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I felt Wilson stiffen next to me. My arm slid around his back and I pressed into his side.
“My Uncle Jack.” Remy found Jack standing off to the side with Jet Brasco. Unfortunately his wife and family couldn’t make the trip from California. “Who proved that real family shows up and not just for the big stuff. Even after they move away they don’t stop being family.”
I heard Wilson clear his throat and looked around, pausing on each man.
The Takeback family.
The team my husband had once led as merely the leader, now he was fully one of them. He no longer held himself apart. They were all truly brothers, in every sense of the word.
“Today I graduated. I have this piece of paper that says I passed a bunch of classes. But the truth is, everything I needed to learn to be the man I want to be came from all of you. From my dad. My gramps once told me that if I wanted to know how to be a good father, a good husband, all I had to do was watch how my father treated my mother. He also told me if I wanted to know what kind of a woman I needed I should pay attention to the women in my life. Thankfully, I was given strong, sweet, protective, smart aunts who taught me not only what I want but how to be the man my future wife will need.”
Remy paused. His gaze came to me and I froze.
“I miss her,” he softly said, speaking directly to me. I felt wet hit my eyes and the ball of grief that would never go away tightened. “She taught me something that at the time I didn’t understand, something that as I get older I reckon I’ll come to realize is the most valuable lesson I could ever learn. Every breath we get is a blessing. Every moment we share with our family is a moment worth celebrating. So with that, we’re celebrating. Not the piece of paper. But family.”
“Christ, that kid is smart,” Wilson muttered and held me tight.
Through the whoops and cheers I stood with my family knowing that Gram would’ve loved hearing Remy’s speech. She would’ve loved being here watching all the kids run around, basking in the glory of the families we’d created.
I love you, child.
Just a whisper of a voice I heard regularly.
“Was Remy talking about Gigi?” Chloe asked.
“Yeah, sweet girl, he was,” I answered.
The crowd was moving around, making their way to congratulate Remy.
I stayed where I was.
Micha shifted to look up at me.
“Can I go play with Raiden now?”
“Yeah, baby.”
Chloe waited until her dad nodded at her unasked question and trotted off.
“You okay?”
“Yep.”
“Princess.”
“Fine,” I sighed. “I miss her.”
Wilson turned me and wrapped his strong arms around me.
My cheek rested on his chest, the sound of his heartbeat lulling me as the pain slowly receded.
“Ready to go see Remington?” I asked.
“I’m ready when you are.”
That was my husband. He was only ready when I was.
“I love you, Wilson McCray.”
