“Well, I’d take her on dates. She’d probably spend more time with us.”
Before I can think of other ways to describe it, she starts to nod her head up and down and then puts another giant piece of a muffin in her mouth.
“I think it’s okay.” Her words are muffled by the food, but I’m able to make out what she’s saying and it sends a sigh of relief through my body.
My mom walks inside from the balcony just as I’m about to kiss CeCe goodbye and she offers me a small nod with a smile before I leave.
“How was the date?” Nate’s the first one to enter the conference room after me and doesn’t waste any time trying to get the gossip.
“You mean your wife didn’t tell you?” I joke.
“She did. I just want to hear it from you.” He chuckles, tossing his notebook on the round table between us.
“It was fun.”
“Where’d you take her?”
“I tried Antonio’s… but it just wasn’t us. Ended up getting Louie’s and going back to her place.”
Liam and Ford walk in the room in the middle of their own conversation before taking a seat as well.
“And?” Nate urges.
“What are we, fifteen?” My brow raises in his direction.
“I think we all just want to make sure you… you know, it’s been a while for you, big daddy.” Liam’s head jerks back and forth as his eyebrows wiggle, assuming our conversation.
“Yeah, I’m going to have to draw the line there, man. Some things you just don’t get to know.” I shrug, taking a sip from the coffee cup as we wait for Coach Aarons to join us.
“Means they did.” I hear Liam whisper to Ford next to him, and all I can do is roll my eyes.
The moment Coach Aarons enters the room, it’s all business and Liam’s game face is perfectly plastered on his face as we discuss the rest of the season.
The air is finally cool and crisp when I leave the facility. Christmas is fast approaching and I’ve spent every free moment on my phone or computer ordering all the gifts CeCe has been casually mentioning she wants. The other day it was a unicorn puzzle, then she wanted this new doll she saw on a commercial. Last week, one of the other girls in her gymnastics class was wearing a leotard that had a bunch of princesses on it, so, of course, she wants that too.
“Anyone here?” I call out when I step inside my apartment and don’t hear a sound. I wouldn’t be completely shocked if my mom had decided to take her for a walk downtown.
She’s been saying for years that I should move somewhere that CeCe has more space to be outside. And while I don’t disagree with her, the housing market is fucking insane right now and the thought of moving and uprooting the life we have here feels exhausting and intimidating. I’d also have so much to consider too, I can’t just decide to up and move.
“We’re in here,” my mom calls out, and I head to CeCe’s bedroom.
When I walk in, CeCe is sitting on the side of her bed wearing one cowboy boot, one sandal, a princess tiara, and some kind of feather scarf draped around her shoulders.
“What’s going on here?” I ask as I take in the sight of complete chaos.
“Cleaning!” CeCe shouts as she waves a wand around in front of her.
My mom just looks up at me from her spot on the floor with an overwhelmed expression on her face. “I seem to have started a project that is taking longer than I thought it would.” She laughs but then shrugs her shoulders.
“Mom, you don’t have to do this. You shouldn’t be sitting on the floor sorting through her clothes.”
“Am I too old to be sitting on the floor?” She eyes me.
“That’s not what I meant,” I say with a sigh.
“I’m fine, really. We’ve been having fun. If you have anything more you need to do today or anyone you want to see, take advantage of me being here and do that. I’m going to take her to Abby’s in a bit, so we won’t be in here much longer.” She smiles at me in a way that only a mother can when they know what you’ve been up to.
I didn’t have to tell her that I was taking Summer out the other night. She’s known that Summer has been helping with CeCe lately and when I told her I was going to dinner, she simply smiled, patted my shoulder, and told me to take care of Summer.
