Page 109 of Fake As Puck
That weekend, I’m standing on Tessa’s front porch in Glendale, holding a bag of toys I bought at the airport and trying not to overthink the fact that I just flew to another state on the off chance I might run into a woman who may or may not want to see me.
“Uncle!” Charlie shrieks when Tessa opens the door, launching herself at my legs like a tiny missile.
“Hey,” I say, scooping her up. “Look how big you are.”
Emma toddles over, curious about the commotion, and when she sees me, she grins and holds up her arms.
“Up! Up!”
I hand Charlie to Tessa and pick up Emma, who immediately grabs my nose.
“Uncle West has a big nose,” Tessa agrees with Emma who is now trying to put her fingers up my nostrils.
“Thanks, Em.” I snort. “Wow!”
Tessa just laughs her head off.
The rest of the day is exactly what I needed. I’m no longer on edge. Tessa and her husband David are easy to be around, the kids are hilarious and exhausting in the best way, and for the first time in weeks, I’m not thinking about hockey or training or whether I’m good enough for anything.
Charlie’s obsessed with mermaids and wants to show me every single one of her Barbie dolls. Emma’s going through a phase where she has to wear her tutu everywhere, including to bed. Like she will scream cry if they take it off.
This house is perfect. Chaotic and loud and messy and perfect.
And watching Tessa with them makes me realize how much I want this someday. The family dinners and bedtime stories and little hands reaching for me when they’re scared or excited or just want attention.
I want all of it.
Tessa casually mentions that Liv will be coming over to watch the kids while she runs errands.
“Just so you know,” she says, like it’s an afterthought. “In case you want to, I don’t know, be here. Or not be here. Whatever you’re comfortable with.”
“Are you setting me up?” I tease.
She shrugs, eyeing me in that sisterly way. “I’m giving you an opportunity.”
“Is it weird that I’m here and I didn’t reach out yet?”
Tessa nods and then shakes her head. “It’s okay. I needed to ease your nerves. She’ll understand.”
I’m in the living room building a princess tower out of Legos with Charlie when I hear the front door open.
“Tessa?” Liv’s voice calls out. “Sorry I’m late. Traffic was insane.”
“In here,” Tessa calls back. My eyes glare at my sister because she didn’t give me a minute to even prepare for this.
Tessa winks at me, and she did this on purpose.
I hear footsteps, and then Liv appears in the doorway, and my heart does something acrobatic in my chest.
She looks good. Really good. Relaxed and happy and like LA is treating her well.
But she also looks like she’s seen a ghost.
“West?” she says breathless, blinking at me like I might be a hallucination.
“Hi.” I grin, trying to calm down my racing heart. Liv is drop dead gorgeous.
She takes a step backward, then forward, then backward again.
