Page 129 of Ask Your Mom If I'm Real

The moment they were on the ground, Jeremiah moved and punched his opponent one solid time before the ref was able to separate him.

“What’s that mean?” I asked as I saw him be put in a box by his team.

“That’s the hockey world’s version of a timeout,” Noel answered as she shook her head. “He did that because he didn’t want them to score, but unfortunately, it puts the other team in a power play, allowing them to have one more player than us on the ice.”

Luckily, during the time that he spent in the penalty box, nothing happened.

By the time that his time ended, Jeremiah was barreling over the wall and into the fray without an ounce of fear.

Anleigh thoroughly enjoyed herself.

To be honest, I did, too.

By the time that the game was over, with the Thundercats pulling off a 4-1 upset, I was jazzed.

Noel led me down to the locker room waiting area with Anleigh now asleep in my arms.

“I have to go,” she said as she gently took the headphones off my child’s head. “I have to get home so Kyle can get to work. This juggling three kids so that we can both work full-time thing really sucks.”

“You don’t have them in daycare?” I asked.

“No,” she said. “I tried it, but the kids were sick too much. And with Grams getting older and a more compromised immune system, we made the decision to work opposite shifts for the year.”

I frowned. “That’s gotta be hard on your marriage.”

She sighed. “It is. I had a lot of fun with you tonight. Next time!”

Then she was gone, leaving me to wait for Jeremiah.

He came out of the locker room moving slowly, a wince on his face.

I rushed to him and the smile that lit his face made my heart burst.

“Hey.” He reached for Anleigh.

I shook my head, and he frowned.

“You’re hurt,” I explained my reluctance to hand her over.

He shrugged and reached for her again. This time I let him take her.

“Let’s go home.”

* Get your a$$ in the mother f**king house right now before I beat your a$$

Chapter

Eighteen

So apparently I’m not allowed to adopt all the dogs. Rude, but okay.

—Merriam’s secret thoughts

MERRIAM

I never thought I’d be watching a hockey game during a birth, but there I was.

“Push!” the doctor ordered Neesha.

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