11. McKinley
Presley’s eyes widen when she sees me.
She didn’t expect me to show up.
She should know better than that. Then again, it’s been a while since we’ve been together. I’ll have to remind her of who I am.
I lower myself onto the bleachers beside Presley, and hand her a to-go cup. “Half decaf, half hazelnut creamer. Hope that’s still your favorite.”
Her mouth pops open in surprise as she takes the cup from me. “I can’t believe you remembered that. Thank you.”
I lean over her and hand Avery a matching cup. “Not sure if you like hot chocolate, but got you one because it’s a superior beverage that everyone should be drinking.”
He tugs on the brim of his hat before taking the cup. “I do. Thanks.”
A blueish-purple splotch mars the skin under one of his eyes, and my stomach drops. “I hope the other guy looks worse,” I say, gesturing to his eye.
He swallows as he glances around at the families sitting nearby. “Everyone’s staring at you.”
“Let ‘em stare. I came here to see our girl play.” I wave at Alyssa who’s playing defense across the field, and she waves her stick in the air.
“ Our girl, huh?” Presley shakes her head, but I spot the slight tip of her lips and take that as a win.
“How was your day today, pretty girl?”
“Good.”
I note the sadness in her tone despite the smile she pastes on her face.
“What’s up with the black eye?” I whisper so Avery can’t hear me.
“Tell you later.”
“So, you’re a school librarian, huh?” I nudge her with my shoulder. “Sounds like one of my fantasies.”
“Lower your voice,” she hisses.
I press my lips against her ear and whisper, “This better for you?”
Her body shivers before she shoves me away. “No.”
I grin and return my attention to the field. Alyssa stands there looking like a badass with her goggles and mouthguard, but her stance is all wrong and she’s holding the stick in the wrong places.
“What days are you free this week?” I gesture to the field. “I’d like to give ‘Lyss a few pointers.”
Presley’s eyebrows shoot up. “Aren’t you busy? You have a big game coming up this weekend.”
My chest warms at the fact that she knows my game schedule. “Not too busy to make time for my girls.”
“I don’t understand the two of you,” she murmurs.
Two. Me and Chance. “He’s been to your house again, hasn’t he?”
She nods.
Jealousy streaks through me, but something else is there as well. Something that makes me feel like I’ve missed out on not just time with Presley, but with Chance. With the both of them, together.
“What’s to understand?” I lean my elbows on the seat behind me. “We missed you. Isn’t it obvious?”
“Yes, but we’re not in the same situation we were in.” She turns her head to look me in the eyes. “This isn’t college.”
“That doesn’t change a thing.”
She purses her lips. “It changes everything.”
The opposing team gets possession of the ball, charging toward Alyssa’s goalie. I jump to my feet and cup my hands around my mouth. “Stop them! Get in there, Alyssa!”
One of the kids winds back to make her shot, but Alyssa jumps in front and smacks the ball away. One of her teammates runs it back down to the other side of the field, and the crowd cheers. Alyssa’s head snaps over to me and she lifts her stick over her head in celebration.
“Woo! That’s my girl!” I clap as I lower myself back onto the bleachers. “She’s a natural.”
Presley laughs, checking her phone to make sure she got the play on video. “She’s my spirit animal.”
I pull out my phone and snap a couple of pictures so I can show Alyssa later. A few small adjustments to her stance, and she’ll be unstoppable.
“I’m going to get closer so I can get some better pictures,” Avery says as he stands.
Presley squeezes his hand. “Thanks, kid.”
Once he’s out of earshot, I ask the question that’s been on my mind since I met these kids. “Where’s their father?”
Presley hikes a shoulder. “Off traveling somewhere with his flavor of the month.”
My brows pinch together. “Does he ever see them?”
“He’ll send money for the holidays, but he stopped making time to see them years ago.” She rolls her eyes. “My sister divorced him when the kids were little, so they’re used to it by now.”
Disdain for a man I’ve never met courses through me. “How could he walk out on them? I’ve only just met them and I want to be around them as much as I can.”
Presley’s eyes glisten in the sunlight as she keeps her gaze on the field. “Not everyone has as big of a heart as you do.”
“Tell me what happened to Avery’s eye.”
She blows out a long breath before she speaks. “He’s getting bullied at school.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “He got beat up?”
She nods. “Chance came by the other day and gave him some pointers on defending himself, but I don’t know what else to do.”
“Are these kids getting expelled? What is the school doing about it?”
“The principal is letting Avery skip gym and take an extra art class instead. But Avery is worried that the kids will retaliate if he snitches.”
“They could. But that doesn’t mean we do nothing about this and let him get his ass beat.” I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone. “I can get better security at the school. Or maybe he can go to a private school, one where he can focus more on art.”
Presley covers my phone with her hand. “Stephen, no. I can’t let you do any of that.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t want Avery to think that he should run away from his problems. I hate that he’s getting hurt, and hopefully the principal will be able to put a stop to it, but he needs to learn how to overcome problems like this in life.”
I let out a frustrated sigh. “I don’t like that plan.”
“Me either.” A humorless laugh escapes her. “I don’t know what the hell I’m doing here. I’m so far out of my depth.”
“Hey, you’re doing a fantastic job with these kids.” I rest my hand against her thigh and squeeze. “They’re so lucky to have you, Pres. And I’m lucky to have you back in my life again.”
She chews on her bottom lip as she lifts her eyes to mine. “What if friends is the only capacity I can be in your life?”
It’s not, but I’ll play along. “Then I’m going to be the best friend you’ve ever had.”
She smiles, relief smoothing out her features, as if she was worried that I wouldn’t want her any way I could have her.
Presley assumes that because of her new lifestyle as a guardian, as an elementary school librarian living in suburbia, she can’t also have the kind of relationship that the three of us once had.
But that’s where she’s wrong.
This loneliness inside of me has been there since I lost two of the most important people in my life. I haven’t been able to find anyone who makes me feel the way it felt to be in love with Chance and Presley.
With Presley back in the picture, maybe the three of us can have a second chance.
And maybe it could be forever.
“So, you stalked her.”
“I didn’t stalk her. She sent me Alyssa’s game schedule, and I showed up.” I point at my sister. “That’s called an invite.”
Chelsea rolls her eyes from across the table. “I don’t understand how you’re just okay with her now after dropping you like that. Don’t you remember how heartbroken you were when she disappeared?”
I nod, talking around the lump of food in my cheek. “I do. But now that I know what happened, I can forgive her and move forward.”
“I think what she did was very selfless.” Mom reaches over and squeezes my hand. “She put your and Chance’s needs before her own, and that must’ve been extremely difficult with everything she was going through.”
My eldest sister, Kathy, takes a sip of iced tea. “I agree. She chose to grieve her sister’s death by herself, and to take care of two kids by herself, all while still being a kid herself.”
Chelsea hikes a shoulder. “I get that, but I still don’t know if I’d be so willing to open my heart to her again.”
“Have you met your brother?” Dad asks with a chuckle.
“Maybe that’s why you’re single right now, Chels.” Kathy arches a brow. “You need to let some forgiveness into that stone-cold heart of yours.”
Chelsea lets her fork fall with a clank against her plate. “No, the reason I’m single is because Darren is a lying fucking piece of shit.”
Dad and Kathy exchange knowing glances.
I clink my glass against Chelsea’s. “You keep giving him shit, CC. If he truly loves you, he’s going to stick around and keep fighting for you until you give in.”
“A little groveling never hurt anybody.” Mom grins at my father. “Isn’t that right, dear?”
He shoots her a wink. “I’ll get on my knees any day of the week for you.”
Chelsea makes a gagging noise, and Kathy laughs.
With three of our sisters scattered around the country with their spouses and kids, Kathy, Chelsea, and I make it a point to see our parents for dinner once a week as the remaining siblings. Kathy is the oldest, married and living one town over; Chelsea is the second youngest, born a year before me, and still in medical school to become an anesthesiologist so she lives in the basement here at our parents’ house.
All the siblings are close, each of us sharing different relationships with each other, but Kathy has always been my favorite. She’s patient and kind with an even-keeled temperament. I know I can go to her with anything, and she’ll give me advice with my best interest at heart.
“I want to know how things are going with Chance.” Kathy arches a brow at me. “He still an asshole?”
“Yup.” I laugh. “Honestly, I don’t know how any of this is going to work. He’s still in the closet; we’ve been fighting for years. And Presley has convinced herself that she can’t have the relationship we once did. I’m just flying by the seat of my pants here.”
“Invite them over for dinner,” Mom suggests. “I’d love to meet them.”
“It’s still new, Mom.” Chelsea shakes her head. “Give them some time before you start crocheting a baby blanket.”
Her mouth drops open. “When are you going to let that go?”
Chelsea’s eyes widen. “You made baby blankets for all six of your children before any of them had babies! How do you not see how crazy that is?”
Dad grimaces. “Don’t say the C-word. That never goes over well.”
“That reminds me,” Kathy says, wearing a smirk that tells me she’s only going to add fuel to the flame. “What did you do with my baby blanket? Since I’m not having kids, did you throw it away?”
“Of course I didn’t throw it away.”
“So, then where is it? Are you planning on giving it to someone else’s baby instead?”
Mom hikes a shoulder. “What do you care? You’re not giving me grandchildren. What does it matter to you if I gave it away?”
Kathy’s eyes bulge. “Oh my god, you totally gave it to someone else.”
Chelsea tosses her head back and laughs. “Eww, Mom. You regifted a baby blanket? That’s so creepy.”
“How is it creepy?” Mom’s shoulders straighten. “I made it for a baby, and now a baby has it. What’s the big deal?”
Kathy scrunches her nose. “You created it to the thought of my unborn child.”
I shiver. “It sounds so dirty when you say it like that.”
“Oh, to hell with you all!” Mom tosses her napkin down on the table. “I will not be shamed for wanting my grandchildren to be wrapped in the comfort and warmth of a blanket made by their grandmother.”
Dad slowly rises from his chair, taking his empty dinner plate with him.
But Mom catches on. “Are you just going to run away and not stick up for your wife?”
Dad lifts his right hand in the air. “I gotta be honest...it was a little presumptuous, sweetheart.”
She lets out a disgusted noise from the back of her throat. “Well, you know what? My existing grandchildren love my blankets, so I don’t care what you people say.”
“I’m just saying, it’s not fair that I don’t get a famous Patricia McKinley blanket just because I chose to not have children.” Patty crosses her arms over her chest and feigns offense. “I’d like a blanket of my own.”
“Or a scarf, at the very least,” Chelsea adds.
My eyes widen. “Oh, could you make a pair of slippers? I’d love?—”
“The three of you aren’t getting shit!” She pushes back her chair in a huff, and storms into the kitchen with her empty wine glass.
And the three of us howl with laughter, while Dad tries to stifle his.
I look around the room, and I imagine what it’d be like to have Presley and Chance here with me. Kathy would love Presley, and I can picture Chelsea bickering with Chance. Dad would talk about hockey while Mom doted on Alyssa and Avery.
I can see it so clearly.
I can feel it. This time around feels different than it did in college. That was fun and carefree, but now? This feels like we could be at the start of building our future together.
I only hope they feel the same way.
Kathy nudges me with her elbow. “You happy, baby brother?”
“For the first time in a long time, I am.”