I give my head a little shake when I realize I've been staring at my phone with a dazed grin on my face. I’m twenty-eight but she makes me feel eighteen again.
Then, it happens in slow motion. I glance out the floor to ceiling windows into the backyard to check on the boys. Hudson pitches the baseball- damn that kids got an arm. Matty somehow executes the perfect batting stance, leaning onhis back leg and keeping his eye on the ball. My phone buzzes again in my hand but my eyes are glued on the scene as the bat connects with the ball with a loudcrack.
Then the absolute worst thing anyone could hear when watching their kids play baseball. Glass shatters. My face falls with dread. I have barely even taken a step forward before I hear their voices shout.
“Oh shit.”Both boys exclaim at the same time.
“Don’t tell your dad.” Hudson says at the same time Matty says “We better get my dad.”
They run towards each other looking over their shoulder at the house next door. Allison’s house.
“Is he gonna be mad at you?” Hudson pants. “We can say it was me.”
Matty frowns in thought and scratches the side of his head. “He might be mad. We did break the window. Your moms probably going to be even more mad because it was her window.”
“Probably, but she won’t yell. Maybe we can just fix it so he doesn’t yell at us.”
Matty’s shaking his head before Hudson even finishes talking. Neither of them has noticed me leaning in the doorway yet.
“He won’t. Trust me.” Pride fills my chest as Matty places a hand on his shoulder and leads him to the back door. They freeze on their step when they realize I’m already standing here.Hudson’s eyes widen comically but my son's face just relaxes with relief. Hudson glances between Matty and I as he jogs up to me.
“Dad. We were playing baseball.” He’s using his serious voice, the one when he tries to be more grown up than he is. He’s using his hands to show me exactly how it played out. Hudson watches my face intently. “We didn’t think about the fact that Huddy’s right-handed but I’m a lefty. See? We didn’t know and we switched places.”
I nod along keeping my face soft. Normally, I would scold Matty but something about the way Hudson hangs back a few steps with his hands in his pockets tells me it’s not needed.
“Huddy.” His spine snaps straight and he looks me in the eyes like he’s about to face down one of them mean broncos back home. “You know how to read a tape measure?”
His posture relaxes. Only just. “No, sir.”
I fight back a smile that the ‘ma’am’ and ‘sir’ has caught on. Makes me think of momma. I push off the door frame and pulled my keys from my pocket.
“Looks like you boys are gonna learn to install a window with me today.” I give my keys a little twirl and lead the way back through the house.
Hudson’s eyebrows shoot to his hairline in surprise. When he exchanges a glance with my son, Matty just nudges his shoulder with his and whispers, “Told you.”
Chapter 6 -Allison
“Don’t forget book club tomorrow!” I call after Emalyn as she and Ronan walk out to the parking lot of Twist and Tone together. He’ll deny it but those after practice hours in the weight room are just to kill time. The same as when he joins us for pilates and book club. Excuses to see her.
He adjusts her scarf around her neck. She reaches for his hand and swings it back and forth between them as they chatter about the barbecue Tate's supposed to be making for the team dinner this week. Ronan always makes her go as his date.
Emalyn says they're just friends. Have been since high school. I didn’t believe her then and I don’t believe her now. Though it does make my own heart pang with loneliness. Being around them makes my own failures sting a little more.
Maybe if TJ and I had been best friends like that our marriage wouldn’t have been such a failure.
What do two college kids know about marriage anyways?
I wrap my own coat tighter around myself as I unlock my suv with the button on my key fob.
I do a mental checklist of what I have to do this evening and of course what I’m making fordinner. Hudson’s favourite homemade pizza. We always have enough to take with us for lunch the next day. I sigh, releasing the stress of the workday as I connect my audiobook and space out to my happy place for the drive home.
I’m surprised to see Tate and Hudson playing some fast card game at the kitchen table and Matty running a vacuum near the small kitchen window overlooking the backyard. I frown but put it to the back of my mind, assuming he spilled something.
“Speed!” Hudson shouts and slaps the card with both hands.
“Ah, hell.” Tate leans back in his seat. “I should’ve never shown you this game.
“Well, this is a nice surprise.” I smile at how at ease everyone is. The last time a man was in this house, everyone had to tiptoe around him. With Tate, Matty and Hudson rib him about how old and slow he is.
