It fits him, which is a relief since I didn’t actually get to measure the little guy out of fear that he’d mention it to Evan and ruin the surprise.
“Now you match Daddy.”
“Thank you.” Leo’s eyes flicker with pure, honest gratitude, and he wraps his chubby arms around my legs. I bend down and embrace him. “Will you make me clothes forever?”
I hitch a brow up. “Forever?”
“Yeah, forever and ever.”
I hum. “I’m not sure I can do that, buddy. You remember that I’m leaving at the end of Summer, right?” My throat turns dry.
It’s important to reiterate it to the kid, though. I don’t want him to get too attached and believe I’m going to be sticking around forever, when I’ll be replaced soon.
“You could stay!”
My blood runs cold, and I embrace Leo a little tighter, a burn rising behind my eyes. “That would be so great, little dude, it really would.”
Getting attached to Leo wasn’t part of the plan. In fact, it washimthat I was worried about at the start, but it’s been flipped on its head. I shouldn’t have let it happen. I knew from the beginning that this was temporary—a summer job—and that I’d be moving on. And yet, my heart swells when I think of walking away from Leo and Evan in a month.
Leo will forget me. He’s just a kid. However, I won’t forget him. Ever.
He then gasps, rushing away from me to snatch Donkey from the table. “Can Donkey have one?”
“I’m not sure I’d be able to make a jersey small enough, but I’ll sure as hell try, kiddo. If that’s what you want.”
That smile of his is unravelling me from the inside out, like a ball of yarn, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.
“Fuck yeah!”
My face contorts with humour, and I shake my head. I really need to apologise to Evan for teaching his son howto use this word in the correct context. “Are you ever going to stop saying that, Leo?”
“Fuck no!”
Watching Evan grab onto another one of the New York Vipers’ men and yank him to the ground along with himself sends another spike of anxiety through me. Still, I take a bite of my cheese pretzel and stand up to yell, “Yes, take that dickwad down! You got this, West!” with a massive grin on my face.
It causes Evan to toss a glance my way, and as soon as he spots me, he rolls his eyes and shakes his head, but I can see him fighting that smile of his. In fact, he’s not winning against it at all, and the Jumbotron homes in on him and shows him chuckling to himself as his teammates clip him on the back of the helmet in a ‘well done’ gesture.
Leo’s sitting beside me with his headphones on—in a special family and friends area where the cameras can’t reach us and the crowd can’t see us, which is where Leo is always seated—so he’s not affected by the loud crowd and announcements. However, his little head is barely visible through the crowd, so I’m not sure his father can see him.
Evan stands on the edge of the line, crouched down with hands splayed out on the grass. Focus and determination roll off him, and even from here, I can feel it filling the stadium. The ball moves, and the men surge forward, full of power. He doesn’t hesitate, instead putting all of his might into driving his shoulder into the opposite team’s players. It’s hard to keep up with him since there are so many guys out on the field, but my blues find him with ease once he emerges from the huddle of bodies.
He’s the one who looks like hecouldbe mine.
Evan is playing well today, and I have a feeling I know why. He’d even let out a few laughs when we ventured back down to the hotel bar and restaurant to collect Leo last night, which gained him a few strange looks from the guys who hadn’t already headed to bed. Bennett shot me a wink and tried to hide his smile by sipping at his drink, but the guy definitely knows something is up.
Evan peers back at us to see me hoisting Leo up onto my hip so I can point out his father to him, and his eyes widen once he spots the jersey he’s wearing. We do a little spin so the back is visible, and the smile that he’s now wearing makes my heart splutter.
It’s real. Full of pride. Full of appreciation. Just plain… well,happy.
Evan West looks happy.
His greys remain a little too long on me, spiralling with an emotion I can’t pinpoint. He’s looking at us like he can’t quite believe what he’s seeing, and his chest rises ashe takes in a deep breath that makes his lips twitch. Then, he raises his hand.
“Daddy waved at me,” Leo exclaims with a giggle, opening his mouth to take a large bite of my pretzel.
“I think he liked your jersey.”
“You should make one for Daddy.”
