Page 97 of Regards, Mia

“We just need a place to crash. We won’t bother you.”

“I was just going out,” I say. It’s not entirely true. Mia still hasn’t texted. I check the time and realize she should have by now. Why hasn’t she called?

“Perfect,” George says. “You won’t even know we’re here. We can sleep on thefloor.”

I roll my eyes. No way am I gonna have a teenager and a kid sleep on the floor. “The couch pulls out into a bed,” I say. “And there are some sheets in the closet.”

George brightens. “You mean we can stay?”

“Yeah, you can stay.”

George swallows roughly. “Thanks. You won’t even know we’re here.”

George reminds me of myself when I was that age. A kid in a man’s body, he’s bigger than the other teens in the program. He’s a good fighter and can make something of himself if he stays focused. But staying focused isn’t easy when you have a parent who tosses you out on the street every time he has a date.

You and your little brother.

“Did you eat?” I ask, going to the pantry again. Maybe there are some chips or a loaf of bread, but it doesn’t look any more promising than it did ten minutes ago.

“We could eat,” Tyler says, following me into the kitchen.

“Shut up, Tyler.”

“I was just about to order take out.” I grab my phone. “Pizza or Chinese?”

“I thought you were going out,” George says.

“In a little while.”

But Mia is still silent. I try not to get annoyed, but it’s hard to imagine her and Jordan huddled over a desk together. The man wants her. There’s no ifs about it. And Mia would be a lot smarter to date a guy like Jordan than me. So what if he’s her boss? They are perfect for each other.

“You okay, Coach?” George asks.

“Yeah.” I clear my throat. “Pizza or Chinese?”

I eat dinner with the boys while we watch an NBA game.

Tyler wants to join Champion’s Corner when they get enough money for a membership, and I tell him he can fill out the scholarship form.

“But he’s only nine,” George says. “He’s not old enough until next year.”

“I’ll make an exception.” I made an exception for Summer Carleton, and she is also nine. But she’s a paying member, so honestly, I would have taken her at eight. Paying members make it possible for kids like Tyler and George to be part of Champion’s Corner. “You’re big for your age,” I say.

Some kids grow up with advantages, while others grow up in trailer parks or with parents who would rather get laid than take care of them. Kids like George and Tyler, who’ve had to scratch their way up in the world, have a natural chip on their shoulder which makes them better prepared to dig deep in the ring.

“Don’t you have to be somewhere?” George asks, reaching for the last egg roll.

I check my phone and see Mia still hasn’t reached out. “Not yet,” I say.

George eyes me critically. “You’re not wearing that, are you?”

“What’s wrong with it?” I’m in jeans and a T-shirt. Both black.

George scoffs. “Nothing if you’re going to a funeral.”

I gather the food containers and toss them in the trash.

“He’s going on a date,” Tyler says from the living room.

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