Page 126 of Falling Offsides

I nod. “Makes sense.”

“Mom, this is Courtney,” he tells his mom, giving my hand a tender squeeze.

“So pretty,” she murmurs, closing the space between us and giving me a one-armed hug while Auguste groans, “Mom.”

“Nice to finally meet you, Courtney.”

“Same… Mrs. Broussard…” I don’t have much experience on addressing moms. I’ve never had a man introduce me to his mother and the only parents I talk to are Delilah’s. And we’re on first name terms.

“Call me Rina,” she says with an encouraging rub of my shoulder.

Sabrina is taller than me and even with the grey money piece in her hair, she looks youthful.

“Where is this oven then?” She looks around the kitchen, focusing on the ingredients I have laid out on the counter along with the treats Auguste bought at the Caribbean store. “You still haven’t given me a list of what you want me to bring back for you.”

“The usual,” he replies, releasing my hand and gesturing to the double oven stacked on the wall behind me.

“Make a list so nothing gets forgotten. Étty and Marley gave your father a whole grocery list.” Sabrina motions me over. “I think Auggie was right about this oven making rocket science look like a coloring book.”

Auggieisright.

I look over my shoulder to find him partly perched on the island counter, hands braced on the edge of the granite while he watches his mother and I.

“Pay attention,” he mouths with a wonky smirk.

He’s totally enjoying watching me fluster.

“Okay, so the top row is the timer, temperature, and humidity.” Looking back over her shoulder, she takes in the ingredients before she says, “If you’re making meringues, you want dry heat, so don’t worry about the humidity. Unless you’re cooking meat, I wouldn’t bother with the humidity function.”

“What are the other buttons?” Auguste asks moving behind me. Hisbody all but presses to mine when he leans in and watches Sabrina program the oven to the right temperature.

“The keypad is for temperature and to choose which setting within a certain mode you want.” She points at the button that says mode over it. “This button is for the integrated thermometer. Again only helpful if you’re cooking meat… in my opinion.”

“That one?” Of course Auguste presses the button with the red dot on it.

Sabrina swaps his hand away. “Stop touching. That’s the self clean function.”

She turns to look at the two of us, watching her son and I intently as she brushes her hands together and takes a step back. There’s a gooey smile on her face while she observes the two of us. Auguste is so at ease around her that it’s impossible for me not to relax.

“Do you need help making the meringue?” Sabrina asks Auguste.

He glances sideways at me with a shrug. “I think Court knows what she’s doing.” A silent beat passes while I continue taking them in. The way she’s all but melted for her son and the way he hangs on her every word.

A pang echoes in my chest.This is how it’s supposed to be, isn’t it? How moms are meant to be with their kids and vice versa.

“Court?” Auguste’s hand flattens to the small of my back bringing my focus to him. “Do you need help with the meringue?”

“Oh… no. No, I have it.”

“Okay, well… I’ll see you at dinner tonight,” she tells Auguste, coming closer and hugging him. Then she gives me a hug too and I’m so awestruck at how nice she is that I tear up. I’m blinking my emotions back when she says, “You should come too, Courtney.”

“Mom.”

“Auggie, you never bring a guest. It’s always you on your own…”

“Jesus, come on. Sabine doesn’t have a date either.”

A chuckle vibrates from her. “It doesn’t have to be a date. A friend would be nice. What do you say, Courtney?”

---