As I pull up to my sister’s house to get Nolan, I get a text from him.
We’re all going to dinner. Can you join us?
The rush of excitement that races through me is something I haven’t felt in years, and I’m not going to lie; I‘ve missed it. I respond probably faster than I should, but I don’t care. I’m past the playing-games part of my life.
Sure. When and where?
He says they’re meeting at a kid-friendly place that Nolan loves, which makes me even happier, so I tell him I’ll see him there and hop out of the car, anxious to tell Nolan where we’re going.
I enter my sister’s house and yell out, “Hello!”
“I’m back here,” Sasha replies.
I follow her voice to the playroom, where she’s cleaning up for the day. The smile on my face is impossible to hide, so I enter the room and just start helping her, waiting for her to call me on it.
It takes only a few seconds, and she’s standing, grabbing my arm to stop me from picking up any more.
“What’s this face all about?” she asks with a tilt to her head.
“Evan invited Nolan and me to join him and his family for dinner at the Tailgate Oasis tonight.”
“Yay!” She wraps her arms around me, then pulls back to look at me. “This guy isn’t playing games. You’ve seen him, what, every day this week?”
“There was one day I didn’t see him.” I shrug with a grin on my face.
She smacks my arm and goes back to organizing the room. “Nolan’s going to be excited. He loves that place, and he said Evan’s nephews were fun to hang out with yesterday. Where do they live?”
“In Texas. I think they go home tomorrow.”
“I’m happy for you. Really, I am,” she says in a soft voice.
“I’m just trying not to get too ahead of myself. It’s only been a few days.”
She stops what’s she’s doing and waves her hand like she wants me to follow her. “Let’s go get Nolan. All of this can wait.”
Nolan was over the moon when I told him we were going to Tailgate Oasis, and then when I told him who we were going to meet, I swear he almost pulled a muscle, jumping up and down the way he did.
Before I put the car in park, I turn to him. “I know they allow you to play in here, but you still have rules you have to abide by.”
“I know, Mommy. No running and no yelling.”
I give him a thumbs-up, and he does it, too, melting my heart. He’s such an amazing little boy, and I thank the Lord above for giving me him every day. Even though I’m by myself, I know it was meant to be me and him against the world.
I put the car in park, and he quickly unbuckles, but I stop him before he can exit the car.
“You wait right there for me.”
“I will.”
I walk around to his side of the car, and he hops out. I hold his hand, and we head into the restaurant—well, I use the termrestaurantloosely. The place is like an outdoor bar with turf covering the entire area. Picnic tables line the restaurant, and the outer portions are filled with cornhole, life-sized chess, and other games for people to play.
Evan spots us right away and stands to come greet us. “Hey. Glad you guys could make it. High five, little man.”
Nolan jumps up to give him a high five.
“Right this way.”
Nolan takes off, and Evan turns to me.
