Page 78 of The One I Want
“Wait! I’m not?” He dramatically looks to the lane before turning back to Magnolia. “Well, someone told me the wrong directions.”
We all hold in our laughs as he continues his antics. “It’s okay,” she says. “You can use my bumpers next time.”
That sends us all into laughter as my kindergartener unintentionally roasts her godfather. Yup, Simon Banks, the man who loves money more than most people, is the godfather to my youngest daughter.
And he takes his responsibility very seriously. It’s also why we had to get cell phones for our other kids because Uncle Simon got one for Magnolia when she turned five. Cara was pissed. I laughed.
“Who’s next?” Hank asks.
I look at the board. “Amelia. Show ’em how it’s done!”
Amelia rubs her hands together as she makes her way to the lane. I take a second to look around, my heart swelling
Yes, this was supposed to be family date night. Then we ran into Amelia, Jake, Whitley, and Amelia’s kids, Luke and Mariah, at dinner. Next thing I know Hank’s inviting them to come with us. Anyone who thinks it’s hard saying no to Magnolia has never seen Hank in full action.
Before I know it, Emerson’s asking me if I can call the uncles. She used the logic that it’s a family date night and that they were family. Even Luke and Olivia joined us.
And yes, Amelia gave her son the same name as my brother. She insists it wasn’t on purpose, and that it was the only name she and her ex-husband could agree on. I’ll blame him since he’s a piece of shit.
I hear laughter to the right of me as Amelia taunts Simon after she rolls a strike. To the left of me is Mariah, who is helping Magnolia with her ball on the lanes we have set up with a bumper.
I don’t know what constitutes a perfect night, but this has to be damn close. My friends. My family. My girl. All in one place. Just having a good time with no worries or drama.
“Can I ask a question?” Betsy asks.
“Of course.”
She nods over to our right. “How did all of you become friends? What’s the origin story?”
I laugh, my head falling back as I recall how the five of us all wound up together.
“Guys,” I say. “Betsy wants to know how we became friends.”
Oliver laughs, Simon groans, and like normal, Shane doesn’t say anything. Then there’s Amelia, who comes over and parks right next to me and Betsy.
“Do you want to tell it or me?” Amelia asks.
“I can do it.”
“You can,” she says. “But sometimes you like to leave certain parts out.”
“I promise I won’t,” I say.
“I’ve actually never heard this before,” Jakes says, him and Whitley taking a seat next to me and Betsy. “I just remember one day I was Amelia’s only brother and the next she had four more.”
Oliver pours himself another beer before passing the pitcher. “And there’s more to the story before that.”
I put my arm around Betsy, settling in for arguably the greatest story ever told. “It begins in kindergarten, when two kids have their desks put next to each other.”
“That was me and Shane,” Oliver says. “The teacher thought it would be good since we were so different.”
“The fucker wouldn’t leave me alone until I shared my crayons with him,” Shane chimes in. “I did it once to shut him up. Look where that got me.”
“You love me and you know it,” Oliver says. “I’m sorry, Wes, please continue.”
I tip my beer to Oliver. “I was in the other kindergarten class, so I didn’t meet them until that next summer when our parents all signed us up for tiny mite football.”
“Tiny mite?” Betsy asks.
