“Mom, look,” Archer said. “Jayce’s arm is big. He laughed when I said it yesterday.”
No way she could avoid looking now with her son pointing as if it were a neon sign flashing.
Jayce was smirking at her. She cleared her throat. “Someone works out,” she said. Might as well have fun with this.
“It was one of my ways to relax. There is always a gym in a hotel.”
“Did you work out with the players?” Archer asked.
“Sometimes,” he said. “I’m not nearly as strong as them.”
“I’m sure you’re just being humble.”
“I’ll see how strong you are today. Jayce said we are going to OC Aerial. Mom, I’ve wanted to for ages.” Her son’s high-pitched excitement had her covering her ears.
“I know,” she said, smiling. “He told me.”
She’d seen that on the list of things Jayce had texted her. There was part of her that wanted to take her son. He’d have fun with Jayce and they’d do it another day.
“Your mother used to be fearless as a kid. She’d be the one to best us all if she had her way.”
“Can you go with us, Mom? Call in sick.”
Farrah laughed. “As much as that sounds like a better way to spend my day, I can’t. I’m sorry.”
“Maybe the three of us can go another day,” Jayce said.
She moved to get the best pan out for breakfast and set it on the stove for Jayce. “I’d like that.”
“Sounds like a date to me,” he said.
“You’re going on a date with Jayce?” Archer asked. “Mom doesn’t date anyone.”
“He meant like a family date. It can be used a lot of ways,” she said.
“Oh,” Archer said, his smile dropping. “Got it.”
She didn’t know what that was about and knew it wasn’t the time to ask. Maybe she didn’t want to know.
“I’ve got to go,” she said. “Come give me a kiss.”
“No,” Archer said, frowning. “Not in front of Jayce.”
She rolled her eyes. “Then how about a fist pump?”
Archer raced over and pushed his knuckles against hers. “I still kiss my mother,” Jayce said. “Just saying.”
“You do?” her son asked.
“Yeah. Doesn’t matter how old you are. She’ll always be your mom and the one in your corner.”
Archer looked back and forth between Jayce, who he was idolizing, then her, leaned up and she bent down and he gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“Don’t you forget that good advice either,” she said. “I’ll always be in your corner. Even when you leave the toilet seat up and don’t pick up your dirty laundry.”
“Jayce left the seat up yesterday too. See, it’s a guy thing.”
He groaned and she burst out laughing. “Too many years of living alone. Even now, I’ve got my own bathroom at home.”
