Page 92 of The Home Game

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

The following day, Antoni was surprised to get home from school and find a vehicle in the driveway. It looked vaguely familiar but he couldn’t quite place it.

It seemed a little ordinary to belong to one of Matty’s teammates.

“Hey!” he called out when he walked in from the garage and Matty responded.

Antoni kicked off his shoes, then hung his jacket on a hook. The mudroom was fully outfitted with cubbies, hooks, and bins for each one of them. God, Charlie was great. He’d really thought of everything they’d need.

Antoni stepped into the kitchen. Matty stood by the island and Antoni tilted his head in confusion. “Who is—”

Judy Chapman, the social worker for the kids stepped forward and he blinked. “Oh, hi, Judy. Sorry I’m running a bit behind my usual schedule. There was heavy traffic.” He smiled and tried to make it as sincere as possible.

He liked her and like he’d told Alexis yesterday, he knew she had nothing but the kids’ best interests at heart. But still, he hated the surprise visits. They made him anxious, even when he knew he hadn’t done anything to be worried about.

She smiled. “Not a problem. I tried calling earlier to tell you I was on my way but you didn’t answer.”

“I’m sorry about that,” he said. “I was on the 401 at the time and obviously I didn’t want to answer my phone while I was driving. I was planning to see who called when I got home.”

He should have synced his phone with Matty’s SUV so he could talk hands-free but he’d be getting the van back soon.

“No, I completely understand. And it’s no problem. Your parents were here when I arrived and Mr. Carlson just got home a few minutes ago.”

“Matty,” he said with a smile. “I feel weird being called Mr. Carlson.”

“Matty,” she said, smiling warmly before she turned to face Antoni. “And nothing to be concerned about. I just wanted to see how the kids were doing with the move.”

“Oh, uh.” Antoni cleared his throat, feeling off-kilter. He’d expected this check in but maybe not quite so soon. “Yes, of course. I understand why you’d want to see how things were going for us.”

“I’m impressed with how quickly you’ve all settled in,” she said.

“Uhh, yeah, it’s gone well,” Antoni said trying not to fidget nervously. “Matty’s team was a big help.”

“So I understand,” she said with a laugh. “Alexis spoke about them at length. It’s good to see her so animated.”

“It is,” Antoni agreed, relaxing a little. “She’s excited about hockey.”

“And River showed me everything in her room. She seems to love it. Eli sounded over the moon about their room as well.”

“Yes,” Antoni smiled. “All the kids seem to be happy with their new spaces. It was an extremely generous moving-in gift from Matty and the team.”

“I am glad to see how much more support you have now. That has been our greatest concern in all of this. We know you’re a wonderful caretaker but four kids is a lot for one person to manage—”

He opened his mouth to point out he had his parents and brother and his family but Judy held up a hand and kept going.

“I’m not dismissing the help your family has given you. Not at all. A network of reliable support is important. However, they are not with you overnight. And although it would never exclude you from getting custody, your mother’s health is also a factor. Multiple Sclerosis is a disease where relapses hit suddenly and with little warning. If she were to experience that, it would impact all of you.”

Antoni nodded.

“We are simply trying to be sure that you have as much support as possible. And please believe me when I say that I am not knocking the job you’ve done taking care of these children. It is clear that they are well-loved and well-cared for. But I think you can also admit that it’s difficult and stressful at times.”

“Of course,” Antoni assured her. “And thank you. I am certainly doing my best but you’re right, it can be difficult and stressful occasionally. But between my family and Matty and his team, it’s starting to feel a lot easier.”

“Good. The kids seem happy about the move and it’s great to see them embracing your partner playing a bigger role in their lives. That’s extremely encouraging.”

“Uhh,” Antoni said, glancing over at Matty, whose brow had wrinkled in confusion. “Did they say something about that?”

“Oh, yes. Alexis and Eli both said how much they like Matty. Both having him around and as a partner for you. Alexis especially.” She dug through her bag on the stool next to her.

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