Years later:
"So, will I see you on my birthday this year?" I ask, walking down the street with a decaf in my hand.
"It'll be difficult, but you know, I wouldn't miss it for the world." I can picture him smiling and shaking his head through the phone.
"You just had to move all the way across me, didn't you?"
"Someone said moving away would be good for me. Who was that?" He hums across the line, pretending to think. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his antics. "Oh, yeah. It was you."
"I thought it would be for a year or so. It's been almost three years." I grunt, adjusting the bags in my hand.
"I will be there for your birthday. Don't worry, okay?"
"Okay. I'll see you, Dad." I say as I come to a standstill in front of my apartment building.
"See you, love. Take care of yourself."
Milo, the security guard pulls open the glass door and I smile at him, "How's Anna?"
"Still grumpy about the baby not coming out yet." He says with a small chuckle which I couldn't help but join.
"I can imagine."
I walk over to the elevator and press the button when someone squeezes my shoulder and a kiss is placed on my cheeks.
Turning, I come face to face with Gray, "Hey."
"Hey. You're late." I tell him with narrowed eyes.
"So are you." He grunts before taking the bags from my hand.
"You look grumpier than usual." I notice as the elevator dings open and we both step inside.
"I didn't sleep last night." I simply hum in response, already guessing why he didn't sleep.
"Lisa?"
"Oh, fuck no. That was once in a lifetime mistake." He cringes and walks out of the elevator, leaving me behind to laugh as I remember Gray's miserable face from when he dated the model a few months ago.
Using his spare key, he opens the apartment and we both walk inside to find the living area empty.
Before I can even think of anything, the sound of paws hitting the hardwood floor make me smile. I get enough time to place my coffee down before I'm hit with a giant ball of golden hair.
Laughing when he licks my face, I start rubbing his neck, "Hi, my baby."
Just as he starts getting aggressive, a loud familiar voice yells out from inside, "Dobby, how many times have I told you not to jump on her?"
"Yeah, and he totally understands that." Gray snorts before going towards the kitchen, likely to get himself a drink.
He whistles and Dobby instantly moves away from me and goes to follow his favorite person who doesn't even pay for his food.
Kids.
With a shake of my head, I look back at the man standing in the middle of our living room, looking kinda disappointed in our dog, which is amusing, considering he taught him how to jump.
"He can't do that." He sighs before walking over to me. As soon as our eyes meet, I see his body relax, and an easy smile form on his face.
"I'm sure we can train him." I wrap my arm around his neck and place a soft kiss on his lips, "Hi, Knight."
"Hi, Reed." He grins, wrapping his arms around me and hugging me. As soon as I'm tucked in his arms, I no longer feel exhausted from the five back-to-back surgeries today.
Pulling back, he lightly taps my stomach with a bright glint in his eyes, "Hi, baby."
"I don't think he has ears right now." I tell him, chuckling.
"You don't know that. And I've told you countless times, that's a girl in there."
"Yeah, yeah." I wave dismissively but the smile stays on my face. "And I'm a surgeon, so technically, I do know that." Walking over, I sit on the couch just as Gray comes back with a glass of water for me and two beers for him and Ethan.
As we all sit down, they start playing some old recording of their own match that they lost and I zone out of their technical talks as my eyes focus on the light reflecting from the diamond sitting on my ring finger.
It's not even been a year since he proposed. Initially, we decided not to get married too soon and rather, enjoy the engagement but then, last week we found out about the baby and now, I want to get married before the bump shows. I'm barely two months along and Ethan has already started baby-proofing the house, along with Gray and Noah. I guess, now we know, who the helicopter parent will be.
Unlike Gray who completed his master's in psychology before joining the Knicks like Ethan, Noah chose to pursue law and never even thought about a professional basketball career.
Also, not to anyone's surprise Riley and Noah are dating. For three years now. I mean, it was a matter of time, we all knew that the chemistry was there. Riley just flew to Paris yesterday for a shoot her magazine's doing. No, she doesn't own the magazine but she's the assistant stylist for one of the highest-selling magazines in the world.
Dani, like Noah, is also pursuing law and she's happily married to her boyfriend of six years, Alec. They still live in LA, unlike the rest of us who moved to New York for some reason or other. Even through the distance, our friendship is as strong as ever.
In the meanwhile, Mason and Dani broke up after Mason got drafted but retired quite early to join his family business back in North Carolina. The distance kind of makes it hard to get through.
Who else would know it better than Ethan and me? We broke up at least six times after he graduated. Our long distance never seemed to end, especially because I got into Harvard. That was one of the toughest times we faced as I got pregnant in my second year there. Ethan was at the peak of his career and I was insanely busy, so neither of us was ready to take care of a baby but we got through it.
Together.
I'm so insanely grateful for having a man like Ethan in my life who not only loves me like no other but also, stands like a pillar beside me in the most difficult times. He's everything I could've dreamed of and then, some more.
I'm pulled out of my thoughts when the bell rings. Gray gets up to open the door, while Ethan, lightly pulls my arm to tuck me into his side.
"Hey, you okay?" He asks softly, placing a kiss on the top of my head.
"Yeah, I just love you." I tell him looking directly into his eyes because I know those three words would never be enough but I'm hoping he can see that in my eyes.
With an expression I've come to know as complete understanding, he leans and presses his forehead against mine, making me close my eyes, "Always love you more, in this lifetime and every single one after that."
A loud voice booms in our apartment, making me pull back and laugh when I see Noah standing in our living room with his arms full of bags, "Look what the future favorite uncle got for the baby."
⤎❁⤏
Anyone got some tissues?
I hope you enjoyed this journey as much as I did <3
Stay Safe, Stay Grateful!