Page 40 of Power Forward

“I’m sorry,” I say, barely above a whisper.

“Nope. Not doing that,” she snaps. “You know I don’t mean literally. I just worry about you.”

Panic rises inside me when I hear the soft footfalls coming down the stairs. Maybe they just want toast or a drink of water. I can do that. I can put cartoons on the TV, and Jackson’s game starts soon too.

“I’ve gotta go,” I tell Zara. “The kids are awake.”

“Good luck! Call me if you need me.”

I hang up, and Ryan’s voice comes from behind me. “Hayden? Can we sit with you and watch some TV?”

I glance over my shoulder to see him standing with Isabela in front of him. He’s got a blanket under one arm and his other wrapped around his sister’s shoulders. I can understand what Jackson means when he says Ryan acts so much older than eight.

“Of course you can. Do you want anything to eat? Or something to drink?” I push myself up off the couch and have to hide my grimace as pain jolts through me. Maybe I can take some more pain relief while I wait for their toast.

They climb onto the sectional in one corner, and Isabela watches me with wide eyes that are the exact same shade of blue as Jackson’s. She’s hugging a stuffed elephant to her chest, and she’s got some color in her cheeks this time, which is good to see.

Thatisa good sign, right? That’s what Google told meearlier when I looked up how to care for kids with a sickness bug.

Ryan wraps the blanket over their legs, then leans back into the cushions. “Can we have toast and some water? Oh, can we putBlueyon too? That’s Izzy’s favorite.”

“Yeah. Yes, I… uh…” I glance around, not knowing what to do first. I pick up the TV remote with shaky hands and end up dropping it. There’s a light giggle, and I look up to see Isabela hiding her face behind her elephant. I can’t help but grin.

Shit, I made her laugh.

I made herlaugh!

I pick up the remote again and flick through the channels, then realize I have no idea what channel it’s on, so I hand the remote to Ryan. “You can be in charge of this. I’ll go make some toast.”

He thanks me, and I head into the kitchen. I shake my hands out at my sides, trying to calm the nerves rippling through me.

I can do this. I can take care of them until Jackson gets home.

Retrieving the loaf of bread from the pantry, I quickly get to work making their toast and filling two cups with water, and when I carry it back into the living room, my breathing has started to steady.

“Here you go. Let me know if you want any more,” I say, handing the two plastic plates over, then putting the cups on the coffee table.

“Thanks, Hayden.” Ryan smiles, then takes a large bite into the slice of toast.

“Thank you,” Isabela says quietly, watching me as I sitdown on the other side of the couch. She doesn’t take her eyes off me while she eats, and I can’t help but wonder what she’s thinking.

Does she see all my flaws? Does she see that I’m pretty much shitting myself with anxiety because these two are the most important things to Jackson, and he’s the most important thing to me?

There’s a comfortable silence in the living room while they eat, and I find myself getting engrossed in theBlueyepisodes. My phone chimes, and when I pick it up, it’s the NHL app alerting me that the Thunder game is about to begin.

“Did you want to watch your dad’s game?” I ask.

“Yes, please!” Ryan nods. “They’re playing St. Louis tonight. I always like when they play St. Louis because it’s usually fast.”

I chuckle. “That’s true. There’s always been a great rivalry there.”

He changes the channel, and the bright white sheet of ice fills the screen.

“Daddy!” Isabela puts her hands in the air when Jackson comes on the screen. “Go, Daddy!”

I grin.

She starts pointing out every player by name, gradually getting more enthusiastic. When the camera pans on Elliot sitting on the bench, as he’s not starting tonight, she pouts.

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