Page 89 of It's Always Us

I laugh. “He’s not.”

“Good,” he winks, and I see Bob in it. “For the record, neither is my dad.”

He opens his car door and climbs in, and I get in my truck, wondering if I’ll ever see him again. He was nice. Ironically, he and his dad made it a little more tolerable. Two more guys that don’t belong on the list of dickheads. Maybe I won’t mind if Bob The Builder sticks around.

______

I step into the house and toss my keys on the counter, ready to find my bed and stay there for the foreseeable future.

“Pal, is that you?” Grandpa hollers from the living room.

I pour a bowl of cereal, add some milk, and carry it with me to the couch.

“How’d it go?”

I shove a spoonful in my mouth. “She was working to set me up with her new boyfriend’s son’s friends.”

“No shit. What in the Sam Hill is wrong with her?”

I raise an eyebrow. “I don’t know. She’s your daughter.”

“Yeah, well, I blame your grandma. She left us both, seeking the high life.” He rubs his forehead. “I know she’s difficult, but she loves you. Doesn’t want you to struggle like she did.”

I nod, knowing it’s true, but it still sucks she can’t see how different we are and trust me to live my own life.

“How’d your doctor’s appointment go?”

I set my bowl on my lap and finish chewing. “I’m having twins.”

Like a slow-motion instant replay, the old man’s entire body shifts in my direction. “You’re shittin’ me?”

I shake my head. “I have the pictures and two strong heartbeats to prove it.”

“No wonder you’re huge.”

“Grandpa!”

He pops his footrest back in and sits up straight. “Where is that boy? I need to congratulate him on the good work.”

I shove another bite in my mouth. “Thanks. I clearly had nothing to do with it.”

“It wouldn’t have happened in any way without him.”

I roll my eyes and take another bite. “He had to leave. He’s meeting with the Liberties in the morning.”

He settles back in his chair. “You didn’t go with him?”

“What, and follow him around like a lost puppy dog?”

He crosses his arms and gives me that look over his glasses like he doesn’t appreciate my sass, but it’s his fault. He taught me. “You’ve been apart too long. Maybe it’s time you actually be together.”

“What, are you tired of me?” I joke, but he clearly doesn’t think it’s funny.

“I’m a selfish man, and I’ve gotten far more time with you than I ever deserved. I’d keep you here with me forever if I could, but it’s not meant to be that way.”

I set my bowl on the table between us, leaving the milk. “My life is here. I can’t sit around while he trains and figures out where he’s playing next season.”

“Why not? That’s what wives do.”

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