Quarterback's Secret Baby(97)

"Yes," Kaden said, looking back and forth between me and every member of my family. "We do have some news. Miss Natasha Greeley - your daughter, sister, aunt and-" he looked at Henry, "your mother, has decided to marry me."

I looked around the table. Seconds passed. They hadn't known. Alisha was the first one to react, leaping up from her chair and screaming: "ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"

She raced around to where Kaden and I were sitting and threw her arms around us. Kaden nodded. "Yes, I'm serious. Tasha - why don't you show her the ring."

And then suddenly everyone was shouting and laughing and hugging at once. Ray wheeled my mother over to me and she was crying. Which made me start as well.

"Tash," she said in her raspy voice, "my beautiful girl, my baby. Congratulations."

It went on like that for over an hour, a lot of happy tears, questions, answers, laughter, and hugs. When we'd all calmed down enough for him to get a word in edgewise, Ray stood up with a glass of lemonade in his hand and Alisha jumped up to make sure everyone had some in their glass.

"Well," my brother said, nodding at Kaden. "It's not official yet but it might as well be. And I know us Greeleys can be a bit standoffish with outsiders but you're one of us now. Welcome to the family."

Kaden stood up and held his glass in the air. "You love Tasha. You're protective of each other. Sure I might have thought it a little bit of a hindrance when I was an arrogant kid at Reinhardt, but I get it now. I love Tasha, too. And I swear I've never met a group of people more invested in being there for one another. It's an honor to be a member of this family and to say to you all here, now, that from now on my priority in life is going to be keeping her - and my son - happy. Thank you for being so wonderful. And for not asking for any selfies."

The guys sat back down and Alisha and Ray served dessert - warm banana bread straight from the oven. As we were chattering and tucking in, CeeCee's voice rose above the others.

"Where will you live now, Tash?"

I could hear the worry there, and in it I recognized my own worry, my own fear from what was already, strangely, starting to feel like a former life. Kaden jumped in.

"I have another two years in Dallas, and I'm going to call my agent tomorrow and tell him to get me to Kansas City after that - doesn't matter if I have to take a pay cut. As for what Tasha's going to do, well, that's up to Tasha. I've managed to survive without her so far and if it takes another two years then it takes another two years. Kansas City is just about an hour from Little Falls, so you don't need to worry that I'm going to steal your sister away to the big city so you hardly ever see her. Do you think Tasha would let that happen?"

CeeCee looked at me, and then at Kaden and shook her head. "No."

"That's right," I joined in. "I'm not leaving you guys. I'll probably be moving out soon but I'll never go far. I'm sure there's going to be more trips away while Kaden is still in Dallas but he knows how important my family is to me - his parents live here in Little Falls, too."

I watched as my little sister teared up and was going to continue when my mother piped up.

"CeeCee," she said, turning to her youngest child. "One of these days, you're going to meet a man you want to build a family with. We are always going to be family, and just because we don't all live under the same roof doesn't mean we won't be as close. Change is natural, not something to be afraid of. Tash has a baby now, and soon she'll have a husband. We're already packed in here like sardines!"

"I know," CeeCee sniffled, "I just - I'm happy for you, Tash. I really am. It's all just a little scary."

Later that night, as I sat outside Kaden's parents' house in the Audi I asked if he meant it, about the transfer to Kansas City.

"I meant it," he told me. "Are you nuts? Do you think I believed I would ever get Tasha Greeley away from her family? No, I meant it. I'm calling Barry tomorrow. He's going to fight, but he can do it until he's blue in the face. It's not just about you - or me - anyway, is it? I want Henry to grow up around his family - yours and mine. I already have enough money for the rest of our lives and I don't intend to spend it being lonely just so I can get a little more. I've thought about it a lot, actually, this wasn't something I just decided yesterday. Money matters, I'm not going to deny that, but only to a certain point. And family matters more. Much more."

It was at that moment I remembered I had forgotten to tell Kaden something important. I took his hand and told him I agreed with everything he was saying, that I was happier than I had ever been and that there was something I needed to tell him.