I look to Rachel as she gives my leg another squeeze.
“That went well,” Rachel sighs from the passenger seat, her expression soft with contentment.
Jo kindly offered to take Sam to daycare tomorrow since she has an early class. So Rachel and I put him to bed together, and I had the special role of book reader, which was slow going with all his random football questions. Once he was tucked in and asleep, we quietly left.
Tomorrow Rachel will be home early in the afternoon to pick him up from daycare, and I look forward to having her naked in my bed tonight.
“Now you just have to meet my brothers, and you’re home free.”
“Do they like football?” I ask, looking for any potential leverage as I steer my truck down the quiet back road.
“Luckily for you, they do, but they are both on the swim team at Caltech.”
“I saw photos of them at your house—am I going to be able to tell them apart?”
She laughs as she stares out the windshield.
“You won’t be able to tell them apart at first—most people can’t. They were those twins at school who always swapped classes for fun. I would bust them all the time doing it. Mom, Dad, and I could always tell them apart, so they never got away with it around us. But yeah, they were trouble with a capital T. When they were younger, they constantly egged each other on, planning the next prank, dreaming up bigger and better ways to fool people. Total menaces. They’re not like that anymore, though. They’ve grown out of it, and now they each have their own style, so it’s easier to tell them apart.”
“Well, meeting them is going to be interesting.”
Her eyes shine and it’s easy to see how much they mean to her. “They are crazy, fun, full of energy, but sweet. They adore Sam, and he adores them. I’m really lucky to have them as my brothers.”
I mentally note I need to track down two more signed footballs. Maybe three, for Ray, and then a home game annual pass to really cement things.
40
Rachel
It’s a surreal feeling. I’ve texted my mom, and she seems happy with the arrangements. I glance at the clock on the wall—Randy should be on his way to my house to pick up Sam. Then they’re heading to campus to collect me, so we can all go out to dinner together. The excitement is doubled, knowing both my guys are coming to get me. And when I spot Randy’s distinct blue truck pulling up outside the library, my heart does backflips.
I watch Randy climb out of the car and open the back door. A few moments later I see him lift a happy Sam from the car, flying him around and then placing him gently on the sidewalk. They walk hand in hand toward me until Sam is able to break into a run, jumping into my arms as I squat to greet him. I stand, holding my baby as Randy wraps his arms around both of us, greeting me with a kiss to the cheek.
These are the moments I will cherish. Total bliss and total fulfillment all because of a broken-down car and a chance encounter with the campus’s star quarterback.
“Mommy, guess what?”
“What?” I say back to my bubbly baby boy.
“Randy is taking us out to dinner, but first we get to go to the stadium and throw the ball around.”
I look at Randy and he nods in agreement.
“You’re going to spoil him.”
“What! That’s not true!” He reaches for Sam, who instantly leans forward and goes willingly into his embrace. He wraps his chubby little arms around Randy’s neck, and it makes me swoon. “Is it, champ. We need to get our practice in. Don’t worry, us boys will stick together. There is always time for football.”
“Yeah, Mommy.” Sam looks to me and I suddenly feel outnumbered in the most perfect way. “There is always time for football.”
I shake my head at the two of them. ‘Okay, let’s go, then. Lead the way to the stadium.”
Sam does a little fist pump in the air. ‘Yay.”
I lie on the short, well-maintained astroturf and watch the two most important people in my life run around in sheer delight. Randy is a natural with my son, and Sam adores every moment with him. He listens intently to everything he says, and mimics his actions with such enthusiasm.
When I hear the sounds of men yelling, my head turns toward the tunnel and I watch Christian, Seth, and Walsh jog out onto the turf.
I sit up and turn toward Sam, watching his eyes go wide in awe as the three giants stride in their Raptors jerseys over to him.
