Chapter 24
I burst out laughing.
He grinned.
Then his expression softened.
“Claire, can I tell you something?”
“Always.”
“I was proud of you that day.”
I looked at him.
“At the barbecue?”
He nodded.
“Not because you could have beaten Derek in a fight.”
I smiled.
“Good, because I really didn't want to.”
“I know.”
He took my hand.
“I was proud because you had every reason to be angry, and you still chose to protect people instead of trying to humiliate him.”
My eyes filled.
Ryan continued.
“You helped Nicole. You gave Tommy somewhere safe to stay. You helped my family face things we'd been ignoring for years.”
He glanced toward the gym.
“And then you built all this.”
I shook my head.
“We built it.”
He smiled.
“Yeah. We did.”
For a long moment, we stood together.
Then I looked at him.
“Ryan?”
“Hmm?”
“Do you think Lily would have liked the gym?”
He didn't hesitate.
“She would have loved it.”
I smiled through my tears.
“She would have insisted on purple everything.”
Ryan laughed.
“And butterflies on every wall.”
“And strawberry cupcakes at every class.”
“And she'd probably be bossing Marcus around.”
I laughed harder.
“She absolutely would.”
Ryan held me close.
And for the first time, I could imagine Lily here without feeling overwhelmed by grief.
I could picture her running across the mats.
Laughing.
Cheering for the younger children.
Telling everyone that her mommy was a superhero.
Not because I could fight.
But because I had learned how to help.
As the celebration ended, Marcus approached us.
“Claire, there's something I want to show you.”
He handed me a folder.
Inside was an invitation from a national youth sports organization.
They wanted to recognize Lily's Courage Club for its work teaching confidence, safety, and respect.
I stared at the letter.
“Marcus…”
He grinned.
“Looks like you've won another championship.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
He frowned.
“What do you mean?”
I looked around the gym.
At Nicole laughing with Marissa.
At Robert helping Tommy carry a box of decorations.
At Diane offering cake to a family she'd never met.
At Derek quietly helping stack chairs after asking permission.
At Ryan, standing beside me with the same gentle smile that had helped me believe in love again.
Then I looked at the purple door.
And the butterfly above it.
“I think,” I whispered, “this is the first championship that really belongs to everyone.”