He was the first to pull away, grabbing onto my face with his little hands.
“Hi,” he greeted, smiling wide. “I’m your number one fan.”
Instantly, my eyes rimmed with tears. Five words were all it took for me to lose all sense of control when it came to him.
“Is that right?” I coaxed, trying to hold back the emotion coursing through my veins with no end in sight.
“Yeah. I’m Benjamin Jax Hayes.”
I winced, hating that he didn’t carry my last name.
“My mom says she named me after you.”
Never breaking eye contact with him, I stated, “Well, I’m honored.”
He beamed, throwing my stats at me. “You hold six hundred and twenty-seven passing touchdowns, and you’ve gone to forty-five-playoffs, and won eight Super Bowls.”
I nodded, smiling. “That’s right.”
“You’re the greatest of all time.”
“I’ve probably had thousands of people say that to me, Ben, but none of them meant as much as hearing you say it to me right now.”
He didn’t hesitate in replying, “My mom says you’re my dad.”
Feeling an immense sense of joy, I responded, “I am.”
“Wow … that’s the coolest thing that’s ever happened to me. Jax Colton is my dad. Can I tell all my friends?”
“You can tell whoever you want, bud.”
“Can I call you dad?”
I was wrong … those five words were enough to make me lose control.
“Bud, I would love that.”
He smiled, wrapping his arms around my neck. “You’re the best. I love you, Dad.”
I blinked, and tears slid out of my eyes. “I love you too, Benjamin.”
My gaze met Sophie’s again, and the first words she mouthed to me were, “I’m so sorry I kept him from you.”
I breathed out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding until that very moment, needing to hear those words from the mother of my son too.
Soon to be, Mrs. Colton.
* * *
—Sophie—
* * *
Jesus this was hard.
I didn’t remember the last time I cried this much. I was basically an emotional wreck for the rest of the day. We’d spent hours on that field. Ben was insistent on showing Jax everything he could, and I’d never seen Jax prouder than he was with Ben showing him his natural talent and skills.
“Damn,” he celebrated, catching the football Ben had just thrown at him. “He’s got some arm on him.”