Page 24 of The Girl He Loves

He looks around the room then meets my stare. “This. I want this. I want to just chill and hang out. Yeah, I could hang out with the boys from the team and get rowdy. I could talk about the good old days, which were just a few months ago, oddly enough. I could do a million other things, but none of them are things I want to do. I want to relax. I want to play a little toss in the yard and not have anything or anyone pressing me to do more or be better.”

He seems a little sad, and my resolve cracks. “And hanging with the guys causes you a lot of pressure?”

He gives an incredulous grunt. “Are you kidding? Those guys are trouble magnets, and it’s like I’m the only adult. Keeping those guys out of trouble is a full-time job. Coming with them was stupid. I don’t want to be a babysitter for grown men.”

Tyler’s closet door bangs as it slams against the wall. Like he slid it open in his haste to dress and find a football. Dax playing toss in the yard with him will be a memory Tyler will have forever. Another large crack in my resolve is created. I glance over my shoulder in the direction of Tyler’s room.

Dax says, “He’s a good kid.”

I glance at Dax. “The best.”

“Can I ask a personal question?”

“If I say no, will you not ask it?”

He ducks his head. “Nah, I’d just wait and ask it another time.”

This I knew, because I knew Dax. He's nothing if not persistent. And patient. And even though we’ve gone several years without contact, he's still the same Dax.

“Ask then. Let’s get it over with.” I sit in my chair.

“How often does he see his dad?”

“Not very. Tyler had a bad seizure. Well, no seizure is good, but this was a big one. A grand mal. Usually I’m the one that handles those, but Tyler was at his dad’s house when it happened. Justin didn’t know what to do. He freaked out. I think it made him feel helpless. After that, he started missing his weekends. Always with an excuse, like work or something.”

Dax sits in thought a moment. “Why do you make excuses for him?”

“For Justin?”

Dax nods. “Don’t Tyler’s seizures freak you out?”

I give a bitter smile. “Every time. I used to sit in the bathroom and cry afterward. But I’m getting better at not doing that.” I don’t want to say I was getting used to the seizures because I never will get used to that.

“If I was Tyler’s dad, I’d find a way to learn how to handle my kid’s seizures, and fast. It wouldn’t cost me time with my kid.”

And therein lies the difference between Justin and Dax. “Justin wasn’t the best father before the seizures started, to be honest.”

“If you’ll let me, I’d like to spend the day with your kid. Play a little ball. You got a Madden or anything sports like? A gaming device?”

I hold my arms out, gesturing to my kitchen. “Do I look like I have the budget for a gaming device?” I hadn’t meant to disclose my financial issues, but the conversation was so honest that I’d forgotten to keep my guard up with him. “Tyler plays Minecraft on his Kindle Fire.”

Dax inspects me, though not in the obvious derisive way a person inspects someone he thinks isn’t worthy. This is more like he’s seeing me, Heather the mom, instead of Heather the college girl who used to lick whipped cream off of him.

“You’re pretty amazing,” he says.

“I already said you can stay and play ball with Tyler. You don’t have to butter me up.”

“Yeah, but you’re letting me stay because you love him, not because you like my company.” He smiles.

I give a one-shoulder shrug. “Might be true. You’re leaving afterward, right?”

It’s his turn to give a one-shoulder shrug. “Maybe. But afterward, Tyler and I might need to watch some football, or maybe we’ll have to go out to dinner. Then there are football movies to watch.”

I roll my eyes. This is not how I planned on spending my Saturday.

With that thought, the alarming realization that I was supposed to be investigating lawyers and ways to get my record expunged but hadn’t sends a panic through me. A quick glance at the clock says I have a few hours left and I cross my fingers that Josie will have good news for me. If not, I hope some law offices work late on Saturdays.

I stand quickly. “Okay, well make sure he doesn’t get too overheated. If his face gets flushed, you need to take a break. I need to make a few phone calls. I’ll be in my room.” I point down the hallway. “If you’re going to explain things, don’t be too wordy. He can only process small chunks at a time.” I give him a thumbs up. “Got it?”

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