Page 154 of ICED
“Nope,” Maya says, trying not to laugh. “Though we can talk about that next.”
I lean in a little. “How do you feel about living here all the time? With me and Mummy? Not just for sleepovers, but for good.”
She blinks at us. “You mean… this is myrealhouse now?”
“If you want it to be,” Maya says gently. “We’d still go to nursery and the bakery and do all our normal things. But this would be home. Proper home.”
Lila’s eyes go huge. “Even my bed with the slide?”
“Especially your bed with the slide,” I say. “We’d even let you pick out more things for your room. Within reason.”
She kicks her legs excitedly. “So, I can stay forever and ever andever?”
I clear my throat. “That’s the idea, yeah.”
Lila pauses, suddenly serious. Her little brow furrows as she looks at me.
“I askyousumfing?”
“Of course,” I say, voice low and careful.
“If I live here forever,” she says slowly, “do I…call you Daddy?”
I go completely still. My breath catches like I’ve been hit in the chest. I look at Maya for half a second, eyes glassy, then turns back to Lila.
“You can call me anything you want, Jellybean,” he says, voice thick. “But if you want to call me Daddy… I’d be the luckiest man in the world.”
She beams like it’s Christmas and her birthday and cake day all rolled into one. Then she throws her arms around my neck. “Sometimes I call you Bear or Daddy Bear.”
“I think that’s fair,” I whisper, hugging her tight.
Maya presses her face into my shoulder, blinking fast, heart full to the point of bursting. When she pulls back, Lila scrunches her nose. “Can I have pudding now, Daddy Bear?”
I laugh, rough and joyful. “Yeah, kiddo. You can have whatever you want.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
JACKO
Ileave the kitchen with flour on my shirt and something bigger in my chest. Something solid. Settled. Like I’ve finally stopped holding my breath.
The Jamie situation has been taken care of. He’s been charged and has a court date set and there’s an injunction in place so he can’t be within a ten-mile radius of my girls or the rink. Maya doesn’t have to be present thankfully. They’re allowing her to submit video evidence for the hearing. I can’t tell you how grateful I am for that. Now we’re concentrating of building a life together.
Maya’s laugh follows me down the hallway, light and real. Lila’s singing too, still narrating her muffins like it’s theBake Offfinals. It’s chaos in there. Sticky fingers and toddler commentary and the smell of cinnamon thick in the air. And I realise I don’t want to be anywhere else.
Not even the rink.
That thought knocks around in my head as I haul my kit bag into the truck. For so long, the rink was it; home, purpose, identity. But now it’s just one part of my life. A piece. Not the whole thing.
And yeah, I’ve still got a job to do. Still got games to win and pucks to clear and guys who count on me. But I’ve got something else now, too. Someone else. Two someones.
I drive with the window cracked, the cold biting in. Myphone buzzes in the cupholder. It’s Murph, probably checking if the promised mountain of food is on schedule.
MURPHY: Don’t forget the food or I will cry and it will be your fault.
MURPHY: Also bring forks.
MURPHY: And beer. pls. love u. bye.
