Page 66 of Foster

“Yeah… we have a big gig at that new downtown brewery.”

Foster looks pointedly at me as he responds to Leo. “I didn’t know about it.”

I flush with guilt. “I would have invited you, but I don’t want to impede on your time with Bowie Jane.”

Thankfully, there’s no annoyance in his tone. “I get it and I appreciate it. But let me be the one to decide, okay?” He waits expectantly and I nod. “And I’d love to come. I can get a babysitter for her that night. Can I invite some teammates?”

“The more, the merrier,” Leo says. “And if you have any connections in the music industry, invite them too.”

Foster gives Leo an apologetic smile. “Sorry, man… all my contacts are athletes.”

“Bummer,” Leo says.

Foster bends down, gives me a quick kiss and whispers, “I’ll miss you.”

My hand presses into his chest, right over his heart. “Miss you too.”

“Send me lots of photos of trick-or-treating.” Foster peers down at me earnestly. “And well… lots of other photos too.”

“I always do. Prepared to be inundated with photos of Bowie Jane. I’ll overwhelm you.”

Foster smiles softly at me. “You already do.”

My heart melts at the earnest admission of the effect I have on him and then goes gooey when he kisses the inside of my wrist where the charm lays. He releases me, pivots and trots down the steps. I don’t move until he pulls away in his truck.

Leo and I turn to head inside. “Dude,” he drawls dramatically, “that guy is head over heels for you.”

That’s good to know from an outside observer because I feel the same way about him.

♦

Later that night, after Bowie Jane has had her bath, talked to her mom via FaceTime, and played some guitar, I go through the ritual we’ve developed to tuck her in when her dad is gone.

She brushes her teeth and picks a book off one of her many shelves. While Bowie Jane is a fantastic reader, our girl time is for me to read to her. She’s currently reading the Harry Potter series—she’s on The Prisoner of Azkaban.

She climbs into bed, fluffs her pillows against the headboard, and scoots over to let me sit beside her. We lean back, shoulder to shoulder, and I open the book to where she left off reading. She always finishes a chapter, never leaving off in the middle of one.

I note she’s on Chapter24. I clear my throat but before I can get the first words out, she says, “Thank you for taking me to your family dinner. Landon and Mason are awesome. It felt like I had big brothers.”

“As someone who had two big brothers of my own, I can attest that it can be very cool at times. But they can also be pains in the butt. You saw their best sides tonight.”

Bowie Jane giggles. “Your mom and dad are so nice too. I wish I had that.”

The wistfulness in her voice puts me on edge. “How so?”

Bowie Jane shrugs, and I can tell she wants to say something but is worried about it. This in turn worries me. Is she saying she wants her mom and dad back together? Is she pining for the family unit and the comfort it represents?

Finally, Bowie Jane says, “I don’t have that with my mom. I’ll never have that with my mom.”

And I get it. Her mom took off to Singapore with a guy and there aren’t any lovingly made Sunday dinners, jokes around the table and happiness to be with those you love.

I angle in the bed to face Bowie Jane, brushing her hair back from her face. “Oh, honey… I don’t know if that’s true. Remember when we talked about giving grace? And you’ve had some good conversations with your mom lately. Just tonight you had a great time talking to her.”

It’s true that Sandra is calling consistently without Chet involved and has really been engaged with her daughter. It’s left Bowie Jane with big smiles after and I’m hoping this is a sign that Sandra is finding her old mom self.

“But she’s in Singapore and I’m here. She’s with Chet who I don’t like. Even if they were here, it wouldn’t be like tonight at your parents’ house. Even though you have a blended family, you all love each other. I’ll never feel that way for Chet.”

From what I know about the guy, I’m not surprised by that line in the sand she just drew. “I’m sorry. I know it’s tough, but you never know what will happen.”

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