Page 98 of Coastal Rewind

He fished something out of his pocket and held out his palm. There was a key sitting in the center of it.

“It’s yours, Ry. Raise your family here. Make memories here. Give this house so many more years of happiness just like your mom would’ve wanted. This house deserves to have life in it. It feels like this was always where you were meant to land, we just had to wait for everyone else to catch up.”

“Really?” I took the key from his palm and wiped at a tear as it fell down my cheek. So many years I spent avoiding crying and now I was a fucking endless waterfall of emotions.

“I’m so proud of you.”

I wrapped my body around him and sighed into his chest. “Thank you, Dad.”

He pulled away with a kiss to my head and walked casually back into the house where the chatter was growing in volume as everyone perked up from food and coffee. I took another moment out in the open breeze to just let the moment sink in.

Everything was different now.

That was life.

But this new normal was better than anything I could’ve ever imagined for myself. As I watched people stroll down the beach in the early morning sun backed by the loud noise coming from inside the house, I realized I wouldn’t change any of it.

If I could rewind the clock, I’d do it all over again exactly the same. Because right here in this moment was exactly where I was meant to be.

epilogue

Ryleigh

TWO YEARS LATER

“MJ, can you please put her down?” Mason asked in an exasperated tone as MJ carried Marnie around, showing her all the Star Wars decorations we had hung up.

“She likes it when I hold her.” He shrugged and walked away, Marnie still fully in his arms.

“He loves her.” I laughed as I finished setting up the charcuterie board on the kitchen island.

The front door of the house swung open and in marched Nolan with his arms wide and a smiling baby strapped to his chest. “Fear not, we’ve arrived.”

“No one cares, Nol,” Keegan said as she walked up to him and swiftly unclipped the baby, cradling him in her arms and walking away from our pouting brother.

“Do I not matter anymore now that there’s a mini-me?” He looked around, waiting for someone to defend him.

“No,” Maggie said with a laugh as she pushed past him carrying a tray of desserts. She placed it on the island and wrapped her arms around me in a hug.

“Oh! Is anything peanut butter? I’m having a craving.” Maeve popped up next to Maggie, rubbing a hand over the smallest baby bump.

The Kellys had basically been a baby factory over the last two years. It started when Owen and Lottie announced she was pregnant, followed by Nolan and Maggie shortly after. Aiden and Rori were still in the newlywed honeymoon phase but I knew a baby was on the horizon for them too.

For a long time, I feared that when this happened I’d feel left out. But it was the opposite. I loved spoiling each of my nieces and nephews. Whenever we were all gathered in the Malibu house, it always felt right.

It felt like I was watching the past.

A new generation of kids who would grow up with stories within these walls.

Mason, MJ, and I moved into the Malibu house a year and a half ago. I was hesitant to tell Mason about the house at first. I couldn’t judge how he’d react when I told him about the conversation with my dad, but to no surprise Mason was elated. He said that the stories we all told in this house were something he’d hoped MJ would have one day. Then he insisted we get each room professionally cleaned after the many, many inappropriate stories that were shared from my siblings.

It took a little time for us to get Mason’s house on the market, but we managed to sell it to a small family we knew were going to love it as much as we did.

Shortly after we moved in, Mason and I had an intimate beach wedding surrounded by our families. Even his brother managed to make it into town, which was a shock, considering he hadn’t even mentioned he had a brother until he was standing on our doorstep with a smile that was the spitting image of his.

The Sparrows were having a rough season this year, and it was really taking a toll on Mason. Over the last few years he’d become a role model to the younger guys coming up the ranks. He took it pretty personally when the team didn’t perform how he knew they could.

I was just grateful they were home this weekend which meant he was going to be here for MJ’s birthday party.