“I call bullshit on that one, Arianna. Wanna try again?”
Snagging a couple of bottles of water, I went back into the lounge to see she’d kicked off her shoes, was leaning back against the couch with her feet propped up while she rubbed her bulging belly. Seeing her sitting there, eyes closed, looking completely relaxed, something inside me snapped.
“I’m retiring.”
“Huh?” Ari’s eyes popped open.
“I decided.”
“Wait! What?”
“Uncle Luca, can we please play your Xbox?” Jake asked hopefully, while Rohan stood behind him staring at me with huge pleading eyes.
“In the family room,” I conceded quickly. It wasn’t like I could very well say no.
“You’re the best!”
“Yeah! Thanks, Uncle Luca!” Before I could answer, they were already barrelling down the hallway and disappearing.
“How do your two kids sound like a heard of elephants?” I asked, flopping down onto the couch next to Arianna, only to have her swing her fat feet into my lap.
“Forget them. Massage my feet and tell me what you’re on about and where all this talk about retirement came from.”
“Don’t you have a husband for that?” I teased as I started kneading her foot, not missing the way her eyes rolled back in her head and the satisfied moan she let out.
“Why do you think we’re here?”
“Huh? Did Josh do something?” I demanded to know, suddenly on edge. If he’d hurt her, in any way, I didn’t give a shit about consequences, I’d kick his arse into the middle of next week.
“What? No! Of course not!”
“You sure?”
“One hundred percent. Josh would never hurt me. It’s nothing like that.”
“Ari,” I practically growled. “I’m gonna need you to explain here because my imagination is running wild.”
“Calm down, caveman. I’m fine. We’re fine. He’s just at work. Again.”
“Oh. You sure that’s it?”
“Absolutely. Now, what’s this talk about retirement? I mean, I know it’s been on the cards and in the news for years now, but I never actually thought you’d go through with it.”
“You thought I’d play forever?” It sounded dumb when I said it, but in a way, I thought I would too. Until ten minutes ago, I hadn’t really given it much thought, not in much more than a far away, abstract idea, then all of a sudden it wasn’t a decision I had to make. My future was right in front of me, and for the first time, I was excited by the prospect.
“In a way, yeah. I mean, I knew you couldn’t. And youaregetting old. But I guess I just never saw you wearing a suit and tie, sitting behind a desk.”
“Now, let’s not get too crazy.”
“So, no suit and tie?”
“No, no suit and tie.”
“What are you going to do then?”
“No bloody idea.”
Half an hour later and Ari had passed out on my couch and was snoring like a freight train. I had no hope of moving her without waking her, and that was the absolute last thing I wanted to do. After messaging Josh and letting him know where to find his family, I draped a blanket over Ari and locked up for the night before going in search of the boys.
