Page 178 of Double Fault

With a hum, I kiss her again. She’s getting impatient with me, but I can’t help it. I’m greedy for her.

When I pull back, I smooth her hair back and cup the back of her neck. “I haven’t asked you to be my girlfriend because that term is far too insignificant for what you are to me.”

She blinks up at me with those big, dark eyes. “And what am I to you, Noah?”

I gently pinch her chin between my fingers and hold her gaze, doing my damndest to be sure she truly understands what I’m about to say.

“You’re my everything.”

Both of my everythings are snuggled up with me in the bed, Maddie in the middle, of course, and Sabrina still within arm’s reach.

“I love ice cream,” my little girl says as she scoops another spoonful.

“Really?” Sabrina grins. “I never would’ve guessed.”

Maddie beams up at her. It takes my breath away, seeing the way my daughter admires Sabrina. I wasn’t the only one hurting when she was gone. But Maddie doesn’t seem to be holding any resentment toward either of us.

“I was thinking,” Maddie says, her spoon clanging against her ceramic bowl as she makes sure to get every drop of melted ice cream. “Since you aren’t in the Olympics anymore, we should all do something fun. Maybe go to the park together?” Head tipped back and lips lined in chocolate ice cream, she looks from me to Sabrina and back.

My eyes burn with unexpected emotion. It’s such a simple request, yet uninterrupted time together is hard to come by and so damn important.

I ruffle her hair and give her a sad smile. I want to say yes, but I have my ankle to think about. “I can’t do that much walking at the moment, Mads, but let’s come up with another activity instead.”

She twists her lips back and forth. “Maybe we could take a class where they teach you how to make macarons? Do you think they have that? You could just sit on a chair,” she muses.

Sabrina places her hand gently over Maddie’s mouth, making my daughter dissolve into laughter. “You little pastry monster,” she scolds playfully.

“But can we?”

Sabrina peers over at me, and I give her a wink.

“We can.” She pulls Maddie into her side and drops a kiss to the top of her head.

Maddie, perhaps sensing an opportunity, says, “What about a puppy? I was thinking a wiener dog? One with long hair?”

“Nice try, kid.” With a laugh, I sit up a little to adjust the pillow at my back. “I see what you’re doing.”

“Is it working?” she asks with a winning smile.

Sabrina pokes her cheek, then hands her a napkin. “Not anymore.”

She wipes the ice cream off her face, and for a long moment she’s quiet. When she speaks again, her tone is soft and full of affection. “I love you, Dad.”

“Love you too, Mads.” I lean over and press a kiss to her temple.

“I love you, Sabrina.”

Sabrina’s eyes are soft and warm when they meet mine over the top of Maddie’s head.

“I love you too, Maddie.”

Just like that, a feeling of contentedness that I thought I might never experience again spreads through me, and I smile.

EPILOGUE

Sabrina

August, a year later. US Open. New York.

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