Chapter 16 #2
“Tuesday through Saturday,” I say. “I’m off Wednesday through Saturday.”
“Well, this will work out great for you then,” he says, magnanimously. “You can have some child-free time to yourself.”
I don’t mention that my mom is living here.
I also don’t tell him I was hoping to do some fun things with Mia during our time off together.
I could tell him no. It’s within my rights.
He’s not giving me much notice. But I never want to be in the position of keeping Mia from her dad.
She loves time with him. I picture her, years from now, hearing that she had a chance to go to a fun Collins family reunion and I said no.
She’d be upset. And I wouldn’t blame her.
Her dad is not a mean person. He’s just … inadequate and disappointing.
“Okay,” I relent.
“Okay? Hallie, thank you. I know this was last-minute. And I don’t feel great about that.”
“It’s fine,” I say. “Try not to make a habit of it.”
I don’t know why I say that. Danny makes a habit of nothing when it comes to Mia.
“I won’t. She’s going to have the time of her life. Can I talk to her?”
“Sure. Yeah. We’re just having a girls’ night with Ave.”
“Tell Avery I said hi.”
“Mm hmm.”
I won’t. My sister is not a fan. And she’ll go ballistic when she hears what Danny pulled this time. I walk down the hall and hold the phone out to Mia.
“It’s your dad. He’s got a surprise for you.”
Avery’s expression darkens. I hold up a palm. She lightly shakes her head, her lips thin, eyes narrowed.
Mia grabs the phone and jumps up. “Hi, Daddy!”
She runs down the hall toward her room. We can still hear snippets of her side of their conversation like, “Uh huh.” Pause. “Yeah. I have next week off for spring break.” And then the squeals.
“He’s got a family thing,” I say to Avery. “Next week the Collins family is getting together over spring break. Mia’s invited.”
“Next week?” She rolls her eyes. “Way to give you notice.”
“I know.” I plop down on the couch.
She’s on the floor in front of the coffee table. Exploding Kittens is spread out, ready to play.
“You’re a saint. You know that, right?” Avery says.
“I just know his limits. No use trying to change what won’t be changed.”
“Saint.”
“Whatever.”
Mia comes running down the hall, her face lit up with the biggest smile. “Daddy is taking me to see my cousins and Gran and Gramp and all the family!”
“Pretty exciting,” Avery says.
“It’s soooo exciting!” Mia corrects her. “Next week.”
Mia looks over at me, the joy leaks out of her face, replaced by an expression of concern. “Are you sad, Mommy?” She comes closer and puts her hands on my cheeks. “Are you sad you’re not going?”
“No, Spike. I’m fine. That’s your other family. You need to enjoy them with Daddy.”
Her hands still cup my face, and if she keeps it up, I’m going to spring a leak and start crying.
“But, Mommy?”
“Yes.”
She looks straight into my eyes. “Are you sad we’re not going to go hiking on spring break and decorate T-shirts and get ice cream like we planned?”
“I’ll miss you,” I tell her, cupping her cheeks while she holds mine. “But I’ll be happy thinking about all the fun you’re having with your dad. And we can take hikes and decorate tees and get ice cream another time. I promise.”
It won’t be the same. The budding wildflowers along the trails will only bloom for a few weeks.
“That’s really mature of you,” Mia says, her face dead serious.
Avery and I burst into laughter.
“Where did you hear that?” Avery asks between laughs.
“Mommy sometimes tells me that.”
“Yep. I get the gold medal for best co-parent in small-town Tennessee.” I raise my arms in the air like an olympian, clasping my palms together and ending with a bow.
“Yay! Mommy gets the gold!” Mia shouts.
“You get the gold for sure,” Avery says, gentleness softening her eyes.
“Okay, who is going to make their way across this board?” I ask.
“Me!” Mia shouts. “Your kittens are going down!”
“Oh yeah?” Avery says, poking Mia in the side until she doubles over with giggles. “I think your kitten is going to explode in lava!”
“Both your kittens are going to need mittens!” I say.
The twin looks of confusion from my sister and daughter send me into hysterical laughter.
“Way to intimidate us,” Avery says, laughing along with me.
“I’m a beast when it comes to kitten warfare,” I say between laughs.
We spend the rest of the evening playing the board game, heating up frozen pizzas, watching a Pixar movie and stuffing ourselves with cookies warm off the baking sheet. Mia resists bedtime, so Avery and I read her chapter book to her together.
When she’s finally falling asleep, we sneak out into the living room.
We’re curled up on opposite ends of the couch, our legs tucked under us.
“This was so fun,” Avery says with a yawn.
“It was. I’m glad you came over.” I look around at the mess of plates and game pieces. “So … you’ll never believe this …”
“What?”
“You know when Coach G came over two nights ago?”
“Yeah?”
I pause. I want Avery to know. But that night in Munich still feels like something so precious and private. Sharing anything about it feels like a betrayal of sorts.
“Hallie?”
“Huh?”
“Were you going to tell me about Coach G?”
“Yeah. Yes. I am. Wait here.”
“What? You’re just going to drop the hot coach bomb and walk out of the room? No fair!”
“Wait there. It will be worth it!” I say in a half-whisper over my shoulder.
I stride into my room, pulling the photo off my dresser where I’ve had it sitting since the night Greyson was here.
My thumb rubs over the edge ever so slightly.
I never told Avery about Ace or that night in Munich.
I hold the picture in my hand, searching again for the similarities and asking myself how I missed it—missed him.
I walk out and hand her the photo. Then I tuck into the couch again.
“That’s you in Europe.”
“Yeah.”
“Who’s the hottie?”
I chuckle. “Ace. He was a young man about to deploy to Afghanistan. We met that night.”
“Doesn’t look like a we met that night photo to me.” Her eyes raise and meet mine.
“Well, that’s what it was. I got turned around and bumped into him by the cathedral in Munich. He helped me find my hostel.”
“And you took a selfie.”
“And we took a selfie.”
“And you’re showing me this now, why?”
“That’s Greyson. Coach G. Ace.”
Avery stares at the photo. “Wait. What?!”
I let the truth bomb sink in. “Yep.”
“Coach G—aka hot coach—is this guy? And you met him in Germany on your gap year? And now you work with him at the station?”
“Pretty much.”
“Oh. My. Goodness!”
“Shhhh.”
“Right. Right.” She shifts her voice to a whisper. “Oh. My. Goodness. Hallie!”
“I know.”
“So?”
“So what?”
“What are you doing about it? Look at the two of you. There’s so much chemistry flying out of this photo …
This photo you never showed me until tonight.
” She purses her lips and looks up at me through her lashes.
“This photo with his arm so casually and comfortably around your shoulders. There’s so much chemistry the paper could spontaneously combust.”
“Ha,” I say, my cheeks heating.
“So you never kissed him?” She holds my gaze.
“Not the point.”
“Oh my gosh!” her voice is loud again.
“Wake my daughter and you get to stay here putting her back to sleep and you get to come deal with her in her whiny state before her first game.”
“Sorry. Sorry.” Her voice resumes whisper softness. “You kissed him!”
“It wasn’t like that.”
“Exactly what was it like?”
“Like two people who randomly met for one night in Europe.”
“And kissed.”
“Can we drop the kissing discussion. It really was …” so much more.
“And you kept this photo all these years.” Her eyes are dreamy.
“I did. The night was …” memorable … like nothing I’ve ever felt before or since.
“Oh. My. Goodness!” she whisper-shouts. “So?”
“So, what?”
“What are you doing about it now?”
“Now?”
“Yes, now. How many people do you think meet in Europe, end up living in the same city ten years later, and end up working together?”
“Nine.”
“Nine years. Whatever!”
“Shhhh.”
“Right. Right. How many people?”
“It doesn’t matter, Ave. It’s really fun that we reconnected. But that’s it. He’s my co-worker and Mia’s coach. And I’m not looking for complications.”
“Complications?” She tsks me. “Are you kidding me? This …” She holds the photo in the air. “... is exactly the type of complication you definitely need.”
Mom’s key sounds in the door.
“Give me that. I don’t want Mom to know yet.”
“Got that right,” Avery agrees, handing me the photo just as the door swings open.
“What a mess!” Mom exclaims.
“We were just about to start cleaning up,” Avery says. “How was your night?”
Mom sighs. “Why are men my age so ... old?”
Avery laughs. “Mom. You are not exactly young.”
“I'm a lot younger than Buckshot—at least at heart. I don't want an old man.”
“What do you want, a young man?” I ask, praying she says no.
“No. Goodness no. But is it too much to ask to find a man who isn't worried about what his gastroenterologist will say if we get ice cream?”
“Buckshot has a gastroenterologist?” I ask.
And we all fall out in laughter.
Mom hangs her coat and we all clean up the living room, then we put the flowers into three vases and two mason jars, scattering them around the kitchen and bathrooms. Mom puts one on her bedside table.
“Well, the man did have good taste in flowers,” Mom says.
“Your bar has to be higher than that,” Avery says.
“It is. I knew he wasn’t a match before we even went out. You come to know these things once you’ve lived enough life.”
“Why’d you go out with him then?” Avery asks.
Avery holds the plate of cookies out to Mom. She grabs one and collapses into the side chair, kicking her boots off and taking a bite.
“Free dinner. A night out. Someone paying attention to me and making me feel like I’ve still got it.”
“Nothing wrong with that,” Avery says.
Then she turns to me. “A woman can do worse than having a man around who finds her attractive and makes her remember there's more to her than just being a mom.”