Page 197 of The Home Game

“We can ask him if he’d like to be in one,” Antoni offered. “Would you like to ask or would you like me to?”

“Um, I can do it but could you come with me?”

“Yes.” Antoni followed Eli to where the judge—Connor—was speaking to Matty.

When there was a pause, Eli stepped forward. “Um, excuse me, Mr. Judge, sir. Your Honor, would you take a picture with us?”

Connor beamed. “Oh, call me Connor. But of course! I’d be delighted. I love when I can give families a happily ever after.”

Eli beamed back. “Thanks!”

Matty handed his phone over to his mom, then helped get the kids wrangled. They posed for several photos, and when they were done, the judge smiled at them all.

“Now get out of my courtroom!” he said in a teasing tone. “You need to go celebrate and I have other families to give good news to today!”

Laughing, Antoni thanked him again and got the kids moving.

He brought up the rear of the group, falling into step beside his mother, who was walking slowly with the assistance of a cane. “Hey. How are you feeling today?”

“Happy,” she said, beaming.

Antoni laughed. “Me too. But I meant the MS.”

Following the setback last fall, she’d been using a cane. It was harder for her to watch the kids now, but they’d hired Elena’s cousin—who worked part-time as a nanny for her and Anton—to fill in when they needed it.

Eliza shrugged. “It was an okay day. I feel pretty good right now but I’ll be tired tonight. Especially after the party.”

“The party?” he asked, surprised.

“Whoops, didn’t we tell you? The SAPs and I planned a celebration.” She grinned. “Well, I suggested it, they planned it.”

“I knew it was a mistake to put you in contact with them,” Antoni teased.

She paused, studying his face. “Do you really mind?”

“No,” he said with a quiet snort. “I was so wrapped up in the legal side of things and worrying about if we’d get custody that I didn’t think about celebrating it after we did.”

“Well, that’s what I’m here for.”

As they left the courthouse, walking out into the bright January sun, Matty appeared at Antoni’s other side, holding hands with River and Eli. Reese was with Antoni’s father and Alexis walked beside his mom.

This was good. Life was good.

God, there was so much to look forward to.

Antoni breathed deeply, enjoying the feel of the frigid air in his lungs.

Matty glanced over, beaming, and Antoni felt so light and happy he could fly. He was so wrapped up in looking into Matty’s eyes that he jerked in surprise at the shout of, “Congratulations!”

He turned and blinked at the sight of Matty’s parents and most of the Fisher Cats’ team and their families arranged on the lawn, holding a colorful sign that said, ‘Congratulations to the Bianchi-Carlson-Swanson Family!’

Laughing, but confused, Antoni looked over at Matty. Had he arranged this? But Matty looked as surprised at Antoni felt.

Everyone on the lawn cheered—including some people that Antoni thought might just be random bystanders—and the kids took off, tearing toward Matty’s parents, who hugged them all tightly. It turned out, the Carlsons were more than willing to travel to Canada to visit their new grandchildren.

After the kids were done greeting their grandparents, they ran over to the Fisher Cats group, where they were hugged and high-fived. Alexis got fist bumps from Jonah and Felix while Eli and Charlie held hands and twirled, skirts whipping around them.

River shrieked with delight when Dustin tossed her in the air a little, and giggling, she demanded, “Higher, higher!”

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