FIVE YEARS LATER

My feet pound the pavement rhythmically. I keep my breathing steady and even as I run through Boston Common. I've been at it all morning into the afternoon. It's a beautiful, crisp fall day. This is my favorite time of year. It's the perfect temperature out.

My steps falter when I hear a familiar voice off in the distance. I veer left, toward the familiar sound. I've got to be imagining it. That voice is across the sea, far away from Boston. Once I get to the playground I look around for her.

I see her there shouting at a little boy, "Jamie!" She grabs a hold of him and dusts his jacket off as well as the mop of red hair atop his head. "Good lord, be careful."

"Sorry, mom." His small accented voice says before taking off toward the slides again.

She shakes her head and says, "crazy boy," to herself.

"Yeah, he gets that from his mother." I said as I came to stand alongside her. She turns to look at me, giving me a warm smile. I've missed that smile. "Hey Rae."

"Seth McCaslin." She puts her hands on her hips looking me up and down. "Five years and you haven't changed one bit."

"Neither have you." She rolls her eyes at that. "What? You're still as beautiful as ever."

"A few silver hairs thanks to that one." She nods over to the little boy.

"I can only imagine what dealing with a miniature male version of you is like. That's got to be extremely stress inducing." She gives me a playfully smack. "I'm sure Liam's got a head full of them from dealing with the two of you." That makes her snort out a laugh at that.

"You're not wrong." She looks up at me again. "You, on the other hand, your hair is still the same color as a raven's wing." She looks down at my ring-less hand. "Not married I take it?" I shake my head no. "No kids either then?"

"Nope, just living that single life." After you left there was no one I wanted to be with. I mean, yes, I'd slept with women and even dated some for a little while but nothing lasted. Irina had been the longest, we were together for a year and a half but after the wedding I'd broken up with her. She made me go through that self-torture and the last thing I am is a masochist.

"Well, it suits you. You look great, you're still in great shape." She looks back over to her son. "I take it you still have the gym?"

"Thanks. And yeah, I was actually just on my way there right now." I don't really know exactly how to state my next question. I guess I'll just do it blatantly. "So, what brings you back to the city, Rae?"

She looks back at me, "we're here for the next two months on holiday. I haven't been back in forever and I missed Rhys." I wonder if she still misses me. I can't let my brain go there though.

"Where's Liam?" I blurt it out before thinking.

"He's uh," she looks away from me and back at Jamie again "he's back in London on business. He'll be here for Christmas and then we're all going home." Because London is her home now, not Boston.

"So are you staying in a hotel or are you staying with Rhys and Lindsay?"

"Im staying with my brother. I still can't believe he's engaged." She lets out a laugh and so do I. "He's like a completely different guy with her."

"Right? Whoever thought he'd settle down?"

"Definitely not me."

"Hey, do you two want to come check the gym out?" I ask optimistically. "I don't think you've ever seen it." She gives me a look I can't decipher so I add, "you don't have to right now. Another time, maybe?"

"We don't have plans for the day." She fidgets with the hem of her jacket before looking back at me. "So yeah, we'll go check it out with you."

✩✩✩

"Okay, but you have to admit, hockey is way better than soccer." I state as we walk down the busy city streets that are just starting to get dark.

"It's called football over there."
She makes a pointed face as she says, "and yes, hockey is much better. It's probably my favorite sport to watch, but you already know that."

"See, there's my girl." I chuckle down to her and she smiles up at me. "Bruins for life, baby!" I joke with her. Well, I'm not entirely joking though because I fucking love hockey.

"GO B'S!" She yells which makes me laugh when we hear another person chant the same thing across the street.

"Let's goooo!" I shout and several more people shout the same thing. And this is what I love about Boston, it doesn't take much for its people to get all riled up.

"Mommy, I'm tired." Jamie's little voice rings out. "I don't want to walk anymore." He pouts, dragging his feet at a snails pace. His accent reminds me of Liam but his attitude is one-hundred percent Raegan. Jamie has got a lot of spunk in that little body, just like Rae. I'd even gotten him to throw some jabs at me when we went to the gym.

"You don't want to walk anymore, bub?"

"No." He stops and crosses his arms over his chest. "I'm done walking." He's definitely a little dragon for sure.

"I don't blame you, little guy. It's been a busy day. You want to take a ride on my shoulders?" He nods up at me enthusiastically. "Alright, kiddo, come here." I pick him up and toss him over my shoulders.

I continue walking with Jamie on my shoulders, playing with my hair. I've got a hand on each of his little legs, making sure he's secure. This is something I never thought I'd ever be doing, but here we are.

"You know, it appears that fatherhood would suit you." Rae says from beside me, looking up at Jamie. "He likes you and he doesn't like anyone."

"I like you, mom." He says it mischievously. "But I like Seth because he's really tall and has cool drawings all over him. He can teach me how to fight too."

"Oh yeah," Rae laughs "he's a giant, that's for sure."

"And like I said, he can teach me how to punch people." The mortified look on Rae's face makes me snort out a laugh.

"He's a little dragon, just like you. What do you expect?" She rolls her eyes at me.

"I'm not a dragon." He tugs at my hair.

"Trust me, kid, you are." I look over to see Rae still looking at me with an odd look. "What's up?"

"Nothing." She shakes her head looking a bit melancholy. "Just a bit lost in thought."

We've been walking around with each other all day long. I took Rae and Jamie to the gym and showed them around. Rae was so proud of me, at least that's what she'd said. I'd taken them out to lunch and we'd went and gotten Jamie ice cream afterward. All in all it had been a great day.

We make the last turn onto Rhys's street when Rae says, "I think we should walk from here." She stops on the street and looks up at me with a sad face. I know what she's thinking, it's probably not a good idea for Rhys to see me with her, let alone with her son on my shoulders.

I nod and say, "yeah, I think you're right." I go to lift Jamie off my shoulders when he threads his hands in my hair, hanging on.

"No! I want to stay on Seth's shoulders!" He whines and it makes me chuckle. "Mommy, tell Seth to carry me to Uncle Rhys's house." She looks at me feeling lost, at least that's the way she appears. "I don't want him to go yet. I'm having fun."

"Hey, kiddo," I manage to get him off of my shoulders and set him in front of me, "we'll see each other again." He pouts so I kneel down in front of him. "Listen, let's ask mom if we can see each other soon."

"Mom, can we see Seth again so he can carry me on his shoulders and get ice cream?" We both look up at her. She eyes me and then eyes Jamie, shaking her head.

"What do you say, Mom?" I said in my best accented voice.

"That sounded terrible." Jamie adds, "And your regular voice sounds funny too."

I reach out and muss his hair saying, "you're the one who sounds funny, kiddo." Although, I do have to admit my Bostonian accent is pretty thick.

"Raegan?" I hear Rhys's voice call out to her and her face visibly pales. "Seth?" I look up to see Rhys walking toward us.

"Hey, Rhys." I said once I stood back up. He looks between the two of us suspiciously. "I ran into Rae and Jamie when I was out for a run."

"Yes, we had a wonderful day, Uncle Rhys." Jamie chimes in. "We played in the park and then Seth taught me how to punch and then we had lunch and we got ice cream and he took me for a ride on his giant shoulders. Now I'm trying to get Mom to let me see Seth again because he's my new friend."

Fuck. The look on Rhys's face right now is not good. "Yeah, Jamie, Seth's my oldest friend but I'm sure he's very, very busy." He says it pointedly, looking directly at me on the second 'very'. "We'll see him again on Thanksgiving."

"You'll even have a friend." Rae says down to Jamie's upset face.

"A friend?"

"Yes, my little sister, Amelia. She's just a few years older than you." I get down to his level again, crouching on the sidewalk. "She'll be able to play with you when we're at your granddad's house." Technically she's not my sister but I see her that way even though my dad and Katie still aren't married.

"Fine. But that's so far away." He pouts again and it's so fucking adorable.

"It's not that long." That's when he surprises me and everyone else by wrapping his arms around me for a hug. I don't hesitate to hug him back.

"It was good to meet you, Jamie." I give him a few more pats on the back before I let him go. I stand up saying, "I'll see you all in a few weeks."

Rhys nods saying, "see you later."

When I chance a look at Rae I see her eyes are glazed over. She doesn't look at me and she doesn't say anything before she turns and walks away from me with Jamie in her arms.