He was my favorite of all Greyson’s teammates. He always put me up on his shoulders after each team win when me and Mama were allowed on the field. He didn’t mind me doctoring his boo-boos, even if that meant lots and lots of Hello Kitty bandaids. In fact, it was Tiny who’d first planted the seed that would lead me towards wanting to study sports medicine. Graduation wouldn’t have been the same without him.
Hugs, kisses, and a couple dozen tassel adjustments later, everyone found their seats. My crew took up almost three rows, and I couldn’t have been happier to have them with me. Once it was time for me to make my way towards the side stage, the nerves really started to set in. I went over my notecards again and again until the words started to blur. I tried every breathing technique known to mankind, but still, my heart raced.
Valedictorian. I still couldn’t believe it. How had I earned such an honor?
Just before my name was called, I took one more glance at the crowd and realized I hadn’t done it alone. Mom and all three of my dads were all attempting to hold back tears and were failing, miserably. Pop-Pop, Aunt Belle, and Uncle Dax seemed to be in competition of who could clap the loudest, and then there were my gentle giants who’d watched me grow up. The “Pais-Ley!” chants began to grow, and I didn’t bother wiping my tears away. I smiled wide and returned every single air kiss. I didn’t know what the next chapter of my life would bring, only that my quirky, mildly unconventional, wildly extended family would be at my side the entire way.
THE END
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to my alpha readers, Becca and Miranda, for believing in my characters as well as trusting me to do them justice; fellow authors Rosetta Yorke, D.A. Henneman, Scarlett West, Jennifer Porter and Meka James for always making themselves available to answer my endless questions and offering much needed encouragement and support; my editor and proofreader, Charlie Knight, for their patience, understanding of my vision, and sharpening my voice without changing it; and Destiny Hawkins at Vibrant Designs for creating a stunning book cover. Again, thank you for helping make this book possible.
About the Author
Peyton resides in the state of Texas with her family and fur babies. When not writing, Peyton can be found obsessing over the NFL, MLB and reality TV.
Learn more about Peyton by visiting her website - authorpeytonstorm.com
Or her Goodreads profile, and Amazon page.
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