Page 88 of What If It Was Us

I enrolled in college earlier this year, and I’m studying education. While I’m in school I’ll be helping out with Julie’s baby between shifts at the coffee shop Britt owns. She and Jackson are currently in the process of signing a business agreement to make him part-owner.

Before we moved out here, Jackson came with me to North Carolina to stay with Wren and Mia, who is now an angsty teenager. Even though I’m no longer nannying Mia, the Wilsons were true to their promise that we would stay family. They’re planning to fly out here for Christmas.

We somehow convinced Marie to move out to California with us, and now almost all the Delvecchios are residents of California. Sam, his wife, and the kids will never leave New York and the east coast; they’re New Yorkers through and through. They’re here today though, sitting across the table from us.

I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. I’m surrounded by people who didn’t have to love me and choose me, but did anyways. They protectme, they make me feel important, and they’re constantly reminding me how happy they are to have me back in their life.

Jackson and I don’t run from our problems anymore—we face them head-on, and with the truth. He’s still sober, and I gave up drinking, too. When he starts to feel like he’s struggling again, he still plays the drums or talks to me about how he’s feeling. Usually with my head in his lap as I stare up at him, rubbing my thumb against the freckle on his collarbone as he does the same to my hip bone.

“Ready?” I hear Jackson ask from beside me.

I look down at the game; it’s some generic baby shower game where you have to unscramble words.

“Start!” Julie yells out to the room.

I rush to get through it, finishing the last word—“baby bottle”—and holding up my paper.

Britt comes over to grab the paper from me, checking to see if all the answers are right. When she confirms they are, she asks me to stand to get my prize.

“Good job, honey,” Marie says, squeezing my arm as I peruse the array of gift baskets.

“Thanks, Mom.” That’s another thing I’ll never get tired of.

“Ah, I figured my smart little sister-in-law would win,” Julie says with a sneaky smile.

“Futuresister-in-law,” I remind her.

She swats a hand at me. “Yeah, yeah, whatever you say.”

I look over at Jackson, and he smiles at me before giving me a wink.

I roll my eyes at him, placing the gift basket I picked out in front of Nico and Sammy so they can rummage through it.

“Thanks, Aunt Addie!” Nico says with a gap-toothed smile. I press a kiss to his head then ruffle Sammy’s hair before sitting back down next to Jackson.

He grabs my left hand again, kissing my finger exactly where an engagement ring will one day go.

I smile back at him, so wide that my eyes crinkle.

I have a feeling I’ll become a fiancée tonight. And sometime in the near future, I’ll officially become a Delvecchio.

THE END