Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 68143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Sutton had cried for an hour while she packed to leave.
I’d felt awful for her.
Six months ago, I’d approached her to ask if she wanted to adopt Lottie.
She’d jumped at the idea, and now we all had the same last name: Penn.
All because of the man at my side.
“I wanted to thank you,” I said. “For everything.”
He read into what I wasn’t saying.
“Jett would’ve been so damn proud of you.” He cupped my face like he used to do when I was younger. “I love you, kid.”
I dropped my head. “It still hurts.”
He squeezed the side of my face. “Same, kid. Same.”
“Daddy,” Lottie whispered from her first-class seat beside me. “My nuts are so hot!”
I couldn’t help the smile that twitched at the corner of my lips. “Is that right?”
“Yeah, do you want to feel my nuts?”
I shook my head. “I have my own nuts, baby.”
There was a soft snort from beside me, and I looked over to see a man dressed a whole lot like me in the seat across the aisle.
“Man, I remember when mine was still that small,” he said as he eyed Lottie. “Now I’m going to fuckin’ California to watch her kick ass for a spot on the US Women’s Gymnastics team.”
“Don’t say ‘fuckin’’ on the airplane, Tommy,” the woman at his side hissed.
He winked at me. “She’s nervous. We both are.”
“My mommy is runnin’!” Lottie gasped. “What’s your daughter’s name?”
Tommy looked at her adoringly. “Tallullah.”
“I like that name. It’s pretty.” Lottie nodded. “My mama’s name is Sutton. She’s gonna run a sub-four-minute 1500.”
The man, Tommy’s, eyebrows shot up. “That’s impressive.”
I scrunched up my nose. “As much as I’d love for that to happen, it’ll be hard for her. She’s on the older end of the participants for the 1500-meter run. Not sure she has it in her, but we’d both be so dang happy.”
Our flight landed a couple hours later, and Lottie and I were practically bouncing in our seats as we took an Uber from the airport to the track complex.
Our visitor tickets got us inside, and we made it to the stands just in time for the first heat to line up.
Sutton was in the third heat, and she was lookin’ cool as a cucumber.
At last, that was what I thought until she turned to look toward the stands, her face falling when she didn’t see a familiar face.
I knew her parents were here somewhere, but like us, we weren’t sure that they’d get to come because their flight back from Canada had been delayed.
They’d, of course, landed right on time, and hightailed it to the stadium around the same time as us.
Between the four of us, Sutton likely thought we’d failed to be here for her.
She wouldn’t ever admit it, but she was super excited anytime she saw us cheering her on.
The first heat went.
Then the second.
And finally, the third started to set up.
“Go, Mama!” Lottie screeched.
And like a mother bear attuned to her own cub, she whipped her head around and locked eyes on our girl.
Her entire face lit up as Lottie jumped up and waved her little behind off.
Sutton gave her a small wave back and set up.
The race gun sounded, and our girl was off.
“She’s going to do it.”
I didn’t dare take my eyes off of the track as we all watched the fittest in America face off for the 1500-meter run.
“She’s going to do it,” Lottie agreed, clapping her hands in excitement.
“She’s going to fuckin’ do it!” I bellowed as she rounded the last corner.
“Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god!” Mathilda clapped. “She’s going to do it!”
“Go, Mama!”
And as if Sutton heard her girl, she went.
And she fuckin’ did it.
“Three fifty-eight for Sutton Sway Penn!” the announcer bellowed.
I locked eyes with my girl, and we both moved at once. “Let’s go!”
We went down to the track, pushing past security and bystanders as we headed for Sutton.
She continued to lie on the ground, her arms covering her eyes, as she inhaled deeply as she tried to catch her breath.
Since no one was looking, I leaned over the security barrier and dropped Lottie to the ground. “Go get her.”
Lottie went and got her, tackling her on the ground as she excitedly screamed at Sutton.
Sutton opened her eyes, and the tears started to fall.
I didn’t hear what was said, but I didn’t need to.
The love was evident from here.
Sutton’s head turned and our eyes locked, and she cried even harder.
“That’s my girl,” I mouthed.
She pressed her hand to her heart, our silent sign that we loved the other, and I followed suit.
She blew me a kiss and I caught it in front of thousands.
Because who wouldn’t catch a kiss blown at them from Sutton Sway?
Epilogue II
There are just some sounds that people just love to hear. Shoes on gravel. The crackling of a fire. The snapping of necks of the people that think they can disrespect your babies. Laughing babies. Cats purring.