Page 6 of A Really Bad Idea

I laugh at his joke, mostly because I know they have a great relationship. Yes, his father demands a lot of his son, as most successful men do. They also have a rapport that only comes when two men genuinely get along.

“Enjoy your game, Christian.”

I can’t see him, but I can feel his warm grin through the phone. “Sweet dreams, Meadow.”

We hang up, and I’m not surprised to feel a smile on my face. Despite a very messy divorce, I’ve come out on top, mostly because of Christian.

When I found out Brock was having an affair—scratch that, multiple affairs, I was a mess of tears, and Christian took the red-eye from San Francisco and showed up at my door with a bottle of Johnnie Walker and two shot glasses.

When Brock had to pack up his stuff, it was Christian who booked me a day at the spa while he stayed here and watched Brock move his shit.

And, every time we go to a sports bar and the Islanders are playing, Christian slips the bartender a hundred bucks to make sure the TV in my section is playing anything but hockey.

My hand rises to my clavicle and the wishbone charm Christian got me as a wedding gift. It was an odd choice for a present, as he got nothing for Brock, but it’s my favorite, and I wear it every day.

I can see why Angela would say Christian and I should be a couple. He’s the best man I’ve ever known, but what we have is too valuable to risk. Besides, what I need and what Christian wants are two very different things.

So very, very different.

“Hit B! Hit B!” my nephew Aiden shouts in my ear. His tiny six-year-old body nearly falls into me as he jumps on the couch.

“It’s hard to steer and press the buttons.” I careen to the right and my Luigi avatar, riding a pretty sweet-looking motorcycle, crashes into the side of Princess Peach’s castle.

My other nephew Dylan looks cool and confident. We’re in a one-on-one battle to see who can place higher in Mario Kart. So far, I’m losing badly to a ten-year-old.

“Come on, Aunt Meadow. Drive into the question mark. Maybe you’ll get the bullet, and it’ll zoom you up to third place,” Aiden yelps.

Dylan’s hands are firm with confidence on the steering wheel controller. His steely-gray eyes he inherited from my brother are narrowed in focus.

“It’s a given. You always get the bullet when you’re in last place,” Dylan predicts.

My motorcycle is back on track as I navigate through the race, and just like the boys said, I get the magic bullet, which zips me through the course and past Toad, Bowser, Baby Luigi, and Wario.

Dylan crosses the finish line first, and his Mario avatar cheers in rejoice. I’m far behind.

“Fifth place,” I state, disappointed. “That stinks.”

“Winner!” Dylan cheers for himself, his hands up in the air as he chants his own name. “You’re terrible at this game, Aunt Meadow.”

“Am not!” I defend.

Aiden agrees with his older brother as he leans on my shoulder and says, “You get beat by a kid every time.”

I tap him on the nose. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”

He smiles a toothless grin from having just lost his two front teeth. “Or what?”

Raising my fingers, I wiggle them in the air and reach out to him. “Or I’ll … tickle you to death!”

I lunge for his tummy and tickle up and down the sides of his torso, causing him to laugh while curling his legs in and rolling over. Not letting up, I keep my hands moving as his brown hair flops about, the smile on his face grows bigger, and his laughs get louder.

The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs announces Beth’s entrance. She’s dressed like the quintessential upper-class, suburban mom with her shoulder-length blonde hair pulled back in a low ponytail and a lightweight turtleneck paired with beige pants. When she sees me sitting here, playing with my nephews, she makes a face like she’s been looking for me for hours.

“There you are,” Beth says.

“We were just playing some Mario Kart,” I answer innocently and release Aiden from his tickle torture.

She points a finger at Dylan and gives her best mom glare. “You’re grounded from video games from that stunt you pulled at the mall.”