Page 125 of A Whole New Play

“Hm.” Abby hums. “I guess that’s true.”

“Why don’t you wear them in public?” Andy asks.

“Well, I’m usually playing football or working out. Contacts are just easier.”

“Oh.” Andy purses his lips, taking in that information. “Valerie liked your glasses.”

The comment is innocuous. I’m not sure my son even thought about what he was saying. It was just a thought. But Abby nudges her brother in the ribs and gives him a pointed look.

“Ow. What?” He rubs his side and glares at his sister.

“We’re not supposed to talk about Valerie,” she hisses.

I frown. “Hold on, now. Who said you’re not supposed to talk about Valerie?”

Abby looks wary. “No one.”

“Then why would you say that?”

The twins exchange a look. Finally, Andy says, “Because you always look sad when we talk about her.”

Damn.

Do I?

I thought I’d done a good job of hiding how the breakup affected me… at least from the twins.

Corey and Dane are a different story. There’s no doubt my friends are tired of listening to me mope about losing the girl of my dreams, but they’re nice enough not to tell me to knock it off. Not yet, anyway.

“You can talk about Valerie,” I tell them. “You guys were close. It’s normal to want to talk about her.”

“Okay,” they say at the same time, but it’s obvious they don’t believe me.

I think about pressing the issue, but I’m not proud to admit I’m relieved when I don’t have to. The twins preoccupy themselves with looking at the sticker dispenser located next to the host stand, and I’m left second-guessing how I’ve been acting around the twins ever since Valerie left.

The first couple of weeks were rough. Not just because I was nursing a broken heart, but because of the stress of worrying about how the kids were going to handle the changes in their routine. Valerie had established herself as a reliable figure in their lives. It was hard for them to lose her.

But things got better after I hired Cameron. The agency had never sent over a male nanny before. And they didn’t this time. Cameron is Dane’s little brother. He moved to town after some family drama back in Minnesota, hoping he could try out for the Ranchers.

When Dane first suggested Cameron could help me out, I have to admit, I was skeptical. But after meeting the guy and learning he cared for his younger cousins regularly, I decided to give the twenty-year-old a chance. I’m glad I did. The twins get along with him great. It’s not like it was with Valerie, but that’s okay. I didn’t expect it to be.

“So, you’re going to the Super Bowl?”

The door swings shut behind Laura as she steps into the pizzeria. My ex’s blonde hair is tied in a slicked-back ponytail. She wears a pretty sundress, and she looks much happier than the last time we saw each other at the final custody hearing just a couple of months ago.

“Looks like it.” I hold out my arms and we exchange a polite hug.

She steps back and shoots me a genuine smile. “I’m happy for you, Carter. And the kids are so proud.”

I follow her gaze down to where the kids stand at the sticker dispenser. She opens her arms. “Hey, Abby. Hi, Andy.”

Their hesitation is brief, but it’s hard not to notice. Laura does a good job of pretending she doesn’t, keeping her smile in place even though a flash of hurt crosses her expression.

“Hi, Mom,” the twins murmur in unison, then walk into her arms for an embrace. They step back at the same time, then turn to look at me. It’s been a while since they’ve done their twin synchronized thing… I forgot how unnerving it can be.

“Can we go to the claw machine now?” Abby asks.

“Sure.” I reach into my pocket and hand quarters to each of them. “Just one try, then come find us at our table.”

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