Addicted After All

“I’m supposed to give you presents on your birthday,” she murmurs, “not the other way around.”

“You’ve given me enough to last a hundred more birthdays, love.” At twenty-five, I am in desperate love with a girl who desperately loves me back. There is nothing more that I want than to experience life with her.

She touches Moffy’s tiny fingers, and she skims his cheek with a gentle, caring brush of her thumb.

My family. My wife. My son.

Never did I think I’d be the recipient of fragile, precious things.

Every single part of me is alive today. And it’ll be tomorrow. I’m not dying in my own body anymore. I am truly living. Peace courses through me. It’s the quiet that I never thought existed. And the heaven that I never believed was meant for me.

Lily and I—we may have started our relationship as pretend.

But for as long as I can remember, our love has always been real.

Never in my life did I think having a brother would change me. Make me better than who I am. But there’s something about siblings that pushes you to thrive in ways that a parent can’t.

“Hey, Lil,” I breathe, putting Moffy’s bottle down.

“Hmm?” She’s fixated on Connor and Rose, a giddy smile on her face. Her sister saved her. I said that to Ryke earlier, and it’s the fucking truth. Rose took care of Lily when I was in rehab; she was there when I should’ve been. When I couldn’t be.

And the words just leave me. “Someday,” I say, “I want another kid.”

She freezes and very slowly turns to face me, stunned in disbelief. I’ve never professed this or even let it linger for longer than a second. “What…?”

I lick my lips. “I believe that we can raise more than one kid. It doesn’t have to be in a year or two or even three. But someday, I want to meet Luna and whoever else. I don’t want Maximoff to be an only child like I was growing up.”

I’ve lived both versions: no siblings, siblings. For me, there’s no question which one I’d choose again.

I wait for Lily’s response, but her facial expression hasn’t shifted past shocked.

“Unless…you don’t…” I trail off, watching her chin quake.

And then she breaks into a smile, tears rolling down her cheeks. That’s a yes. She’s wanted this, I realize. But she didn’t entertain it—for me.

“Have you seen Daisy?” Ryke suddenly asks us, coming over with a plate of chips and spinach dip. “I can’t fucking find her.”

“Check the moon,” I tell him.

He gives me a weird look.

My lips pull in a dry smile. “That’s where she claims she goes in her answering machine message.”

“Hilarious.” He pops a chip in his mouth.