The Thunder lost both games on the road, and now we’re no longer in a playoff position. We have two more weeks to clinch a spot, which means we’re fighting for our life next game and every game until the end of the season. By default that means I didn’t get to go straight home when the plane landed. Coach was pissed and called an immediately practice. Not one player was happy about it, but no one dared complain. I was no different, even though for the first time in a long time I have more than Charlie as a reason to want to rush home.
Sadie and I have called and texted throughout the trip. Our bond after the incident in the ER is stronger than ever. She’s explained everything to me, and I realize she basically risked her job because she thought my daughter’s well-being was in jeopardy. I will never be able to thank her for that. But I will never stop trying.
Practice goes well. Eli looks solid, as always, and the losses weren’t on him. Eli let in a total of eight goals over three games, but the defense was a disaster. One of the goals was even tipped in off our own player. I meet with the head coach after practice and reiterate my feelings to him. He’s grumpy, but he agrees with me. He just hates losing, because the Thunder aren’t used to it, and neither is he. I don’t want anyone to get used to it.
Two and half hours after landing, I can finally head home, just in time to hit rush-hour traffic. We have two days before the next game, but there will still be practice. I text Sadie before I get in my car and tell her I’m heading over to get Charlie and that I can’t wait to see her tomorrow, since she’s working tonight. I make a point to ask her how her dad is and how she’s holding up. I know she won’t give me the most honest answer, but she’s more honest with me than anyone else.
I hop in the SUV and drive straight to Hunter’s. They live in the back half of an old Victorian, so you have to walk through the backyard to get to their front door. As I knock I can see into their tiny living room through the half-moon window in the door. Mia is home with Charlie, and Lauren is there too. At first I feel like I must have fallen into a black hole and gone back a decade because Mia and Lauren are sitting on the couch, smiling at each other over cups of tea. They haven’t done that since a few years before the divorce. Charlie is plopped down in the middle of the overstuffed bean bag chair, her eyes glued toBrave,which is playing on the TV.
Mia waves at me to come in. I use the key they gave me to open the door, and I step inside. Lauren looks completely different from that night in the ER parking lot. She’s in brown suede leggings and a white sweater. Her makeup is perfect, and her hair is too. But most important, she’s calm and even smiles at me, without contempt. I nod at her and walk over to Charlie. “Hey, honey! I’m back!”
“Hi, Daddy! Missed you,” she says, but her eyes don’t leave the TV. Oh, God, I’ve created a monster. I look over at Mia, who stands up and hits the off button on the TV. Charlie looks like someone just murdered her class hamster.
“We have to go pack you up,” Mia explains. “Sorry, but I think you know how it ends.”
“But I wanted to see the part where she—”
“Charlie, no sass-talking your aunt. Do what she’s asking,” Lauren says in a quiet but firm voice.
Charlie groans in protest but gets up and follows Mia out of the room. Mia squeezes my arm as she passes. I wait until I know they’re out of earshot, and then I face Lauren. “Thank you for canceling the hearing.”
She nods and puts her half-empty teacup on the coffee table. “I didn’t have a choice.”
“No. You didn’t.”
She stands up. “I’m not moving to New York. Cale and I are done.”
I feel a hundred pounds lighter at that declaration. Lauren looks pretty upset by it but also resolved. The one thing I still admire about my ex-wife is that when she makes a decision she follows through on it. She’s not the least bit wishy-washy. She looks me square in the eye. “Just to be clear, Cale wasn’t at my home when it happened. His roommate called and woke me up to tell me after he called 911, and so I raced to the hospital. I had to bring Charlie with me because I couldn’t leave her home alone.”
“You could have called me. I would have gone over there and stayed until you got back, and Charlie could have slept through the night,” I tell her flatly.
“You were working,” she counters. “I still know the Thunder’s schedule, Griffin.”
After a brief silence of us just staring at each other, she sighs. “I never would have let her near him if I knew what he was into,” Lauren tells me, and I can feel the guilt that’s radiating off of her. “She is the most important thing in my life.”
“I know,” I say. “So now what?”
“I’m willing to go back to the original joint custody agreement if you will,” Lauren says, and her hazel eyes are filled with fear. She thinks I’m going to make a play for full custody now, and she knows I have reason to. “I made a mistake with Cale, but I’ve learned from it and I will never do that again.”
“We have to do better—with each other,” I reply, and I’m including myself in that statement. “Which is why I’m telling you I’m going to officially introduce Charlie to Sadie, because she’s my girlfriend and it’s serious.”
“The girl from the parking lot?” Lauren looks like she is going to start spitting nails any minute.
I stand my ground. “Yes. And she is an amazing person, and you’ll have to meet her officially one day too, because she’s going to be around for a while.”
This takes a few seconds for Lauren to absorb. I use that time to repeat what I said earlier because I meant it. “We need to do better. Be kinder to each other and work as a team, because we owe that to Charlie. That means complete disclosure and we talk things out and come to agreements.”
“I don’t like her.”
“You don’t have to. You just have to respect her,” I explain. “Because she respects your daughter and me, and she’ll respect you too.”
“So we can go back to our original agreement?” Lauren’s only real focus right now is keeping ties to Charlie. That’s okay. In fact, it makes me feel better.
“Yes. If Cale is really, truly gone for good.”
“He is. I swear on our daughter’s life,” Lauren says, and I can see the pure honesty in her expression. “So I can take her home today?”
I nod. “Yes. But on Wednesday when I get her for my schedule overnight, I’m going to take her to dinner. With Sadie.”
