Epilogue
There were still large patches of snow on the ground, but some open brown grass spots as well. It was warm for a late February day in Colorado, probably almost fifty. Emily, Caleb, and Krew were at the park by their neighborhood, on the field that had started it all, as Caleb and Krew ran drills and Emily shouted out encouragement.
Krew came running over to her with a ball in his stick. He tossed it gently to her, and she instinctively caught it in her palms. “Nice catch, Mama,” he said. “See? You are an ath-a-lete.”
Emily smiled. No matter how Caleb tried to convince Krew that Emily was an amazing athlete as a runner, Krew thought that if you couldn’t catch a ball, it didn’t count. “Thanks, love.”
“Mama, look at that ball. Somebody wrote all over it. What a disgrace to a fine lacrosse ball.” He was grinning as if he knew a secret.
Emily looked over his head to see Caleb watching her closely from across the field and grinning too. She felt a little lurch in her abdomen. Glancing down, she read the words written in permanent marker on the ball.Emily … Marry Me?
She gasped, and her gaze lifted to Caleb. He was watching her hopefully.
“Now you run to him, Mama,” Krew encouraged.
“I can do that.” She took off at a sprint, dodging icy spots and clutching the ball as Caleb ran to meet her.
He swept her off the ground and into his arms, kissing her soundly.
“Yes,” she said breathlessly when he set her down.
“It’s not that easy, Mama,” Krew said. He must’ve run after her.
“Oh, really?” She grinned at her boy.
“You have to make a shot with that ball, or you can’t get married.”
She laughed. “Good thing you two have been working with me, then.”
Caleb released her, and Krew handed over his stick. Caleb came behind her and grasped her hips, directing her up close to the goal. Hanging from the goal was the poster of him that she’d often blown kisses at. When had they hung that?
“What? I’m supposed to hit your poster?”
“Yes, ma’am. You said you told my poster to kiss your behind, but Krew revealed the truth, that you blow kisses at my poster all the time. Now you have to shoot at it.”
She laughed. “I can’t miss from this spot,” she said, looking over her shoulder at him.
He kissed her quickly. “Good, because I’m not risking losing you again.”
“Ah, that’s so sweet.” Emily dropped the stick and ball, whirled around, and kissed him.
“Mama!” Krew said in exasperation. “Stop the kissing for one blasted minute and shoot the goal.”
Emily laughed and released Caleb. He swept up the stick and scooped the ball into it, handing it to her. “More kissing to follow,” he promised, “after you drill a hole through my face.”
“You’ll have to bring Krew a new poster if I do that.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got lots of them. I like to look at myself.”
“Oh, cocky man that I love.”
He chuckled.
Turning, she aimed and slung the ball at the poster. Luckily, it slid down into the side of the goal and didn’t damage their beloved poster. Krew cheered. Emily dropped the stick and wrapped her arms around Caleb’s neck, preferring to kiss the real thing. He kissed her intensely, and the world disappeared.
A roar of hoots and cheers interrupted the kiss. Emily pulled back and looked around. Caleb’s parents and most of his siblings, some of her siblings and their spouses and children, her parents, Mylee, Vance, and Harley were all running onto the field, clapping and cheering.
Emily clung to Caleb and scolded, “You didn’t tell me they were all coming.”