Page 124 of A Whole New Play

“Okay?”

I step inside and lock the door. “Yeah. Okay. I’ll come to the game.” After everything this man has done for me, it would be so selfish to deny him this request.

“That’s great, Valerie.” His mood instantly brightens. “I’ll ask around and see if anyone has an extra ticket for the box so you can invite Megan to sit with you.”

“That would be awesome.” Just because I’ve agreed to go to the game doesn’t mean I think I suddenly have the strength to watch my ex from afar without losing my composure. Having my best friend there will be able to help me hold it together.

I hope.

39

CARTER

“Dad, can I go play the claw machine to try and win the unicorn plushie?” Abby stares up at me with big eyes that are hard to say no to.

“Let’s wait for your mom to get here,” I compromise. “After you say hi, then you can go play.”

“Okay!” Abby beams.

“I want to play, too,” Andy chimes in.

“You can both play.” I anticipated the pizzeria attached to an arcade would be too tempting for the twins to resist. I brought plenty of coins for them to enjoy a few games in between having lunch with their mom.

“Yes!” Andy holds out his hand for Abby to high-five. Their happiness lifts my spirits.

Things have been heavy these past two months.

What with Valerie leaving and being put in the middle of me and their mother, the stability the twins had been enjoying was ripped out from underneath them.

But now that we’ve had a few weeks to adjust to the new custody arrangement, and I finally hired a new nanny, things seem to be leveling out.

It’s nice to see the kids acting goofy and… well… like kids again.

The host turns the corner and greets us. “Hello, how many—woah.” The teenager’s eyes widen. “You’re Carter Jones.”

“I am.” I lift a hand. “Hello.”

“Oh my god. Hi! I’m a big fan. You played awesome last game. I can’t wait to see you kick Arizona’s ass this weekend.”

I grin at the teen’s enthusiasm. “Thanks, man. I appreciate that.”

He bobs his head several times, still processing the situation he finds himself in. When his eyes shift to the kids, he overcomes his surprise and asks, “Table for three?”

“For four, actually. We’re still waiting for one to join us.”

“Cool. I’ll go make sure a table is clear.” He gathers plastic-covered menus and two coloring pages with a set of crayons. “Carter freaking Jones.” He shakes his head. “My friends aren’t going to believe this.”

I keep my smile in place until he rounds the corner. Then I look down at my twins to see them already looking up at me. “Looks like my disguise didn’t work.” I shoot them a wink.

“What disguise?”

“Yeah,” Andy seconds Abby’s question. “What disguise?”

“I’m wearing my glasses.” I motion to the rims on my face.

“You wear your glasses all the time.”

“Not in public.”

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