Chapter 139 The Long View

Chapter 139 The Long View

Sunday morning comes quietly to the city. Outside our high-rise window, soft white snowflakes fall through the pale gray sky, drifting slowly past the glass and dusting the tops of the buildings below. The apartment is warm, filled with the rich smell of fresh coffee brewing in the kitchen and the sound of soft morning music playing from the speaker.

I sit at the big kitchen table, wearing a cozy oversized sweater, carefully cleaning my camera lenses. I use a soft cloth to wipe away small specs of dust from the glass, taking my time with each one.

Down on the living room rug, Leo is completely lost in his own little world. He has his new hockey helmet on over his messy morning hair, sitting cross-legged while sliding his small plastic hockey puck back and forth between two sofa cushions.

"Look, Liam!" Leo shouts happily, waving his miniature stick in the air. "I just scored the winning goal in overtime!"

I lean back in my chair, looking over at him with a soft laugh. "That was a great shot, buddy. Just make sure you don't hit the television screen."

"I won't!" he promises, carefully lining the puck up again. "I'm practicing my sharp control, just like Klaus showed me."

Klaus walks out of the kitchen, holding two warm mugs in his hands. He is wearing a simple gray shirt and sweatpants, looking completely relaxed without the constant pressure of game days on his shoulders. He walks over to the table, setting one of the mugs down right next to my camera gear before leaning down to press a soft kiss against the side of my head.

"Good morning," Klaus says, his voice deep and smooth from sleep.

"Good morning," I smile, taking the mug and holding it between my hands to feel the warmth. "Did you sleep well?"

"Better than I have in months," he answers softly, moving over to stand right beside my chair.

Klaus turns his head to look out the large glass window at the falling snow, taking a slow sip from his coffee. He stands there for a moment, watching the white flakes cover the quiet streets below.

"It looks peaceful out there," Klaus murmurs.

"It really does," I say, setting my cleaning cloth down on the table and turning my chair around to face him.

Klaus sets his mug down on the windowsill and reaches for my hand, pulling me up gently from my chair. I step into his space, resting my side against his chest as we both look out over the snowy city skyline together. He wraps one arm around my waist, holding me close while his thumb gently rubs against my side.

"I was talking with Coach Vance yesterday after the practice schedule came out," Klaus says quietly, his tone thoughtful and easy. "He wants to make sure everyone gets a real break during the road trip gap next month."

I look up at his profile, curious. "What are you thinking?"

Klaus turns his eyes down to meet mine, a soft, genuine smile touching his lips. "I was thinking we should take a real trip. Just the three of us. No cameras for work, no media interviews, and no hockey pressure."

"Where would we go?" I ask, feeling a flutter of quiet excitement in my chest.

"Wherever you want," Klaus replies, his thumb continuing its soothing movement against my hip. "We could go up to a small cabin near the mountains, or we could take Leo to see the ocean. He keeps asking when he gets to build a sandcastle."

I smile up at him, the picture of that future filling my heart with so much warmth. "Leo would lose his mind if we took him to the beach."

"Then the beach it is," Klaus says softly.

We stand together in silence for a few long, quiet minutes, watching the snow fall against the glass.

"You know," I whisper, leaning my head against his shoulder. "A year ago, I couldn't even look two weeks into the future. Every single day felt like a giant hill I had to climb just to make sure Leo was okay. I was constantly afraid that if I relaxed for even a second, everything would fall apart."

Klaus moves his arm, turning me fully into his embrace so he can look straight down into my eyes. His dark eyes are filled with so much tenderness and deep love that it takes my breath away.

"You don't ever have to carry that weight by yourself again, Liam," Klaus says, his deep voice thick with emotion. "You gave everything you had to protect Leo. Now, let me protect both of you. We're building a real life here. A permanent one."

"I know," I whisper back, tears of pure happiness touching the corners of my eyes. "I feel safe with you, Klaus. We both do."

Klaus leans down, resting his forehead against mine for a long, quiet moment before pressing a gentle kiss against my lips. It is a simple, steady kiss that feels like a promise for all the years to come.

Down on the rug, Leo lets out a big giggle as his puck slips under the couch. "Uh oh! Klaus, I need help! My puck went into the danger zone!"

Klaus breaks the kiss with a small laugh, looking down over his shoulder at our little boy. "I'm coming, buddy. Hang on."

Klaus walks over to the rug, dropping down onto his hands and knees to help Leo search under the furniture. Leo climbs onto Klaus's back, laughing happily as Klaus pretends to be a big bear crawling across the floor to retrieve the small plastic disc.

Watching them together in the morning light, my chest swells with a feeling so complete and deep that I can barely contain it.

I step back over to the table, picking up my camera. I quickly check the settings, bringing the viewfinder up to my eye.

Through the lens, I catch the perfect moment. Klaus is sitting on the floor, holding the puck up in the air, while Leo sits on his lap with his oversized helmet slightly tilted, both of them laughing together with pure, unfiltered joy. The bright morning light coming through the window washes over them, making the entire scene look warm and golden.

I press the shutter button down.

Click.

I lower the camera, looking at the clear picture on the small screen. I don't need to look back at the dark days anymore, and I don't need to worry about what tomorrow holds. Looking at the two people who mean the world to me, I know that our story is just getting started, and we are right where we belong.