by Len Webster
She heard, “Aw,” and some gasps.
“You’re being modest,” Professor Miller said next to her.
Alex laughed. “I was also published in the Science journal and several other peer-reviewed journals alongside my mentor, Dr. Rodahawe. My velocity formula has been nominated for and won several awards and has been peer reviewed by many of the world’s leading physicists. I know it seems like I’ve achieved a lot, and I might not look approachable, but please don’t hesitate to ask me anything. I tried to keep a lot of my achievements on the down low because I wanted to seem approachable. Trust me, I’m just like all of you. I was a freshman once. And I can assure you all, you have the most amazing professor this semester. Had it not been for Professor Miller, I wouldn’t have discovered Dr. Rodahawe’s work and have become a published researcher.”
She smiled at Professor Miller with admiration. Although Dr. Rodahawe was her mentor, Professor Miller had guided her many times throughout the years. He was always her voice of reason. He gave her relativity when her heart suffered in agony.
“Any questions before we move onto the syllabus?”
To her surprise, dozens of hands were raised.
She pointed at the hand raised closest to her. It was a male student with glasses. “Yes?”
“Hello, Alexandra. Is it true that you’re rumored to be nominated for the Nobel Prize alongside Dr. Rodahawe for your research on the impact of velocity? If so, that is amazing.”
Alex laughed. “Please, just call me Alex. My research with Dr. Rodahawe has been reviewed and used by many. As for the Nobel Prize, I would not have a clue. I’m just lucky to have worked with him. Great question, thank you.” Then she turned her attention back to the lecture hall. “Any other questions?”
This time hands lowered because most were interested in the rumors of her Nobel Prize nomination that she had yet to hear about. Dr. Rodahawe did say he believed their research could be nominated.
She pointed at another student who asked, “Why did you pick Harvard?”
“Harvard had Professor Miller.”
More hands lowered. She pointed at another student. “What is your greatest achievement, Alex?”
Alex smiled, knowing her answer. “My family. My husband and daughter are definitely my greatest achievement.”
One last hand remained. “Red Sox or Yankees?”
Alex chuckled. “Oh, Red Sox, of course.”
When there were no more hands, Alex turned her attention back to Professor Miller. “Now that I’ve introduced myself, let’s get started. And before I pass you back to Professor Miller, I just wanted to welcome you all to Harvard University and to classical mechanics. You’re all taking your very first steps toward your degree and careers. And let me also just say, I’m so happy to be part of that journey with you.”
An applause erupted in the lecture theatre as she stepped back from the podium.
Professor Miller set his hand on her back and smiled at her. “You were great. You are going to make a great TA, Alex.”
And as Alex returned to her seat and sat down, she took in the sparkle of her engagement ring and her wedding ring.
Harvard.
Her husband.
Her daughter.
Their home in Cambridge.
No matter if she was nominated for a Nobel Prize, Alexandra Gilmore was where she was meant to be.
Her life was perfect, and she couldn’t wait until she saw her husband and daughter to tell them about her day and listen to theirs.
For so much of her life, Alex had known unrequited.
Then her love for Evan Gilmore had become reciprocated.
Many years later, they had reached the dissolution of unrequited and found nirvana in a life spent together with their daughter.
A daughter who Alex was doing her Ph.D. at Harvard for.
To make her daughter proud and to prove to her that dreams were always better shared with the ones you loved most and when you trusted in yourself.
When she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, she pulled it out and unlocked it. She opened her messages to find one from her husband.
Evan: We’re so proud of you and love you, AJ.
Attached to the message was a picture.
A picture of her husband and her daughter.
Her entire heart and life.
Unrequited had evolved.
It was now null in her life.
All because of Evan Gilmore.
The man who gave her their beautiful daughter.
And she couldn’t wait to see him and tell him just how much she loved him.
EPILOGUE II
EVAN
“It’s just you and me today, Miller,” Evan Gilmore said as he glanced into the rearview mirror to see his daughter playing with her favorite toy.
His heart, as usual, filled with so much warmth when he saw her beautiful smile. Pair it with her stunning green eyes, and his daughter had him wrapped around her small finger. Evan had never known love like the one he had for his daughter. Some nights, he wondered how his parents could have ever left him the way they had. He couldn’t stomach the thought of ever upsetting his little girl. But Evan was sure his parents never had a love like the one he had with his wife. He was sure they had never felt or experienced the unconditional love Noel and Clara Parker had given him and Kyle as children.
Evan knew, without a shadow of doubt, that he would never stop loving his daughter.
Never stop wanting the best for her.
Never give up on her or her dreams.
His daughter was his world.
And as she lifted her chin and smiled at him, he knew all the choices, actions, and mistakes he had made were in order to have her.
The MLB was never his future.
His future was his wife and daughter.
After he dropped his wife at college, Evan drove back to their home in Cambridge and finished getting ready for work. His boss knew he would be coming in later than usual. It was the first day of AJ’s Ph.D., and the first day of his new work schedule. Evan knew he was fortunate to work at Fenway Park. His bosses were more than accommodating to make his, his wife’s, and his daughter’s lives easier.
His new work schedule had him working most days from home and the occasional day in his office at Fenway Park. It wasn’t too hard to convince his boss for flexibility so that he could take care of his daughter while his wife taught and commenced her Ph.D. at Harvard University. Evan was sure his brother had played a big part in it.
Miller was, after all, the captain of the Red Sox’s niece.
What made her happy made Kyle happy and, therefore, made the Red Sox happy.
Evan’s daughter was always welcomed at Fenway Park.
“Dada,” Miller said.
The warmth in his chest spread as he grinned. He wasn’t wrong when he had admitted to AJ that for so long, he had always assumed her children would call him uncle. That had been before. Before he fell in love with her. Before he realized he wanted a family with her.
It was Alexandra Gilmore he wanted to raise their daughter with.
His best friend.
His wife.
His daughter’s mother.
“Mummy’s at Harvard today, so we’re going to work together, okay?”
His daughter nodded her head. Her beautiful green eyes shimmered up at him. She took after her mother. He saw it every day he looked into her gleaming eyes. And God, was he helpless when he saw them. Evan saw a love he had never known and had always wanted staring back at him as he looked at his daughter.
He loved her.
Completely.
Unconditionally.
Evan loved her the moment he knew she existed.
He had never felt so right than when he held her in his arms for the very first time.<
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Unbuckling his seat belt, Evan removed his keys from the ignition and shoved them into his suit jacket pocket. He got out of his car and headed to the back passenger side. Opening the car door, he reached forward and unclipped his daughter from the car seat.
“Hold Einstein tightly, okay?” Then Evan carefully removed her from her car seat and held her to him. “Daddy’s got you. Are you ready to visit Uncle Kyle?”
She nodded excitedly. “Ky. Ky!”
His brother’s nickname was only one of the few words she could say. Her first word had been dada, much to his wife’s dismay, wanting mama to be her first word. But her envy dissipated shortly after she kissed him and stated how mesmerized she was that he was their daughter’s first word.
Evan laughed as he closed the car door and headed to the trunk of his BMW SUV. He’d traded in his old sedan for the SUV just before his daughter’s birth. Carefully juggling Miller in his arm, he opened the trunk and pulled out her diaper bag and set the strap on his shoulder. Then he grabbed his briefcase and shut the trunk, deciding to remove her stroller later. Yesterday, he had brought over her portable crib and set it up in his office. Now that his wife began her Ph.D., Evan was taking care of their daughter. Daycare was an option, but he couldn’t be away from Miller just yet. He knew it was completely selfish, but his daughter owned his heart, and he wanted every minute with her.
“You want to walk for a little bit?” Evan asked as he glanced at her.
Miller nodded, and Evan laughed at her enthusiasm. Bending his knees, he carefully set his daughter down and grasped her small hand. It would take them longer to get to his office, but he didn’t care. He loved watching her little legs take each step as she tried to keep herself balanced. But his daughter would never have to worry about falling because, as her father, he would always be there to catch her.
“Evan!” he heard behind him.
He glanced over his shoulder to find his brother walking toward him. “Miller, look who it is,” he said as he watched his daughter release his hand and turn.
Her lips spread into a grin as her green eyes shimmered. “Ky!”
“Hey, sweet girl,” Kyle said as he ran to them and swept Miller into his arms. Evan’s daughter giggled before she pressed her face into Kyle’s neck. “How are you?”
Miller pulled back, her smile radiating at her uncle who held her tight. “Ky.”
His brother’s eyes softened. “My sweet girl, did you take Mommy to school today?”
“Yes,” she said in a small voice as she held her toy to her uncle.
Kyle took the toy from her and pressed Einstein’s nose to Miller’s. Then he glanced over at Evan. “Was your wife excited?”
My wife.
God, did his heart stretch with warmth at the statement. AJ had been his wife for three months, but he still couldn’t believe it. Most mornings, he woke up in disbelief and with so much gratitude that she was asleep next to him with his ring on her finger.
As they walked toward the security entrance, he smiled. “Words can’t even begin to describe how excited AJ was about her first day at Harvard. You couldn’t wipe that smile from her face.”
“I can just imagine,” Kyle said as they stopped in front of Caesar at security. “Hey, Caes.”
The security guard smiled. “Hey, Mr. Gilmores.” Then he grinned at Evan’s daughter. “Hello, Miss Miller. Are you joining your dad and uncle at work today?”
Miller nodded. “Yes.”
Evan laughed at her smiling at her favorite security guard. He watched Caesar raise his palm and hold it out to Miller. Kyle leaned forward and helped Miller high-five the security guard as Evan reached into his pocket. He stepped closer to his daughter and set the card in her small hand. “Miller, show Caesar your ID.”
She held out the ID card to Caesar who took it from her. The security guard’s face softened as he held the card up to Miller’s face. “Your pass checks out, Miss Miller. You’re free to explore Fenway Park.” Then he handed her back the card. “She’s a real cutie, Mr. Gilmore.”
“Dada,” Miller said, swinging her arm back and giving Evan the card.
He took his daughter’s Fenway Park pass from her and returned it to his pocket. “She gets it all from her mother.”
The security guard chuckled. “No doubt. You’ve got yourself a beautiful family, sir.”
Pride swelled in his chest. He did have a beautiful family. One he loved and was so thankful for. “Thanks, Caesar. We’ll see you a bit later.” Then he turned and smiled down at his daughter in his brother’s arms. “You want to go watch Uncle Kyle do some press?”
She tilted her head back and nodded at her uncle.
Evan laughed as Kyle set her down on her feet, and she grasped her uncle’s hand. “Come on, then.” He turned and began to make his way inside Fenway and toward the tunnel.
“Dada!” his daughter called out. He spun around to find her blinking at him. She held out her hand she held her toy with.
“Sorry, my love,” he apologized as he went to her and kneeled in front of her. “Do you want to hold Daddy’s hand, too?”
She nodded her head as she dropped her toy in Evan’s waiting hand. “Yes, Dada.”
Evan leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “Okay, Daddy’s got you.” He stood and grasped her hand. Then he glanced over at his brother staring lovingly at Evan’s daughter. That love and pride in Kyle’s eyes was priceless. Evan knew that his daughter would always have an uncle to love her and protect her.
They might not have always loved each other.
They might not have always agreed upon everything.
For the longest time in Evan’s life, he never felt his brother’s love.
It took AJ walking away and leaving him for them to find their way.
She had not only given Evan a life, love, and his daughter, but she had also given him his brother.
For that, he couldn’t thank her enough.
As Kyle lifted his chin, Evan smiled, and said, “Uncle Kyle’s always got you, too, Miller.”
And Evan watched Kyle Gilmore, his daughter’s devoted uncle, let his tears fall.
“Let’s try this one,” Evan suggested as he removed the jacket from the hanger on the rack. Then he bent his knees as his daughter held up her arms. He put the jacket on her and buttoned it up as Miller watched his hands intently. “What do you think? Do you like it, Miller?”
She lifted her chin and smiled before she nodded her head.
“I like it, too,” he agreed, taking in the white sleeves and the red vest of the Harvard varsity jacket he put on her. “Do you think Mummy will like it?”
Miller picked up her toy from the seat next to them and grasped his hand. “Yes, Dada.”
Evan stood, squeezed Miller’s hand gently, and walked her toward the front of the Harvard shop on campus. When they made it to the accessories, he stopped, noticing his daughter eyeing the plush toys on the shelf. Evan scooped her up and held her to his side so she could better see the toys.
“Do you think Einstein needs a best friend?” he asked as he grabbed a Harvard dog toy from the shelf and held it to his daughter. “Everyone needs a best friend.”
Your mother has me.
I have your mother.
His daughter swung her bright green eyes to focus on him as she tilted her head.
Evan laughed at the confusion on her sweet face. Then he kissed her head and looked down at her. “Do you have a best friend?”
She looked down at her toy and then at Evan. Her lips spread even wider as she said, “Dada.”
Tears crept up, almost hitting him as hard as his daughter’s declaration. Miller wrapped her arms around his neck, and Evan blinked his tears away. “Daddy will always be your best friend, my love,” he promised. “Do you want the doggie or the bear?”
Miller turn
ed away from his neck and glanced down at the dog in his hand and then the shelf. Then she pointed at the dog.
“Okay, doggie for Einstein, it is. Let’s go pay for your jacket and doggie, and we’ll head to the car. Mummy should be finished soon.”
With his daughter on his side, and her new toy in his hand, he walked to the counter to a young Harvard student at the register. She smiled at Evan as he came to a stop. “Is it okay if I set her down on the counter? I didn’t take the tag off the jacket and we’d like to buy it please.”
The auburn hair student shook her head. “I don’t mind at all.”
Evan carefully set his daughter on the counter and handed her the dog plush. He grinned at the smile on her face as she made the toys kiss. He pulled out his phone, stepped back and held it up. “Miller, smile, my love. Aunty Sav and Mummy will want a picture of you in your new jacket.”
His daughter smiled at him, and Evan snapped the picture. He returned his phone to his pants pocket and stepped closer to his daughter. He reached behind her, pulled the tag off the jacket and gave it to the girl behind the counter. Then Evan scooped up Miller, holding her to him. His daughter followed his lead and held her new toy to the girl who scanned the tag.
“Is she your sister?” the girl asked.
“No, she’s my daughter,” he replied proudly.
“Oh, she’s adorable.”
Evan laughed. His daughter had no idea how many compliments she had received today. Everywhere they went at Fenway, she had those who worked at the park, even some of the press who were packing up after the interviews, falling in love with her. Evan didn’t worry about the press. There was a strict no-media policy when it came to his daughter. A choice the Red Sox and fans respected.
“Thank you,” Evan said as he pulled his wallet from his pocket and retrieved his credit card.
“Are you an alum?” she asked as he handed her his card.
Evan shook his head. “No, my wife is a TA here at Harvard.”
