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But fuck them.

Fuck everyone who has something to say about this.

We’re not doing anything wrong. In fact, we’re doing something very, very right.

We’ve found someone we love, and together, we’re helping to support two young boys who need it more than anything.

The only people whose opinions we care about are those surrounding us, and they all support us one hundred percent.

“How are you feeling?”

“Terrified,” Cooper confesses, making me turn around in his arms so I can face him.

My eyes search his tired ones. He’s been sleeping as badly as me, waiting for Ryker to have a nightmare. Not to mention the stress that all of this has put on him. It’s the last thing he needs going into the postseason, but there isn’t much we can do about that.

“It’s going to be okay. We’ve got everyone behind us.”

A smile twitches at his lips. “Yeah,” he agrees. “We have.”

After giving him a kiss, I twist back around to finish making his coffee while he takes a seat at the island.

I pass his mug over before lifting my own to my lips and taking a sip.

“What is it?” he asks, watching me closely, knowing me well enough to know I need to say something.

“So…you know that job interview I went to.”

“Shit,” he curses, running his hand through his hair. “I forgot to ask how it went.”

“It’s okay. Other things were more important.”

“So, how did it go?”

“Well, I thought it was pretty awful. I was distracted and…whatever. But apparently, I was the only one who thought that, because I got a call earlier and they offered me the job.”

A smile explodes across Cooper’s face. “Oh shit, that’s awesome. Well done. I knew you could⁠—”

“I turned it down,” I say in a rush, making him freeze.

“You…turned it down. But you’re desperate to get a job. To find some focus again and⁠—”

“It wasn’t right. And…right now, I do have a focus,” I say, my eyes drifting up toward the ceiling where two little boys are sleeping above our heads.

“They’re going to be starting school next week, hockey training, and whatever else they’ll want to do.” We’ve already secured them a well-recommended therapist to help them work through all of this, and we have sessions scheduled for the next few months. And Cooper is about to embark on a postseason that could take him all the way through to July if they’re successful. Those boys need stability, and right now, I can give them that.

“You…you turned it down for them?” Cooper asks, emotion glistening in his eyes.

“Not just them. For us. For our family. Right now, my career isn’t the most important thing to me. We are. Once they’re settled and we’ve found a routine, then I’ll start looking again. But until then, I’m needed here.”

Cooper slips from the stool and stalks toward me.

His hands lift to my cheeks, holding me so tenderly it brings a lump to my throat.

“You’re incredible,” he breathes before kissing me breathless.

The day after our session with Hailee, news of our relationship hit the media just as Cooper headed off for the final road game of the regular season.

I desperately wanted to follow; I know Huxley and Ryker did too. But staying home and watching on TV was the right thing to do, given the media attention on us right now.