Page 95 of In The Game

“Okay.”

I bury my hand in her thick blonde locks and bring her lips to mine. Gently swiping my tongue across hers, she opens more, and I deepen our kiss. She doesn’t know how much I appreciate her taking this leap. I’ve been thinking about my retirement now more than ever. Every time we’re together, the thought is compounded. We share an attraction, but I need to know what kind of future we might have together. The three of us.

“Thank you,” I whisper.

Being on vacation with Arthur is bound to throw some challenges into the mix, and I want to see how we handle them as a team. Ideally, I’d move them in with me—I’m dying to know how we operate as a family. An extended vacation is a somewhat disguised version of moving in together. Am I playing house? Maybe. But what am I supposed to do, be patient? Fuck that.

I think I will make a good husband and father, and I'll do everything I can to be that for her and our son. But she’s got an almost five-year head start on parenthood and there’s a lot I need to catch up on.

She checks her phone that was left on the cushion, then holds it up to me. I look at the clock and give her one more kiss.

Time’s up.

THIRTY-FOUR

“Who wants cake?” I say, cutting and plating the slices.

“I love all the decorations! Where did you find koala party supplies?” Brayden’s mom, Michelle, asks.

“Etsy!” I bought the digital files and had them printed at work. Then all I had to do was stay up until 2:00 a.m. cutting and assembling.The sacrifices we make.But they look great, and I was able to give Arthur the koala-themed birthday party of his dreams. The look on his face when he woke up the next morning made it worth the sleep deprivation.

“It’s adorable!”

“Thanks!”

“Mhmm. It looks nice. For being handmade, I mean,” Rochelle comments.

Sigh.Rochelle’s my least favorite of the moms. She once asked some oddly pointed questions about Danielle being married to another woman, and I haven’t liked her since. Unfortunately, her twins are friends of Arthur’s, so we see each other fairly regularly.

Six kids come running to the kitchen looking for cake at the same time the doorbell rings.

“Danielle, do you mind handing these plates out while I grab the door?”

“Of course!” She takes the knife from me. “Give me a hand, babe,” she says to her wife, Cora. Cora turns to the kids and pulls open the sliding glass door. “Okay, you monsters, everybody find a spot at the picnic table, and we’ll bring out the cake.”

Thank you, I mouth, then wipe my hands while exiting the kitchen and hurrying to answer the door. When I open it, I freeze.

“Barrett? What are you doing here?”

He ducks under the doorway as he enters, gift in hand. I shouldn’t be shocked he remembered Arthur’s birthday.

“It’s the twentieth.” He cocks his head to the side. “Where else would I be? Shoes on or off?”

I stand there staring at him like an idiot before I remember he asked me a question.

“On is fine—Um, we’ve kind of got a birthday party going on out back with his friends from daycare. Do you want to come by later?”

“Doyouwant me to come by later?” I see a sliver of hurt in his eyes.

“No, I didn’t mean—it’s fine that you’re here. I’m sorry I didn’t invite you, I thought with all the people you might not want—”

“If it’s all right with you, I’d like to stay for the party.”

I shake my head, trying to ignore how frazzled I feel, and gesture to him to come in. “Uh, yeah. Of course.” I tuck the loose hairs falling from my ponytail behind my ears.

As soon as we enter the kitchen, the conversations come to a halt and the moms gawk at Barrett. I can’t blame them. He looks really good today. Who am I kidding, he looks really good every day.

“Everyone, this is Barrett.” I turn to motion to the women. “Barrett this is Michelle, Brayden’s mom. Jennifer, Caleb’s mom. Rochelle, she has twins, Henry and Harriet. And Jill, Lilah’s mom.”

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