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Music makes me happy and is my calling.

But so are Holden and my friends.

As if on cue, Phoenix and Evie walk through the patio doors, immediately charged by the dogs.

My family.

They are what truly matters and what makes me happy.

And now I’m going to focus on only them for a while without distractions, without someone breathing down my neck, without someone being after us.

While the future matters, it’s not everything. The now is what I don’t want to miss. If everything with Lyndsay has taught me one thing, it’s that nothing is ever guaranteed. You never know when someone might suddenly vanish from your life.

Holden throws two balls across the yard, and we watch the dogs scramble after them.

“Happy anniversary, Hurricane.” Holden wraps his arms around me and captures my lips with his.

I lean into his embrace and sigh. “Happy anniversary. I love you.”

“You’re my life.”