Tears of his own trickle down his face, catching on the stubble of his beard before dropping to his jeans. He swallows noticeably and absorbs my words. “If you can, maybe it’s too much too soon. You can call me by my first name, or if Coach is all you can handle that’s okay too. But I want you to know how happy I am to hear you say those words. I love you, Sophie. I always have and I’ll never stop.”

“Can I call you Dad?” I whisper.

He shakes his head and wipes his eyes. “I’d love nothing more.”

Glancing at Maura, I wait for her direction. But for the first time, she seems content on letting this play out on its own. “I don’t know the rules or anything, but maybe you can meet Kipton too. And his family. They’ve been really good to me. I’d like you to meet them.”

Maura interjects quickly. “There are no rules Sophie. What you want is up to you. The sky’s the limit now. Once you made the decision to forgive, which you did beautifully, you opened up a world of possibilities.”

“I like that. It sounds like the hope you told me about.”

My dad smiles fondly as we sit and absorb our newfound peace.

Hope.

One simple word. One endless possibility.

Two weeks later

KIPTON STRETCHES, HIS SHIRT RIDING up giving me a glimpse his sexy body. “You look hungry.” He smirks and it’s very clear I’m not talking about food.

“Always.” He cuddles me in his strong arms where I feel entirely at home.

“I’m sorry I took you to hell and back. Thank you for sticking by me.”

“You don’t have to be sorry. I just want you to find your happiness and realize your future is where you’ll find your joy—not locked up in the past. You won’t ever be able to change the decisions your parents made for you, no matter how much you wish you could. Put the letters, the anger, and the hate into something else. Something that makes you happy.”

“Change a negative into a positive.” I smile up at him. “I like that.”

“I like you.” He taps my scrunched up nose and kisses my lips softly. “Correction, I love you.”

“That’s better.” I snuggle closer to him.

Kipton reaches for my hand, tracing an infinity symbol on my palm. “You have no idea how happy I am to see your smile. You deserve so much more than you’ve been given. You’ll always have me, but I want you to have it all.”

“I do have it all. I have you and a real family—and my Dad.”

“Do I get to officially meet him?”

“Of course you do. I already set it up.”

He reaches over to his jacket and pulls a little black box out of the pocket. I gasp in surprise.

“Don’t panic, this isn’t what you think.”

“Okay.”

“It will be, when we’re both ready. For now, I want you to have my promise wrapped around your finger. My promise to always love you and always be yours. I knew a long time ago you were it for me, Sophie. I want to be your world—forever.”

Slowly the small box opens and inside is a simple silver band with the infinity symbol etched into it. When I look closer, there’s an S and a K on each side. “Look inside the band,” he whispers.

“My beautiful.” I smile when I make the connection. “My Dad calls me beauty in all his letters.”

“Smart man.” He slides it on my right ring finger. “You’re mine, Sophie.”

“This feels like an engagement. Even though it’s not.”

“This ring doesn’t have any diamonds. And you deserve diamonds.”

I hold out my hand, admiring my new jewelry. It looks delicate and fits perfectly. “It doesn’t need diamonds. It’s the meaning that’s important to me, not the bling.”

“That’s part of the reason I love you. It’s never about things with you. But after we finish school, have a place of our own and jobs, we can have all the things that matter.”

I smile and look into his eyes. “Thank you for this. For loving me when I had trouble loving myself.”

“Our worlds collided for a reason, Sophie.”

“So you could save me,” I whisper. A lone tear sliding down my face. “I feel a million times lighter, Kipton. Every tear, every ounce of sadness—it gave me you.”

He kisses my lips, taking his time before pulling away. “Happy Birthday.”

“But my birthday’s–”

“Today.” He finishes.

I look at the bedside clock and at a minute after midnight, it is my birthday. “I’ve been so busy catching up with school assignments, I totally forgot.”

“Are you ready for me to give you the rest of your present?”

“There’s more?”

“This is only the beginning, beautiful.”

FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WANT to thank my husband for his support. Writing is a crazy journey from start to finish and without his encouragement, I’m not sure my stories would ever be complete. So, thank you for putting up with my neurotic need to type away until I get every single one of my words just right. Life has thrown us a lot of curveballs—thank you for catching each and every one.

To my parents—thank you for getting me hooked on books before I even knew how to ride a bike. And when I wanted to go to the book store to grab a new R.L. Stine book, you always took me and encouraged me to pick out whatever I wanted. I spent so many hours tucked under Nana’s blanket getting lost in a world of words. Some things never change—and I’m thankful for that.

To my beta readers, Jena from I Bookin Love to Read, Kylie from Kylie’s Fiction Addiction, M.C. Decker, and Stephanie Rose—thank you for taking the time to read Lighter. I’ve enjoyed your arguments over who gets to keep Kipton. Your suggestions, advice, and encouragement were more than I could have asked for. Because of you, Lighter is STRONG.

Stephanie, you supported this story when it was simply an idea in my head—encouraging me not to give up my dream. Kylie, you’re a tough sell and for you to be so excited made my entire year. Megan, you claimed Kipton first—just sayin. Jena, I was the most nervous about you reading Lighter. While you were my toughest critic, you gave solid advice that made my manuscript stronger. Thank you for your attention to detail and passion for plots!

To my proofing queen, Megan Decker—thank you for picking your way through my manuscript. You live in a world of words, and do it well. You’re the real life Brooke, and I’m honored to call you my friend. Thank you for keeping me sane in a world of craziness. Love ya, chick.

To the creative forces behind Lighter—Sommer Stein of Perfect Pear Creative Covers, thank you for creating the cover of my dreams. It’s everything I envisioned. Christine Borgford of Perfectly Publishable, thank you for turning my words into such a beautifully designed book. It’s now a work of art. Giselle from Xpresso Tours, thank you for spreading the word about Lighter. Your organization and prompt responses kept my schedule on track for a seamless reveal and release. Thank you so much!

To my readers—thank you for taking a chance on a girl from the country with a dream to write. Your continued support and love of my characters gives me the biggest rush of excitement I could ever imagine. Many of you have joined Gia Riley’s Books on Facebook, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know you. I hope I’ve made you proud with this story.

To every blogger who has supported me—thank you for taking the time to post my work. Whether you’ve promoted or reviewed, each post is noticed and appreciated. With you spreading the word, it allows my dreams to come true. I know you get a lot of requests each day. When you answer my inquiries, it makes my day.

To my friends–ever since I released my first novel, I’ve met some amazing ladies who keep me in stitches. Whether we chat, toss ideas back and forth, or just gripe about our day, you’re there for me.