Page 155 of Ransom

"Yeah, well." Ransom shifts Noah to his shoulder, breathing in that sweet baby smell. "They were adorable kids. Smart too. Katie wanted to be a veterinarian. Julie was wanted to dance and sing. She would have been an actress for sure."

The raw pain in his voice guts me. All these years, he's carried not just the guilt, but these precious memories locked away where they couldn't hurt him. But the people we loved and lost deserve to be remembered, to be spoken about.

"They sound amazing," I tell him. "Just like their big brother."

"They would have been incredible women," Ransom says, his voice hitching just a bit on the words.

"Do you look like your Dad?" Cadence asks. "Or your Mom?"

Another swallow. "My Dad. Sometimes, when I look in the mirror, I'd swear he was looking back at me. He went grey at his temples in his thirties. He kept threatening to dye it, and Mom would make a big show about how much she loved his silver." His lips quirk. "Then they'd disappear for twenty minutes to have a little 'talk.'"

Cadence’s smile is soft, and a little sad. "They sound like they loved each other a lot."

"They did."

Our lives would have been so different if that fire hadn't happened, if Ransom hadn't ended up with Robert McKenna... none of us would be here.

"You ever think about the ripple effect?" I ask, breaking the heavy silence. "How one moment changed everything?"

Ransom lifts his eyes from Noah's peaceful face. "All the time."

"If you hadn't lost them—your family—you wouldn't have met Robert. Wouldn't have learned from him how to survive that kind of loss." I pause, choosing my words carefully. "And Blair... she taught you about love, didn't she? About hope."

"Colton—" Ransom's voice holds a warning.

"I'm not saying it was worth it. Nothing makes losing them okay." I lean forward. "But do you see the purpose in it? In what you built from that pain?"

Ransom's quiet for a long moment, just breathing with Noah. "Yeah," he finally says. "I saw myself in each of you. The anger in Declan. The guilt Nick carried. The way Maverick tried to save everyone." His eyes meet mine. "Your need to protect."

"I always figured you picked us for what we could do," Zach says. "The sweet talker, the tech guy, the muscle..."

Ransom shakes his head. "Those skills were useful, sure. But first?" He looks around our circle. "I looked for the spark. That tiny bit of hope you all still had, even after everything. The fight left in your eyes."

"Even when we tried to hide it," Nick adds softly.

"Especially then." Ransom's lips quirk up. "The ones trying hardest to act tough? Usually needed family the most."

I nod slowly, looking around at the faces of my family. Every single person in this room has their own story of pain and redemption. But we're here, together, because Ransom saw something in each of us worth saving.

My chest tightens as I watch him with Noah. The way he holds my nephew so carefully, like he's both terrified and in awe of this tiny life in his arms. He's always been caring—this steady, dependable presence that I didn't always appreciate way back at the beginning. But Ransom with the babies? It's something pretty magical to see.

"So what do you need now, brother?" I ask quietly. I'm pretty sure I already know the answer, but he needs to say it out loud. He needs to admit it to himself as much as to us.

Ransom's fingers trace Noah's cheek, his eyes fixed on the sleeping baby. The silence stretches, broken only by the soft whir of the gym's air conditioning.

"Blair," he finally whispers, voice rough with emotion. "I need Blair." He swallows hard, then meets my eyes. "Or at least... a real chance with her. To show her who I am now, not who I was when I left."

"Even if it means splitting your life between Chicago and Badger Falls?" I press.

"Even then." There's no hesitation in his voice now. "I've spent twenty-five years building this family, this life. But there's always been this... hole. This piece missing." His arms tighten slightly around Noah. "I thought it was guilt about my parents and sisters. Maybe it was, partly. But Blair..." He shakes his head. "She's always been there, in the back of my mind. Every decision, every step forward—I’d wonder what she'd think, what she'd say."

"Then go," I tell Ransom firmly. "We'll figure out the logistics together. Between all of us, we can make anything work."

There a slow dawning hope on his face, clearing away some of the pain. "You really think we can manage splitting time between here and there?"

"Since when has distance ever stopped this family?" I gesture around the gym. "Hell, we stole a tour bus just to come check on you." Whoops. Didn't mean to say that. I gave it back, and they gave permission after the fact, so that's not really stealing, is it?

A smile tugs at his lips, but there's still that shadow in his eyes. That hesitation I understand all too well. For years, we've lived practically on top of each other. Sunday dinners, daily workouts, impromptu movie nights—our lives completely intertwined.

---