Page 132 of Bottle Shock
Together, we raid the fridge, looking for anything and everything. She’s beyond excited, like we’re doing something more than just throwing random things in the fridge together for a meal.
Cheese slices. Apple wedges. Crackers. Pepperonis. Pickles. Baby carrots. Chocolate chips.
We throw it all onto Gavin’s fancy charcuterie board—because why the hell not.
I grab a sparkling water for me, a juice box for Lily, and we carry the whole thing to the coffee table.
Lily pops onto her knees. “Can we watch theTangledTV show?”
“Yes, but only if you promise to give me a full play-by-play explanation of the lore, because I remember nothing aboutTangledor Rapunzel.”
And I’m not even joking. I was always more of aLittle Mermaidgirl. Probably something to do with the red hair.
She gasps like I’m from a foreign planet. “Really?”
“I know.” I nod my head. “You need to teach me.”
We hit play.
The living room glows from the TV. Lily talks nonstop through the first fifteen minutes, explaining character motivations and world-building like she’s defending a dissertation. I eat cheese, nod solemnly, and take it all in.
By the time the credits roll, our girl dinner is demolished, our drinks are empty, and Lily is reclined around me like a cat.
“Can we watch a movie?” she asks, already sounding sleepy.
“Sure,” I whisper, grabbing the remote, because saying no feels like crushing her little spirit.
We put onMatilda.
One of my childhood favorites.
Ten minutes in, she’s out.
I don’t move her.
Instead, I tuck a throw blanket around us.
Her small hand is curled in the fabric of my shirt.
Her hair smells like lavender shampoo and that soft, outdoorsy little-kid scent. And I don’t even mind it.
CHAPTER 35
Gavin
MY GIRLS
It’s almost two in the morning when I walk through the front door, exhausted, dragging my feet—and I nearly trip over myself at the sight before me.
Scottie and Lily are curled up on the couch, passed out. A heavy sensation hits my chest, knocking the wind straight out of me. I stand frozen, watching them breathe in sync. So peaceful. So right. My girls, fast asleep.
My girls.
What I wouldn’t give for this to be our life.
I drop my bag where I stand. Quiet as I can manage, I toe off my boots and step closer. Lily’s head is on Scottie’s shoulder, her tiny hand clutching onto Scottie’s shirt, like she wanted something to hold on to even in her sleep. Scottie’s chin rests on top of Lily’s hair, her breathing soft and steady.
The day I had—the bullshit, the stress—evaporates. Just gone.
