Page 31 of The Game Changer

Johnathan

“Mason!” I call out as I stand outside the security checkpoint at the airport.

“Uncle Johnathan!” He comes barreling into my arms, yelling my name at the top of his lungs.

“How are you, buddy? Were you good for Mom on the airplane?” I ask as I squeeze him tight, picking him up.

“Yes, I got to watch a show and have snacks!” he excitedly tells me.

“A show and snacks? You must have been one special boy!” I tell him, loving the excitement that just pours from him. “Hey, sis,” I greet my sister once she joins us. I wrap an arm around her shoulder, pulling her in for a side hug.

“Hi, thanks for picking us up,” she says, resting one of her hands on her lower back while the other goes to her growing bump.

“Pregnancy is already causing you pain?” I ask as I take her bag from her.

“Twins, remember. That means I’m bigger than I was with this one,” she says, hooking a thumb in Mason’s direction. “Combine that with an uncomfortable airplane seat and yeah, my back isn’t very happy with me right now,” she tells me.

“Sorry about that. I would have booked you in first class if you’d have let me. Maybe we can still upgrade your flights home,” I tell her as we start to make our way to baggage claim.

“That isn’t necessary, plus, on the way home, Stephanie will be with us, so if I need to get up and walk some I can do that without leaving Mason by himself.”

“When does she get in again?” I ask. My sister-in-law couldn’t fly in with Cindi and Mason due to being out of town for work this week.

“Late Friday night. I think around ten,” she tells me as we find the baggage claim carousel for her flight.

“I can plan to pick her up by myself then, since I know you like to go to bed early in your old age.”

“I’m not that old.” She glares up at me as she reaches over and pinches my side.

“Ouch!” I state dramatically, which causes Mason to laugh at his mom and me.

“No pinching!” Mason comes to my defense. “That’s not nice, Mom,” he chides her.

“That’s right, buddy! You tell her.”

“Oh, please.” Cindi rolls her eyes at me. “Like that even hurt one bit.”

“Okay, so it didn’t,” I admit.

“So, when do I get to meet Jill?” Cindi asks once we’re in my truck and on the road to my place.

“She should be off work and home around six,” I tell Cindi as I change lanes.

“Home, huh?” she says, picking up on my slip of the tongue.

I just shrug my shoulders. “We split our time between each other’s places pretty much fifty-fifty. She has a cat, so she at least stops at her place every day for a little while to be with Walter.”

“If you guys are together all the time, have you had any talks about consolidating and moving in together?” she asks.

“We’ve kind of skirted the conversation. It’s one we should probably have sooner than later with how serious things are getting between the two of us.”

“Do you love her?” my sister asks, hitting me hard right out of the gate with her questions.

I look over at her for only a quick second, not wanting to take my eyes off the road for too long. “I do,” I admit.

“Have you told her that?”

“Not exactly. Again, I think that it is something that we’re skirting around. You know how it is, you never want to be the first one in a relationship to lay it all out on the line. Leaves you pretty vulnerable and open to having your heart broken. I think it’s something that’s mutual, or at least I hope that it is, at this point.”

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