Page 41 of Remember Me

“And?” I prompted when he fell silent.

“And,” he continued, turning to face me fully, “I think if that's something she needs in life, something she needs to be happy and whole, then she'll get it.” His hand found mine, squeezing gently. “If that's somethingwewant for our family, then we should talk about it. Really talk about it.”

I leaned into him, relief washing over me. I hadn't realized how much I'd wanted to hear those words until they were spoken.

“Not exactly the place I'd planned to bring this up,” I said with a small laugh. “Super Bowl luxury box surrounded by our friends.”

“Since when have we ever done anything the conventional way?” Adam's smile was tender as he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “It took us four years to admit we liked each other.”

“True,” I conceded.

A roar from the crowd pulled our attention back to the field, where Tanner had just made an incredible pass, spinning away from defenders to gain significant yardage. The suite erupted in cheers, rousing the kids from their slumber.

“They're up by twenty,” Adam noted, his coach's eye assessing the play as Jace wriggled out of his hold, ready to play with his siblings again. Their batteries had been recharged in that short twenty minute nap. “If they can hold the Rattlesnakes on this drive, they might actually pull this off.”

I watched him as his focus shifted to the game, his expression intent as he analyzed formations and tendencies. This was the Adam I'd fallen in love with—passionate, driven, utterly present in whatever captured his attention. The injury that had derailed his NFL career had been devastating, but seeing him now, finding new purpose in coaching, I knew he'd found a path that fulfilled him just as deeply.

“I'm proud of you,” I blurted out.

He glanced over at me, raising a blond brow in surprise. “For?”

“For everything. For the man you've become. For how you've faced challenges.” I shrugged, feeling suddenly emotional. “For being such an incredible father to our daughter.”

His eyes softened, understanding the weight behind my words. “And potentially to another little one someday?”

“Potentially,” I agreed, a smile tugging at my lips.

He leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to my temple. “I love you, Hayden. Whatever our family looks like moving forward, as long as you're by my side, I'm the luckiest man alive.”

“I think that title might go to Devin tonight if they win this thing,” I teased, but I leaned into his kiss, savoring the familiar comfort of his touch.

“Nah,” Adam said confidently. “He'll get the trophy, sure. But I've got you. No contest.”

Before I could respond, a blur of movement caught my attention. Two small bodies hurtled toward us, crashing into Adam's legs with impressive force.

“Uncle Adam!” Georgia squealed as she darted over. “Did you see Daddy tackle that guy? Coach said he almost broke the turf!”

Adam chuckled, scooting over on the bench to make room for them. “I did see it. Your dad’s a beast out there.”

He gave me a wink over their heads. “But I’ve broken a few ankles in my day too, you know.”

“Yeah, but Daddybreaks people,” Delaney said matter-of-factly, her voice full of admiration and absolutely no filter.

“Laney!”Reign appeared behind them, looking both apologetic and amused. “That's not very polite.”

“Sorry, Uncle Adam,” Delaney uttered, though the smirk on her face said otherwise.

Adam grinned. “No offense taken. Your dad is a legend.” He leaned over to me as Delaney walked away and whispered. “Seriously, he’s a legend for the sheer number of kids he’s had in five years.”

I barked out a laugh and Adam held his hand out to me.

“Ready for whatever comes next?” Adam asked, echoing the sentiment I'd been feeling.

I nodded, squeezing his hand. “With you? Always.” Then I thought about it. “Unless it’s trying to take Devin and Reign on with how many kids we can have. That might be a little too much for me.”

The crowd roared again as Tanner completed another crucial pass, and we turned our attention back to the field, to our friends making history below. Whatever tomorrow held—new jobs, new homes, new additions to our family—tonight was for celebrating how far we'd all come, together.

Chapter Twelve

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