“I need my skates tied,” Westley states and I go to him first. He grabs his helmet and looks up at me so I can snap it closed on his cage. I do the same to Vincent and they head to the ice. I walk with them and make sure they get on the ice before walking up to the stands and sitting down on the top as I watch them do their drills.
“I didn’t see you come in,” Josephine remarks, walking up the steps to sit next to me. She’s wearing jeans and a sweater.
I don’t bother answering her, instead I put my hands into the front pocket of my sweater, “Where is Nora?” I ask her after a couple of seconds.
“She went to Presley’s house,” she tells me of her friend, “they are having a sleepover.” I still don’t look at her. “Besides, I thought it would be a good time to talk.”
“About what now?” I groan, knowing she isn’t going to leave me alone.
“Well, about how things went at the mediator’s.” I look at her, her brown eyes looking at me, and I have to wonder if she’s for real.
“About having an open marriage?” I ask her and she shrugs.
“It doesn’t have to be all the time, but wouldn’t you like to see what else is out there?”
I laugh now. “I do now,” I tell her. “I basically want whatever it is you don’t have.”
“Come on, Knox. It got a little boring, you have to admit.”
“It got boring?” I question her. “So do you think you might have maybe communicated with me before you fucked my brother-in-law?”
“I said it was a mistake.” She throws her hands up in the air. “You need to move past it.”
“You still fucking him?” I ask her and I wonder if they are, even though my father told me my sister and him are getting back together.
“No,” she shakes her head, “he went back to your sister.”
“Well, I’m sure there are more dicks out there for you to fuck.” I look at the ice. “You might have to go outside of my family and your circle of friends, unless you want to fuck one of your friends’ husbands next?” I say to her.
“I’m not a whore,” she hisses at me. “I cheated on you with one man.”
“You know, that is one more man than you should have cheated on me with.” I hold up my finger. “Anyway, if you want to leave, I can drive the boys home after I take them out to eat.”
“I thought we could go together.”
“You thought wrong,” I retort, and she gets up. “I can also keep them tonight so you can do whatever it is you do.”
“No,” she snaps, “it’s my week.”
“Suit yourself,” I tell her, and she walks down the steps and I shake my head. She has done lost her mind if she thinks I would be okay with an open marriage.
I watch the kids on the ice for an hour and get up to grab them some Gatorade before they skate off the ice, handing Vincent a yellow one and Westley an orange one. They get undressed and they both carry their hockey bags out to my car. “What do you guys want to eat for dinner?”
“Can we have burgers?” Vincent asks when he opens the truck door, and I picture Kylie in my head biting her burger from last night.
Then I hear her voice in my head, “Don’t worry though, I watch what I put into my mouth.”
She said it with a smile on her face and I shake my head because Kirby was right, she is a viper.
“Hello,” Westley says, “Dad.” I shake my head to stop thinking about it.
“Yeah, sorry, buddy, what did you say?”
“Can we have burgers?”
“Yeah,” I say, watching them get into the SUV before getting in myself. “Let’s get some burgers.” I back out of my spot.
We eat dinner together and I drive them to Josephine’s. I get out of the SUV at the same time as them. Every single time I come here my heart hurts a bit, not because of Josephine, but because I hate not having the kids with me full time. “Okay,” I say, standing behind them near the trunk. “Give me a hug,” I urge Westley, who grabs his bag first. He comes over and hugs my waist and I bend to kiss his head. “Love you, buddy,” I say, and he walks to the door, walking up the steps and going right in. Vincent is next as he hugs me and I crouch. “Dude, you need a shower,” I tell him and he laughs.
