“But we’ve been to four of her shows this spring. And that’s after having the babies. Your sister should be happy.”

“That’s just it—I would have missed those. And the fact that I’ve actually started going back to church—I think a big reason for that was seeing Bruce again and starting to hang out with him.”

“So what’s with the magical ticket?”

“The Golden Ticket,” Kevin said, correcting her. “It was picking up that paper angel for the kid named Thomas. ’Cause every single thing that happened—every time I went to buy something—I ended up seeing someone. Kaylee. Pastor Bruce. Or even Amanda.”

“Wait—that’s how you ended up coming across the woman at the Opryland Hotel? The one who wants to start the new ad campaign?”

Hearing the awe in Jenny’s voice brought on a wave of tingles over his body. He nodded and smiled. “I wish I could thank that Thomas.”

Jenny looked at him. “He probably wishes the same.”

“I wish he knew, you know?”

“It was a good thing, taking that paper angel.”

“You were the one who told me to get one. And besides—it wasn’t anything I did. It was an answer to prayer. And God doesn’t answer me in subtle ways. He seems to do it in billboard fashion.”

“Or times two,” Jenny said.

He laughed. It was so peaceful for a moment. He thought of his upcoming drive to Nashville. He didn’t want to leave Jenny and the boys.

“I don’t want to waste any more time,” Kevin said suddenly, surprising himself.

“You haven’t wasted time. You haven’t had any time to waste.”

He gripped her hands tighter. “I want to make my life—make our lives count. I want them to matter. And outside of us taking care of those boys, and outside of me taking care of you, I want to do more.”

“But what does that mean?”

Kevin sighed and shook his head, then looked up at the sky. “I don’t know. I really don’t. But I know something. Having God answer those prayers in such an amazing way—I just know that there’s more I can do. I don’t want to waste any more time on myself. I want every day to matter.”

The monitor on the table lit up as the sound of one of the babies crying broke the peace.

“Well, I know what matters now,” Jen said.

“I’ll get him before I go.”

He kissed her cheek and touched her shoulder, then stood up and went inside.

As he did, he thought there was still time in his life to do something grand. Something big. Something life-changing.

He entered the nursery and saw the two little faces staring up at him, and Kevin realized he already had done all of those things.

Lynn was too smart to subscribe to happily-ever-afters. Yet she was also ashamed to realize that she’d given up on them when her own son seemed to have been born with hope in his veins.