group for the time being and probably felt a
little out of place.
Most of the parade floats that passed in
front of us were fun and entertaining. Every float was covered in
four-leaf clovers, green and gold streamers, and rainbows with pots
of gold coins. Most of the parade walkers were dressed as
leprechauns, and the Irish Riverdancers were a huge hit with the
crowd. It wasn’t as enchanting as the Razzle Dazzle Parade, but I
think that parade would always hold a special place in my heart.
That was the moment I met Lincoln, and my whole life changed.
“Mom! Dad! There’s Uncle Lincoln!” Ben cried
from the front of the crowd. Sure enough, the Blackhawks’ float was
approaching us. It was a large flatbed trailer covered in green and
gold with the Blackhawks’ emblem on the back towering over
everyone. The players were wearing their jerseys and standing on
top toward the edges, waving to the crowd. I recognized most of the
guys, and it made me smile to hear the crowd’s reaction to them.
Cheers and hollering erupted from all around us as fans expressed
their love for their team.
Deacon managed to find us first in the crowd,
and he waved at Ben and Madison before pointing at Rebecca. Rebecca
rolled her eyes but smiled and waved at him. Lincoln stood next to
his friend but had yet to see us in the crowd of green. Deacon
finally pointed us out, and when Lincoln’s eyes connected with
mine, his face broke out in a wide smile. I smiled in return and
gave him a small, shy wave. He waved back at me before ducking down
slightly to wave at the kids.
I wished I could run up to the float to give
him a kiss, but the Ice Crew girls—hockey’s form of
cheerleaders—were walking next to the float, blocking my way. A
small voice in my head told me he wouldn’t like such a public
display of affection either.
Once the last float retreated down the street
and out of sight, it was time for our little group to split up.
Emily had offered to take the kids so the rest of us could go to
Patrick’s bar for dinner and drinks.
“We’ll both have a green beer, and I’ll have
a corned beef sandwich with fries, and he’ll have the same as well
as a burger with all the fixings,” I told the waitress as I pointed
to Lincoln’s empty place next to me. Normally I loved the burgers
here, but it was St. Patrick’s Day, and indulging in anything Irish
was practically a requirement.
The waitress raised her eyebrows at my large
order, but I knew Lincoln would be hungry and would want the extra
protein. The rest of our group placed their orders, and the
waitress left. Brian became engrossed in his phone as Kennedy began
quizzing Rebecca on her relationship with Deacon.
“It’s not a relationship,” Rebecca said in
response to the questions. “We had fun together at Lincoln’s
birthday party, and he called me a few times after that but that’s
it.”
Kennedy leaned toward Rebecca. “Just how much
fun did you have together?”
I chimed in since I already knew the answer.
“Well, I know Deacon didn’t sleep on Lincoln’s couch.”
Rebecca shot me a look silently telling me to
shut up, but Kenny’s eyes gleamed with this tidbit of juicy gossip.
“You slept with him?” she asked my sister with a big smile.
“It was just the one time. We were both
pretty drunk. And like I said, I only talked to him a few times
afterwards.”
“How long has it been since you talked or
texted him?” I asked.
Rebecca shrugged. “Since you and Lincoln got
over your little argument.”
My eyebrows shot up. She was referring to the
week when I didn’t speak to him after I found out he lied about
having Mackenzie’s picture. “That was over a month and a half
ago.”
“Yup,” she said as she shrugged again.
I furrowed my brows. Deacon had always seemed
like a nice guy, but he did leave a trail of women behind him.
Occasionally he would be at an event Lincoln and I attended, and he
always had a different woman on his arm. Most of them had
little out of place.
Most of the parade floats that passed in
front of us were fun and entertaining. Every float was covered in
four-leaf clovers, green and gold streamers, and rainbows with pots
of gold coins. Most of the parade walkers were dressed as
leprechauns, and the Irish Riverdancers were a huge hit with the
crowd. It wasn’t as enchanting as the Razzle Dazzle Parade, but I
think that parade would always hold a special place in my heart.
That was the moment I met Lincoln, and my whole life changed.
“Mom! Dad! There’s Uncle Lincoln!” Ben cried
from the front of the crowd. Sure enough, the Blackhawks’ float was
approaching us. It was a large flatbed trailer covered in green and
gold with the Blackhawks’ emblem on the back towering over
everyone. The players were wearing their jerseys and standing on
top toward the edges, waving to the crowd. I recognized most of the
guys, and it made me smile to hear the crowd’s reaction to them.
Cheers and hollering erupted from all around us as fans expressed
their love for their team.
Deacon managed to find us first in the crowd,
and he waved at Ben and Madison before pointing at Rebecca. Rebecca
rolled her eyes but smiled and waved at him. Lincoln stood next to
his friend but had yet to see us in the crowd of green. Deacon
finally pointed us out, and when Lincoln’s eyes connected with
mine, his face broke out in a wide smile. I smiled in return and
gave him a small, shy wave. He waved back at me before ducking down
slightly to wave at the kids.
I wished I could run up to the float to give
him a kiss, but the Ice Crew girls—hockey’s form of
cheerleaders—were walking next to the float, blocking my way. A
small voice in my head told me he wouldn’t like such a public
display of affection either.
Once the last float retreated down the street
and out of sight, it was time for our little group to split up.
Emily had offered to take the kids so the rest of us could go to
Patrick’s bar for dinner and drinks.
“We’ll both have a green beer, and I’ll have
a corned beef sandwich with fries, and he’ll have the same as well
as a burger with all the fixings,” I told the waitress as I pointed
to Lincoln’s empty place next to me. Normally I loved the burgers
here, but it was St. Patrick’s Day, and indulging in anything Irish
was practically a requirement.
The waitress raised her eyebrows at my large
order, but I knew Lincoln would be hungry and would want the extra
protein. The rest of our group placed their orders, and the
waitress left. Brian became engrossed in his phone as Kennedy began
quizzing Rebecca on her relationship with Deacon.
“It’s not a relationship,” Rebecca said in
response to the questions. “We had fun together at Lincoln’s
birthday party, and he called me a few times after that but that’s
it.”
Kennedy leaned toward Rebecca. “Just how much
fun did you have together?”
I chimed in since I already knew the answer.
“Well, I know Deacon didn’t sleep on Lincoln’s couch.”
Rebecca shot me a look silently telling me to
shut up, but Kenny’s eyes gleamed with this tidbit of juicy gossip.
“You slept with him?” she asked my sister with a big smile.
“It was just the one time. We were both
pretty drunk. And like I said, I only talked to him a few times
afterwards.”
“How long has it been since you talked or
texted him?” I asked.
Rebecca shrugged. “Since you and Lincoln got
over your little argument.”
My eyebrows shot up. She was referring to the
week when I didn’t speak to him after I found out he lied about
having Mackenzie’s picture. “That was over a month and a half
ago.”
“Yup,” she said as she shrugged again.
I furrowed my brows. Deacon had always seemed
like a nice guy, but he did leave a trail of women behind him.
Occasionally he would be at an event Lincoln and I attended, and he
always had a different woman on his arm. Most of them had
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