“Bad word, Daddy.”
Crap.
“Can Daddy get a pass since we’re at the hospital?” I ask my son.
“Can I get an extra toy?”
Sutton laughs at the exchange.
“If I say yes, does that count?”
“Yes.” His smile is big, a big gap between his two front teeth. If he takes after me, I have no doubt he’ll need braces when he’s older.
“You know what my daughter really likes?” Sutton asks Troy. I love that she’s talking to him. It’s putting him at ease in this loud and scary hospital.
“What?”
“She likes magnetic building blocks. Last week she built a school bus.”
“Can I build one too? Or maybe a rocket ship?”
“Who’s building a rocket ship?” A new voice enters the room. An older man with slick, brown hair and a white coat drops down onto the stool by the bed.
“I want to!” Troy tries to move, but I hold him close. The school did their best to try and immobilize his arm, but I don’t want him doing anything else to it.
The doctor taps away on his computer, examining whatever is on his screen. “Well, good news, he won’t need surgery.”
“Thank God.”
I drop another kiss onto Troy’s head. I don’t think I could handle sitting through any kind of surgery with him.
“Well, let’s get your arm all bandaged up and you can be on your way to building rocket ships in no time.”
“Will it hurt?”
“Not at all.”
The doctor’s smile is a cocky one—probably because he has the skill to back it up. He’s someone I would’ve liked to have met on the football field back in the day. Wipe him out with one hit.
Except that’s not who I am anymore.
Ever since Troy came into my life, he’s been at the center. With a jersey chaser for a mother, I didn’t want my son growing up with someone who would be in and out of his life. Someone that is always looking for the next payday.
It was easy to give up that life the day they put Troy in my arms. Nothing else but him matters. Even if it’s been a lonely few years on my own.
Another nurse comes into the room with a tray of supplies.
“Why don’t we let them wrap his arm and I’ll walk you through aftercare?” Sutton pulls my attention away from the doctor.
“Will he be okay?” I ask.
“Of course. We’ll even let him pick the color of his cast.”
“Blue!” he shouts.
“Whatever you want,” the new nurse says.
I follow our original nurse out of the room, trying to keep my eyes averted from her sweet ass. But what an ass it is.
