“It’s not that hate them, per se. It’s more that I don’t have time for this sparkle shit. I have games during the holiday period.”
“Liar. You have three days off at Christmas. Prime holiday time, don’t ya think?”
Damn it. Of course, she knows the schedule. Her brother plays. And I hate the way she saidthinkwith the little pop and a knowing glare fixed on me.
I shrug my shoulders. “Aren’t we a smartass today.”
She smiles cheekily. “I am always.”
I bite the inside of my cheek and take a moment to adjust to the fact that the decorations are going nowhere. “Fine. But you have to clean this shit up at the end of Christmas.”
“New Year’s. The holiday season ends after the first of the year, unless you would like us to include Three Kings Day on January sixth.”
My eyes widen, warning her not to test me right now, even though Imightbe fighting a faint smile due to her humor today.
“Mom!” We both hear Enzo call out, and it is an alarming tone.
Without reluctance, Lainey runs into the apartment, leaving the door wide open behind her. My foot moves forward then back, hesitating about how involved I should be. Then again, a kid just yelled out, and it sounded urgent. I quickly turn back and hang my dry cleaning on my doorknob then dash straight back and into Lainey’s apartment.
Only briefly do I notice that this place has a woman’s touch, with candles and framed photos, and I nearly trip over a toy in the process of reaching Lainey and Enzo by the window in the living room.
“Is everything okay?” I ask.
Enzo smiles ear to ear and jumps as he points outside. “It’s snowing! Look, Mom.” He yanks Lainey’s arm close.
She chirps a little laugh. “I see.”
I can’t help but half-smile to myself. Enzo is purely excited for the first snow of the year. We’ve had sleet already, but this is proper snow that sits on the ground. November snowfall is normal for Illinois. I used to be as excited as him when the first sign of winter was visible with flakes. It also meant that hockey season on frozen ponds had begun.
“We can gosledding!”
Lainey giggles and rustles her son’s hair. “Need a little more snow than that.”
“Can we build a snowman? We have carrots, right?” He is so enthusiastic that I forget about the fact Lainey butchered my door with garland.
“Still not enough snow for that, either,” she confirms.
I take a step forward and peer up through the glass to the clouds. The flakes are by no means mere flurries. Soon there will be a sheet of snow on the ground. “Maybe later today,” I note.
The sound of awowbecomes background noise as I consider if the snow will put a damper on my plans for tomorrow’s practice and our team traveling out. I guess that’s a day away.
“Please, Tyler?”
The sound of a pleading seven-year-old brings my attention back to the fact that I’m standing in Lainey’s apartment. “What?” I must have missed the first part of his request.
“If there is enough snow later, will you help me outside? My mom sucks at pulling the sled, only my Uncle Seb used to be able to do it.”
Lainey sets her hand on her son’s shoulder. “Hey. We don’t say suck. Don’t make the swear and bad-word jar return.”
Cliché.
“Besides, I’m sure Tyler is busy,” she adds.
“Are you?” Enzo’s eyes marvel at me, and his hands are laced together to beg.
“I am…” I glance to Lainey who stares at me strangely. “Today, I’m…” My voice grows uneven, but then I think logistically, and surely it won’t snow enough for sledding by the afternoon, so I’m essentially off the hook. “Sure, kiddo.” I smile at him.
He jumps up and down in excitement. “Awesome. I’m going to search for my sled.”
