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I can’t believe how lucky I am to have her in my life. Especially after everything we put her through. She was willing to give us another chance and I hope I’ve done enough to deserve it.
“What?” I ask, feeling self-conscious as she continues to stare at me. I dab my face with a napkin. “Do I have pizza on my face?”
Lyric giggles and ducks her head, giving Eli more from her pizza slice. “No. You look as good as ever. It’s just… I have something I think I need to tell you.”
Archer and Zane’s eyes snap over to her at the same time and I raise one brow.
“Oh?” I ask, my heart pounding in my chest. I don’t know if I can take any more revelations right now. “What is it?”
50
ZANE
Pizza boxes are scattered across the table the smell of pepperoni and melted cheese fill the air. Laughter and easy conversation flow among us, a stark contrast to the tension and conflict we’ve faced over the past weeks. It feels good—better than good. It feels like we’re finally reclaiming a sense of normalcy and camaraderie.
As we eat, Lyric is joking with Levi when she says something that grabs my attention.
“I have something I think I need to tell you.” Archer and I turn at the same time to look at her, and Levi arches an eyebrow.
“Oh?” he asks. “What is it?”
She shifts, setting her pizza slice down. “I… I’ve been thinking a lot about everything that’s happened. About us.” She looks at each of us in turn, her gaze steady. “I love you guys. All of you. I know it sounds crazy, after everything we’ve been through, but it’s the truth.”
For a moment, the room is silent. Then, Archer leans forward, his expression softening. “You’re not crazy, Lyric,” he says quietly. “We love you too.”
Levi nods, a wide smile spreading across his face. “Yeah, we do. It’s not crazy at all.”
I squeeze her hand tighter, feeling my heart swell. “We’ve been in love with you for a long time, probably since high school. But we were jackasses,” I admit. “We didn’t deserve you. We let our egos get in the way of what we could have had.”
“If you’ll have us, we’d like to stay with you and Eli,” Levi adds.
Lyric’s lips turn up into a beaming smile, happiness radiating from her as she hugs us each in turn. “We’re in this together, okay?” she says. “Whatever comes next, we face it as a family, as partners.”
In this moment, everything feels right. We’ve come through the storm and finally, we can see the sunshine on the other side.
We finish the last of the pizza, the chatter and laughter slowly dying down as we lean back, full and content. Lyric stands up, stretching her arms over her head and I can't help but admire the way her eyes sparkle with happiness.
“Alright, let’s clean up this mess,” she says with a grin.
Levi groans playfully. “Do we have to? I’m so full I can barely move.”
Archer chuckles, nudging him. “Come on, lazy jackass. Let’s get it done.”
We all pitch in, gathering empty boxes and plates, then wiping down the table. Once the living room is clean, Lyric heads to the kitchen to wash her hands. I follow her, grabbing a dish towel to dry the dishes. “Hey, we make a pretty good team,” I say, nudging her with my elbow.
She smiles up at me, her eyes warm. “Yeah, we do.”
Archer and Levi join us and we quickly finish the clean-up. “Time to put Eli to bed,” Lyric says, glancing at the clock. “It’s getting late.”
I pick up our son and carry him, the little guy already yawning. Lyric hums a soft lullaby as she strokes his silky blonde strands. I watch her, my heart swelling with love and pride. She’s an incredible mother and I’m so grateful to be a part of this family.
Levi and Archer help get Eli into his pajamas and tuck him into bed. We all gather around, taking turns to kiss his forehead and whisper goodnight. He smiles sleepily at us, his little eyes closing as he drifts off to sleep.
Back in the living room, we dim the lights, the atmosphere shifting to something more intimate. Lyric sits on the couch and I join her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Levi and Archer sit on either side, creating a cozy, enclosed space for us.
“Tonight was perfect,” Lyric murmurs, leaning her head against my shoulder.
Archer reaches over, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “It’s just the beginning,” he says softly. “We’ve got so much more to look forward to.”
