Incomplete
Page 45
I let out a breath.
Fucking Celeste.
Two Years Later
Chapter 50
Maverick
I watched as my beautiful, brilliant fiancé walked across the New York University graduation stage, her blue gown showing off her heeled feet. My parents sat to my left, Carole, and Maeve to my right, and maybe, somewhere in the stands was Jack Hanson, although he’d never admit to being there. Celeste’s grandparents, her uncles, and most of her one million cousins were there too, shouting and cheering louder than any other group of people. The Irish, you couldn’t keep ‘em quiet, and who would want to?
My parents, Carole, Maeve, and Celeste’s new adopted family didn’t know it yet, but underneath that robe and the cream-colored dress Celeste was wearing, an unmistakable bump was growing in her abdomen. She didn’t want to announce it until after the wedding, which was only two weeks away, but apparently her seamstress had already had to let out the boob part of her dress. Somehow, miraculously, they were still getting bigger.
She touched the tassel on her cap as she crossed, taking it from one side to the other, and her family erupted in extremely loud cheers, drawing attention from every other student waiting their turn. They were so fucking proud of her, and so was I.
We met her outside the university after the ceremony, and the moment she was near me, I wrapped my arm around her small waist, tugged her to me, and whispered in her ear, “Think we can get away with a quickie in the bathroom?”
She smiled up at me and said through a clenched smile, “You are insatiable.”
It was true. Something about that baby growing in her made her that much more irresistible, and I already had a hard time keeping it in my pants. It was a miracle she hadn’t gotten pregnant when she first came to New York.
“It’s the gown, it does things to me.”
She snorted out a laugh and let herself be enveloped by our combined, blended family. My old Professor, my future Uncle Brennan, clapped me on the back, a wide smile on his freckled face.
“You two have come a long way, you know that?”
I nodded, “She’s come much further than I have.”
Celeste smiled at me through the throng of congratulatory hugs. She looked radiant, glowing, and I knew before the day was over that I’d get what I wanted.
It had taken some time, but everything worked out and now it was perfect. I had my law degree, a place at my dad’s firm, a fiancé pregnant with what was hands-down going to be the most beautiful baby in the world. And after all of this was over, I was going to take her to a brand-new apartment on the Upper East Side. One that we would share as a family.
Acknowledgments
I started this book in 2016 and picked it back up during the pandemic in 2020 when I was pregnant with my second son. His heart stopped beating a month before his due date. I finished this manuscript through grief and exhaustion, only during nap times, while trying to parent a toddler. It isn't great. But it's something. Something that, thanks to the pandemic, occurred during an otherwise invisible pregnancy. It marks a period in my life I wish had never happened. If my son had lived, I probably wouldn't have finished this. He wont get to make his mark on the world, so I have to figure out how to do it for him even if its through the littlest publication on an online market.
I love you, my baby. I would walk through Hell to get to you.
A special shout out goes to my sister-cousin, Ashley. Without her support I wouldn't have finished or even picked this book back up again. Thanks for being the light in a really dark room, dude.
My parents, even though they'll never read this book (hopefully), my three big brothers (who I REALLY hope won't read the book), and my only sister, for also dragging me into the sunshine when all I wanted to do was live on the darkest side of the moon.
My husband, thanks for reading the parts that made you uncomfortable, the endless snacks, hugs, and for always being present, even when I wasn't.
And to my living boy. Thanks for napping so I could finish this. You're the coolest kid I know and I can't wait till you wake up. I luh you.
This book deals with sexual assault, trauma, drug abuse, and suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling, there's always someone out there who can help.
National Sexual Assault Hotline
1-800-656-4673
SAMHSA Hotline
1-800-662-4357
National Suicide Prevention Line
1-800-273-8255
About The Author
Eliza Park
Eliza lives in a rented home with her harem of animals, toddler boy, and ginger-haired nerd of a husband. This is her first book.