“Thanks for having them,” I call, noticing the first snowflake hit my sleeve.
Glancing up, I watch the soft flurry that’s starting to fill the air.
Nylah’s gonna be stoked. She can’t get enough of light snow like this.
“It’s magical,” she always says.
“They’re always welcome.” Nylah’s mom grins at me, wrapping her arm around Coach’s waist as they wave us off.
I maneuver out of the driveway and head back to our place, Nylah running through the logistics of the afternoon.
We’ll probably be the first ones to arrive at the house Sienna booked for us, so we’ll have a chance to set things up and make sure the place is nice and warm as people trickle in throughout the evening. It’s gonna be good to see everyone again.
I need to talk to my boys.
They’ll totally get that I can’t open a business right now. They can help back me up when I tell Nylah it’s not happening.
CHAPTER 6
ELIZABETH
So, I don’t hate many things in my life. In fact, right now, I can only think of one thing that I truly hate.
Traffic.
Grrrr!
I offered to do the school run today because, well… Wily still needs to be careful with his knee. He’s moving so much better now, and after that hideous week where I nearly lost him, he’s actually bounced back faster than I thought he would.
Seriously. That had to be the worst week of my life.
I’ve found something I hate more than traffic.
Sepsis.
I sat by his bedside, staring at his pale face, his large body, usually so strong and capable, limp and clammy… and I couldn’t help picturing what my life was going to look like. Giving birth to a baby without him, raising five kids alone.
It was a nightmare that had me crying so hard a nurse ended up calling my mom. I tried to explain that she couldn’t come because she was looking after my otherfourchildren at the time. And in the end, Wily’s mom walked in, which was the last thing I needed.
But we cried together, and she promised me that everything would be okay.
And thank God it was.
Thank God my man fought off that infection.
Thank God he was up and on his feet before Paris was born.
Thank God, thank God, thank God.
Having him around at home has been nothing but bliss these last ten weeks. I feel really bad for him that his football career is over. I really do. I know how much he loves the game.
But I’m so relieved that we’re not going to be under all that NFL pressure—the media, the games, the travel. He can finally be around more… maybe even get a job with regular hours.
That would be bliss.
A car honks behind me and I inch forward, glancing into the rearview mirror and silently complaining,There’s not much I can do here, pal.
“Mommy?”
