"Well . . ., no, but," she pauses and thinks about it, "I have Ethan now."

Gritting my teeth, I rein in the outburst that wants out with the mention of my best friend's name. "He's a good guy."

"He is."

"Ethan has the same job as I do, though. Right now it's nice because we're still in Arizona for our spring training games, but our season opener in Colorado is in a few days. If you get Hope back, how are you going to take care of her if you still have to go back to work? Are you ready to take care of an infant all by yourself, while Ethan is away?"

"We can get a nanny to help," Rebecca points out.

Keep calm. Keep the fuck calm.

"I had the same idea," I say. "If I was going to keep Hope, I'd hire a full-time nanny who would stay with her while I was away, while I was playing, training, doing media interviews. It would be perfect, right?" I pause, as I really want her to think about what I'm saying. "But, I wouldn't be raising her. I would be a stranger walking in and out of her nursery at night, which doesn't feel perfect to me. I grew up without parents, Rebecca, so I know what it's like to not have anyone around. I didn't want that for our baby, I still don't want that for her. Do you? Do you want her to have absent parents?"

Looking out to the field, her eyes begin to water. One single tear rolls down her cheek and she quickly wipes it away. We used to be friends. It's hard to see that now. "No, of course I don't want that, Jace. I wasn't ready, and even though I still don't feel ready, I feel so guilty. I carried her for nine months, and was terrified, almost resentful, and for that I felt guilty. Don't all women want their babies? What was wrong with me that I didn't want her?" She looks away from me then, and I feel for her struggling with the weight of guilt. Been there. And I don't know the answer to her question. I never didn't want Hope, though. Even after only having two and a half months to work through the shock, I just knew I wasn't her best option. After taking another deep breath, she turns back and says, "When I told you about her, I hoped I would still have a chance to see her, and that when I got my shit together, I could participate in her life. I didn't think you were going to ship her off to someone else."

"I didn't ship her off, Rebecca. I spent weeks researching, hours upon hours looking through profiles, searching for the right home. The perfect home. I placed her with a loving couple. June and Alex are wonderful women with hearts of gold, and were born to be mothers. They have taken in this tiny baby and given her a home. They've spent sleepless nights rocking her, feeding her, caring for her. They've fallen in love with her, and if you follow through with this lawsuit, you are going to crush them. They've already had a few failed adoptions, and this is their last shot. They have nothing left in them if Hope is taken away."

"But she's my daughter."

"That she is, and as her mother, you should see the value in the gift we're giving her. We're giving her the chance to thrive in the most positive and loving environment we could ever give. Know what the best part is?"

"What?" She wipes away another tear.

"Alex and June want us in her life."

"What?" Rebecca sits up, her hands on the table now.

"Yes, they dearly want an open-adoption which can include visitation rights."

"With me, too?"

I nod. Rebecca is changing her attitude. Just a little more.

"With you, too. They understand the sacrifice we've both made and even though June and Alex will be Hope's parents, we can be right there next to them, cheering, and helping in any way possible. They want us all to be a family. A family by heart, rather than blood."

"A family by heart," she whispers. "They'd be willing to do that?"

"Why don't you ask them for yourself?" Not wanting to lose momentum, I open the door to the suite and motion for June and Alex to come in with Hope.

Immediately Rebecca's hands go to her mouth in shock, her limbs trembling as she stands to greet June and Alex.

"Hi, Rebecca, my name is June." She steps close and without notice, wraps Rebecca in one of her classic June hugs. "I want to say thank you so much for the bravery you've shown over the last few months. You've given us more than we could ever ask for."

Hesitant at first, Rebecca hugs June back. "Do you really want me to be involved?"

June pulls Rebecca away and holds her at arm's length. "We want you both involved as much as possible. It takes a community to raise a child. Why not have a tight-knit one?"

The next hour is spent fawning over Hope, talking about the first few months of her life, and her little emerging personality traits. Our little band of June, Alex, Rebecca, Ethan, and me is an eclectic group of individuals with one common interest-giving Hope the best life possible. From the promises on everyone's faces in this room, I know that's exactly what's going to happen.

A family, finally.

HOLLYN.

"I need Cracker Jacks. I can't do this without Cracker Jacks."

"You do not want Cracker Jacks," Amanda says, not letting me up from my seat. "They're going to get stuck in your teeth, and it won't be pretty."

"Beer, then. Get me a beer."

"No beer." She shoves a water bottle in my direction. "Beer will lead to beer breath, which is just ripe and nasty, and no one wants that."

"How is water supposed to calm my nerves?"

"Pretend it's vodka. A little imagination can go a long way." Amanda looks to the field and taps her foot. "God, what's taking them so damn long? This is torture."

"Torture? You're not the one putting yourself out there. You're just here for the ride."

"True, but I have to watch it, and that's just as nerve-wracking."

"That's not even close to being true." I'm about to lecture her about the difference when the crowd erupts into cheers and the Miners start trickling out of the dugout.

"Oh my God, they're coming, they're coming," Amanda shouts, lifting me out of my seat by the arm and jumping up and down.

"Can you not say they're coming? It sounds like you're saying the whole team is ejaculating together."

"Gah, get your mind out of the gutter. Oh look, there he is." She points at Jace who is using a rubber band to stretch his hamstrings on the outfield turf. "Look at those strong arms just holding the giant rubber band. Yowza. And you had sex with those arms."

"Shut up." I swat at Amanda. "Can you not say that out loud? I don't need the entire stadium hearing about my sexual encounters."

"Don't call it sexual encounters." Lifting her arm, she squeals, "Yoo-hoo, Jace."

I quickly slap my hand over her mouth. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Prying my hand off her face, she answers, "Getting things going. Honestly, what did you think was going to happen when you brought me with you?"

"I don't know, sit quietly and just offer moral support?"

She shakes her head at me and pats my cheek. "Oh, sweet Hollyn, when has that ever been my style? I'm a meddler." With one more pat to the cheek, she shouts, "Hey, Jace. Look over here."

We are sitting at field level, right along the low wall that borders the edge of the outfield and the infield on the first-base line. Seats are courtesy of Matt since it would have been impossible to score such seats for the season opener. One of the perks of being Amanda's best friend. Probably the only perk right about now.

"Will you stop that?"

"Never. Jace! Jace Barnes. Yoo-hoo. Stop stretching and look over here."

"Oh my God." A rapid burn hits my cheeks while my stomach flutters and rolls with each catcall she lets out. "This is so humiliating."

"God, what does a girl have to do to get a guy to turn around? Take off my top? Matt would not be happy about that." She snaps her finger. "I got it." Why do I feel like I'm not going to like what she says next? "Jace! Jace Barnes, Hollyn is here to talk to you."

With my hand clasped over my face, now sitting in my seat, I peek through my eyes to see Jace snap his head around from the mention of my name. When he sees me, he drops the rubber band and stands abruptly. His trainer asks him something but Jace shakes him off and pats him on the shoulder as he walks toward us.

"Stand up, stand up." Amanda aggressively yanks on me, trying to pull me out of my chair.

Reluctantly I stand, wishing this was on my own terms, but it seems like Amanda has different plans. I should have known better.

Although, I am loving the sight in front of me: Jace walking toward me, his broad and tall body of perfection swaggering my way, power in each and every one of his steps. His hat is tipped low, just how he likes it. A light scruff caresses his jaw, framing its strength. And that uniform . . . It's tailored perfectly to his body, showing off the narrow V of his waist and the muscular shape of his legs in all the right places. God, he is so sexy.

Yanking on his bill, he smiles at me, filling in the last of the space between us. The crowd goes crazy with how close he is, but I block it all out, only focusing on him.

"Hey." He smirks, a new smile stealing my heart. "What are you doing here?"

I've practiced this moment, I've rehearsed it, but now that I'm in the actual moment, I'm tongue-tied, unsure of what to say.

"Ugh, you're so infuriating," Amanda says next to me as I fiddle with my hands. "She came to announce her love for you."

Okay, so not how this was supposed to go. Jace raises an eyebrow at me in question and I turn to Amanda who is beaming with pride. With a gentle nudge, I push her back down in her seat so she can no longer be a part of this conversation.

"Care to explain what she means by that?" The smile on Jace's face is so damn infectious. How do I even begin to tell him what I've done, what I've accomplished? Why did I think this was a good idea to do here? Well . . . grand gestures are always nice. "Hollyn, we're on borrowed time."

"Yeah, okay." Reaching out to him, I link our hands together, hoping only the people around us notice. "Remember when you said we were toxic for each other?" He nods. "I don't think that's true. I actually think we were brought together for a reason, like it was kismet. I needed someone to help push me through the dark hole I was burying myself in, and you needed a shoulder to lean on. I was blind at first, not truly accepting what we had because I was scared, guilty, and truly unsure if I was allowed to love again. But when you walked away, I knew at that moment, I was losing another love of my life, but that time, I was making the decision to let you go." His hands squeeze mine, reassuring me to continue. "That was a pivotal moment for me, Jace, because I knew I wanted you, I needed you, but I had to move on from my past first in order to fully be with you. To live. If I was going to let my heart fall for another man, I was not going to half-ass it. I wanted to be all in."

Looking down at me from under his bill, he asks, "And are you, are you all in?"

Matching his bright smile, I nod. "I'm all in, Jace." My hands reach up to his face, while his wrap around my waist and pull me into his body. "I love you, Jace, with everything in me. I love you."

"Music to my fucking ears." Pressing his lips against mine, we kiss. Naturally, the crowd around us cheers, and a few groupies boo, but I'll take that as a compliment. When he pulls away, he asks, "You know what you just did, right? You just made us the news for the next few weeks."

Shrugging, I say, "Let them talk.

I go in for another kiss, but Jace stops me, forcing my eyes to his. "I have to know, Hollyn, are you going to stay for the whole game?"

"I'm staying for everything, Jace." And I mean that . . .everything.

His smile touches me deep in my soul, awakening things I thought I'd lost forever: passion, love, yearning. They are all for this man who has renewed my spirit and helped me find love once again.

"Good." Searching my eyes, he says, "I love you, Hollyn, so damn much. Looks like our timelines were only a little off."

"Sometimes we all need a little more time to prove our existence."

"I guess so, but damn, was it worth it."

Sweeping me in closer to him again, he takes my lips with his, ignoring the catcalls from his teammates, his coach yelling from the dugout, and the fans around us chanting Jace's name.

In this moment, it's just him and me, and the new life we're about to embark on.

DAISY.

"Just the sisters, please," the photographer says, motioning with her camera.

"That's us." Amanda links her arm through mine and moves our bodies in front of the beautiful mountain backdrop behind us.

The entire wedding has been something out of a fairy tale. Amanda looks so beautiful, it's hard not to stare at her. The look on Matt's face when he saw her walk down the aisle-priceless. His expression was the epitome of the happiest man on the planet, so genuine, so joyful. It is a moment I'll never forget. Makes my little romantic heart go pitter-patter.

"Careful, I don't want to step on your dress," I say to Amanda who is yanking on me.

"Oh, who cares? Matt has stepped on it at least ten times already. Now get close and smile, this is a treasured moment I want to keep forever."

With our bouquets in front of us, we pose together, our heads connecting, our arms wrapped around each other's waists.

When Grams initially moved into the senior community center, I wasn't sure what was going to happen to me, or how I was going to handle being out in the world by myself, but Amanda came along and has been my guardian angel, guiding me in all the right directions, making sure I had a chance to see the world.

Feeling emotional, I say, "Thank you for everything, Amanda. You don't know how much being your sister has meant to me."

"Are you trying to make me cry?"

"No." I laugh. "I just want you to know you mean a lot to me."

"You mean a lot to me, too, Daisy. I'm so grateful you're able to celebrate this day with me." Her eyes cast to something behind me, her expression changing for a second before she focuses back on me. Pulling me into a hug, she says, "I love you, remember that when you turn around."

"What?" I ask, confused. But before I can get answers, she spins me around so I'm facing Carter.

Carter!

Carter in a black suit, white dress shirt, and black skinny tie. His clothes are practically painted on his skin. His hair is stylishly combed to the side, a light beard now gracing his jaw. And those dark eyes, eating me alive with their intensity. The feelings I thought I'd recovered from a while ago come flying back full force with one sighting.

Leaning over my shoulder, Amanda speaks into my ear, "Just hear him out."

"What?" I turn to Amanda to ask more, but it's too late, Carter is now standing directly in front of me.

"Hey, Snowflake."

Caught off guard, I don't know what else to say, so I just blurt something out, "Why are you here? You were uninvited."

"Amanda re-invited me."

"No, she didn't, she wouldn't do that." Turning back to Amanda, who is trying to listen in, I say, "You wouldn't do that, would you?"

"I kind of did." Guilt is written all over her face.

"Why? Why-"

"Daisy, can we go somewhere else to talk?"

Facing Carter, I shake my head. "No, we can't go somewhere to talk. Why on earth would I want to talk to you?"

"Yes, she can talk," Amanda cuts in. "She's all done with pictures."

"Amanda."