Page 93 of Aussie
Aussie smiled as he slipped the ring onto her finger before pulling her into his arms and kissing her. When they broke apart, he saw Christian standing there, but when Aussie held out an arm, the boy rushed into the hug, burying his face against Aussie’s chest.
“What do you say, Christian?” Aussie whispered. “Can I be your dad?”
Christian nodded, his shoulders shaking as he started to cry. “I want that,” he said, his voice muffled against Aussie’s body.
The moment was broken by a soft cough. When they looked in the direction of the front of the room, Judge Holten was sitting at the bench with an amused smile.
“Well, this was certainly unexpected. But for the record, as soon as you two tie the knot, I’d be honored to approve the paperwork for Mr. Mitchell to adopt Christian officially.
The courtroom erupted in applause and cheers. Ava laughed, wiping her tears as she looked up at Aussie. “I love you.”
He smiled back at her, “I love you, too,” he said, leaning down and kissing her warm lips.
Before the moment could settle, Clover clapped her hands for attention. “Alright! Enough crying and kissing for now. We’ve got a party planned at Bayside tonight to celebrate!
Ava looked at Clover like she had two heads. “You already planned a party?”
Clover grinned and nodded. “Yep.”
“But how did you know what the outcome would be?” Ava asked her.
Her grin grew by the second, and she glanced at Judge Holten. “I might have had a heads up,” she said sheepishly.
Aussie chuckled as Ava’s draw dropped, and she looked at her friend and colleague, Judge Holten, who had just winked before leaving the room.
Aussie pulled Ava close. “I guess tonight we have a lot to celebrate,” he said.
She smiled. “Yeah, I guess we do.”
Aussie pulled her and Christian into another hug, his heart fuller than it had ever been. For the first time in his life,everything felt exactly as it should. They were a family. And nothing would ever change that.
EPILOGUE
Bayside buzzed with laughter and cheer as everyone gathered to celebrate Ava, Aussie, and Christian.
Nails leaned back in his chair, sipping his beer and watching Aussie pull Ava close, her ring catching the light as they laughed at something Christian said. It was a good fit, the three of them. They looked like a family straight out of a picture frame, and that made Nails genuinely happy for his teammate. Aussie deserved this. He deserved a partner who loved him, a son who admired him, and a future filled with promise.
“Never thought I’d see the day,” Nails muttered, shaking his head with a grin.
“What’s that?” Snow asked from the chair beside him, raising an eyebrow.
“Aussie settling down,” Nails replied, gesturing toward the trio.
Snow chuckled. “He’s earned it. You thinking about following in his footsteps?”
Nails scoffed, but his grin softened. “Nah, not my style. Though, seeing them like that, I get it. Maybe someday.”
Snow smirked, clearly amused, but didn’t push further.
Nails’ thoughts drifted as the party continued. The camaraderie was great, but for some reason, his mind kept circling back to his mom. It had been a while since he’d called her. The Outer Banks weren’t far, but life had a way of getting in the way. Pulling out his phone, he stepped away from the group and headed outside to the back patio, where it was quieter.
He dialed his mom’s number, and it rang a few times before she answered. “Well, this is a surprise! My boy remembers his mother.”
Nails chuckled. “Hey, Ma. Thought I’d check-in. How’s everything going?”
“Oh, you know, the usual. Staying busy with my garden club and keeping the neighbors in line,” she said with a laugh.
Her voice eased something in him like it always did, but then he caught it. There was another voice he heard in the background. It was faint but distinct. It was a woman’s voice.
