Page 79 of The Guy They Need
Zach launched into his pitch for the league, and I smiled along. It still felt funny having other people recognize me as a father, even though I couldn’t believe how much I myselffeltlike a father. I could have spent every waking second dancing and playing and having adventures with Serena. Seeing her eyes as she encountered the world made me want to make sure there was a very beautiful world indeed for her to see.
I suppose I was learning to see myself differently in all kinds of ways. I probably loved the nightclub more now than I ever did before, since it became a place to dance and see friends instead of my employment. And with perfect timing, too, considering Demir had finally got the nightclub of his dreams—sophisticated, hip, and just the right size that you could still feel relaxed in the place.
It turned out that figuring my life out wasn’t about putting things aside or stopping what I loved. It was about taking opportunities when they presented themselves and always finding the balance that would serve me and my family best.
Grayson was the first major lesson I learned in that regard. Serena was definitely the second.
Zach and I said goodbye, and I lifted Serena in the air, giving her a nice spin and a little song. Alyssa passed by, complimenting Serena’s fall jacket on the way, and I followed a bit behind her and her wife Claire until I found my way back to Demir and Grayson.
The two men had spread a blanket out on the side of the hill and prepared a little assortment of treats. Trisha arrived right behind me, a cooler in one hand and Alex’s favorite purse in the other, and I smiled to myself as I handed Serena off for her hellos.
Dropping onto the blanket with Demir and Grayson, I pulled them in for a kiss and felt the bumpy ground beneath me.
“It’s so funny,” I said, rolling onto my stomach and kicking my legs up in the air.
“What’s that?” Demir asked.
“It doesn’t matter where we are. We could be at the mall or at the doctor’s office or right here in the middle of the park. But when the whole family is together, it feels just like we’re sitting on the couches in the loft. Like we’re home.”
“That’s because we are,” Grayson answered.
I smiled. “That’s right,” I said with a nod. “We really are.”
Alex handed Serena over to Demir, and as he cradled her close to his chest, she dozed off to sleep. And soon enough, stretching my legs out and lying my head in Grayson’s lap, I did the same.
Sleeping safely, happily, and at home with my men.
The end
