Page 95 of Impending Consent

“I fuck with it though. Maybe I’ll grow up one day.”

"It’s not all that bad.”

“Your wife is fine, Rival. No disrespect but a woman like that might be enough to make me consider it. She got a sister?”

“A very married, very pregnant sister whose husband is an ex-NFL player. What your pockets looking like?”

He barked a laugh. “Shit, nothing like what she might want. I guess I’ll stay in my lane for now.”

“Yeah you do that.”

After saying our goodbyes to Jason, Sailor and I continued our tour of the city. I showed her my high school, the community center where I played rec ball, and the strip mall near the house where I used to hang out before grabbing food at a hole in the wall burger place that hadn’t changed in twenty years. We sat outside at one of the weathered metal picnic tables, straddling one bench, facing each other with Sail’s legs draped over mine.

"You really loved growing up here.”

"Yeah I did. Life was good. It wasn't always easy, especially after my dad died, because money was tight and we both missed him like crazy, but it was home.”

"I never had that. My life was always so structured, almost robotic. My friends were my siblings when I was younger, and in high school, it was people who were on the same path that were chosen for me.”

"That must have been tough."

"It taught me to be self-sufficient." She shrugged. "Not to rely too much on any one person."

"Which made it a lot harder when there was distance between you, TJ, and Sky?

She was quiet for a moment. "It was but that wasn’t necessarily on them. I have to take responsibility for that and now I'm learning that maybe there's value in putting down roots and relying on someone."

The simple statement felt monumental coming from her.

“Someone?” I gripped her chin and leaned closer until our mouths were damn near touching.

“Jason was cool. He might be worth putting down roots with.” She smiled devilishly slow and I laughed.

“I know you’re a beast in the courtroom, but don’t play with people’s lives like that, Sail. You might not be able to help me clear the charge.”

She rolled her eyes and I kissed her.

“I’m going to have to detox when we get home. That burger was so damn good I’m willing to bet the lettuce was sautéed in grease.”

“You’re probably right. Come on, let’s head back. I think I need a nap after that.”

On the drive back to the house, Sailor was quiet until we pulled into the driveway then she turned and grinned. "Thank you for today."

"You’re thanking me for telling you all my shortcomings."

"You're sharing yourself with me. The real you, not just the version that fits neatly into our arrangement."

"That’s what marriage is supposed to be, Sail" I asked. "Sharing ourselves, the good and the bad, the past and the present?"

She nodded. "I think I'm starting to understand that."

After we showered the day off and crashed for a few hours, we had dinner with my mother who invited a few of her closest friends who fussed over me and interrogated Sailor. She handled it like a champ and charmed them while asking questions about their lives and their connections to my mother.

Later, when we made it back to my childhood bedroom, I watched Sailor move around the space, examining more of my past that my mother left untouched which was mostly basketball trophies and a few small custom projects I worked on with my grandfather before he passed.

"Your mom loves you."

"She does. I try to remember that when she’s embarrassing me."

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