Page 43 of The Waiting Game

Once again, she wasn’t wrong but … Felix rubbed his face, feeling guilty about his own contributions this season, or lack thereof.

“Sorry,” she said, a small frown flickering over her face. “We can talk about something else if you’d like.”

“No, you’re right, we’ve been in a terrible spot this season,” Felix admitted.

“And this one here thinks it’s all his fault.” Jonah jerked his thumb in Felix’s direction.

Grandma Ji-min scoffed. “You think you can fix the whole team, eh?”

“No,” Felix protested, laughing. “I just think it would have been helpful to not have me gone for more than half the fucking season.”

“Sure. It would have been nice if Nico hadn’t been out too,” she said. “It would be nice if Olson wasn’t slower than shit now as well. But now is no time for regrets. You focus on the games you have ahead of you in the postseason. Not the ones behind you.”

She was not someone who liked to linger on what-ifs.

“That’s what I keep trying to tell him,” Jonah grumbled, but his gaze was fond as he lifted another bite of cucumber salad to his mouth, probably not even hungry, just grazing because it was so good.

“Well maybe Felix should listen to us,” she said teasingly.

“Maybe I should,” Felix teased. “You do make some good points.”

“Oh, now he listens,” Jonah muttered around his food. “He listens to her but not me.”

“I love Grandma Ji-min more than you,” Felix said blandly.

Jonah rolled his eyes.

“Felix, what are you doing for your birthday?” she asked, clearly intent on changing the subject before it devolved into one of their usual squabbles.

“Other than this?” He shrugged. “A round of golf after practice tomorrow, then dinner with some of the boys.”

Honestly, Felix kept trying to forget the stupid plans were even happening. But Matty had already booked tee time and Dustin had reserved the restaurant and Felix was torn between gratitude that people cared and a desire to just ignore the whole thing.

There was no getting out of it once the boys decided they wanted to do something though.

“Thank you for dinner,” he said, sitting back. “This was honestly perfect.”

“Oh, we’re not done yet,” she said. “I made you a cream cake with mango that we’ll have before you can open presents.”

“I could open presents now,” he teased, batting his lashes because he knew she was weak for him acting cute.

“One present,” she countered, squinting at him.

“You have never once let me open my presents early,” Jonah groused.

Felix gave him a beatific smile. “She loves me more than you.”

Jonah returned it with a sour look. “I’m starting to believe it.”

“Let me go grab it,” Ji-min said. She stood, wincing a little.

“Grandma?” Jonah said, leaning forward, clearly concerned. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” she said. “Maybe I overdid it at Zumba yesterday.”

Felix smiled at the mental image of her doing the energetic cardio Latin-inspired dance classes. She probably kicked the ass of people half her age.

Jonah’s worried frown slipped away. “Okay, but you tell me if anything’s wrong, eh?”

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