18
Charlotte
Two months later…
My hand trembles as I stare at Jason’s message. “Unbelievable.”
“What? What is it?” asks Jane as she places the last of the cupcakes in the travel container.
“It’s Jason. He’s not coming to the game with us. He knows it’s part of Charlie’s birthday gift and he was the one who mentioned going to a game.”
I seethe as I read the text again. Something came up. Won’t make it today. Have fun without me.
Unbelievable. As though it’s no big deal to break a promise to your son and then leave me to do the dirty work of telling him.
“Well, at least he showed up at the birthday party at home with his friends. You weren’t sure he was going to be there.”
I shake my head. “The expectations are so low that I have to content myself with him being an unreliable father to Charlie. That’s why I haven’t told Charlie the truth yet. It’s one thing to tell him that our ‘friend’ Jason can’t make it. It’s another to tell him that his father has something better to do.”
“Maybe it’s important.”
“I doubt it. He would have told me if it was.”
“Look on the bright side. Now you can sit back and enjoy the game with us and Charlie without having to worry about Jason.”
I shrug. “You have a point.”
“Of course, I do.”
I stare at the cupcakes. “Do you think they’ll allow us to bring those snacks into the ballpark? It’s been a while since I’ve seen a game, but I remember them checking bags years ago.”
“These are Casey’s tickets. They won’t harass his special guests. You know the Lions want to sign him, or at least that’s what he keeps telling Austin. They won’t give us a hard time.”
“It’s too bad Sage has that Yoga retreat this weekend.”
“I know. I can’t believe she’ll have to miss another opportunity to meet Casey.”
“I think it’s jinxed.”
“Don’t tell her that. You know how she gets about sports and jinxes. She takes them seriously.”
I grab the car keys, my oversized purse with Charlie’s water, and some jujubes. “All set? ”
Jane nods. “Charlie! Austin! Anthony! We’re ready to go!”
Charlie runs inside from the backyard. He’s already sweating from playing with Anthony and Austin outside. “Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s go!”
I chuckle. “That’s what I said.”
Austin walks up to Jane and kisses her softly. I turn around to give them privacy, even though he only has eyes for her.
“Here,” he says, taking the cupcakes from my hands. “I’ll put those in the trunk.”
“I can’t believe I’m heading back to Queens. I didn’t think I’d be back so soon.”
“Well, this time will be a much more pleasant experience.”
“Yeah. And maybe no one will threaten to throw me in jail this time.”
“No promises,” teases Austin. “Jane can get pretty wild during a ballgame.”
Jane rolls her eyes at Austin’s playfulness and smacks him on the shoulder.
Charlie and Anthony talk furiously during most of the car ride to the stadium. I look out the window and think how much of my life has been unplanned. For someone who organizes and writes every detail in a lesson plan, I haven’t been able to follow any sort of path for myself. Over the last few years, it seems I’ve been simply keeping my head above water.
Despite sitting in the backseat with the boys, my head drops to the window, and I fight to keep my heavy lids open.
I must have dozed off for a bit because when Charlie’s elbow rams into my boob, my eyes pop open and I spot the stadium on the other side of the freeway.
“Oh, wow, is that it?” asks Charlie.
“It sure is,” says Austin.
“It’s huge.”
“That’s what she said,” quips Austin, and I smile when Jane smacks him again on the arm.
When we drive past the building Sage and I broke into a couple of months ago, panic sets in. “Um, our gate is nowhere near that building, right?”
“Is that the one—”
“Yes.” I cut Austin off, not wanting Charlie to hear that security dragged out of a downtown office.
“Don’t worry. We go through a gate like everyone else. It says so right on the tickets Casey gave me.”
I fall back against the leather upholstery and breathe a little easier. I’m distracted by Charlie bouncing in his seat next to me, so I grab his hand to settle him. He squeezes my hand and the exuberant smile on his face is enough for me to call Casey right now and tell him I owe him whatever he wants. Although there’s nothing I could afford that Casey could not.
I pull my baseball cap down to shield my eyes from the sun. It feels so good now that the weather is finally warming up. We had a terrible winter of heavy snow, wind, and freezing temperatures. Each winter I swear I’m going to move to Florida, but I can’t imagine leaving my family and friends. So, I brave the winters each year.
We follow Austin through the sea of fans, mostly wearing NY Lions jerseys and caps. There are some brave souls wearing L.A. Jets gear, but they’re vastly outnumbered. Even though Casey plays for the Jets, we’ve stayed Lions fans.
The staff member checking Austin’s tickets directs him to the left and we follow. I steer Charlie and Anthony with a firm hand on their shoulders when their eyes desperately try to glimpse the park. “I promise the view will be worth it when we get to our seats,” I say. The Lions are trying to acquire Casey, so they gave him some free tickets to today’s game. He told us they were pretty good seats, so I feel confident telling the boys they’ll have a good view.
But when we climb up higher and higher to our seats, I worry that the Lions skimped out on these tickets. “I guess we’re not sitting in the front row,” I tease.
Austin chuckles, but not wanting to sound ungrateful, I add, “But free tickets are nothing to complain about.”
“Especially not these tickets.”
We walk down a narrow hallway, separating us from the crowd, and there are steel plates outside each door, mostly names of big corporations in the city.
“This is us,” says Austin, and I read the sign on the door. “Owner’s Box”.
“What?” says Jane when she walks inside. “Is this for real?” she whispers when she sees other people sitting in the seats below.
“Surprise,” says Austin. “It’s been killing me to hold this in ever since Casey told me what sort of seats these are.”
The boys ignore the tables and chairs in the room and run down to the reserved seats below. Our view is between home plate and first base, and while we have a perfect view of the whole stadium, we can still read the names on the players’ jerseys as they warm up tossing the ball.
“Holy shit,” I say, looking around, drinking in every detail around us. There are silver warming dishes on a table at the back and a man wearing a black-and-white uniform approaches. “Can I get you something to drink? Beer, wine, or soda? ”
“Ah…” I’m too stunned to answer. “I’ll have sparkling water with lemon, please.”
He turns to Jane. “And for you, ma’am?”
She smiles and pretends to think about it. I know Jane is just as impressed as I am, but apparently better at hiding it. “What brands of beer do you have?”
“We have several local and imported ones.”
“I’ll take a Coors Light. Thanks.”
I sidle up to her. “You played that like a boss,” I say, covering my mouth to hold back a smirk.
Jane crosses her arms and raises her chin, and I lose the battle, laughing loudly next to her. She joins in easily and Austin looks at us over his shoulder. His eyebrows rise, questioning what we’re laughing at, and Jane waves him off.
“Wow, it’s warm in here,” I say, taking off my jean jacket. Now that I’m not in town, I permitted myself to wear a tight dress that shows off my newly formed baby bump. It’s still tiny, but it’s nice not to hide the pregnancy. I haven’t told anyone yet—not even my parents. It’s just never the right time. So, today feels liberating not to have to hide from anyone.
“Oh, you look so cute,” says Jane, staring at my bump. “You’ve always had the perfect pregnancy body. With Charlie, you looked like you stuffed a basketball under your shirt while I looked like I ate the entire team. ”
We both laugh when the server returns with our drinks. “Thank you,” I say, accepting the bubbly glass of water.
“Please stand for the playing of our National Anthem,” says the announcer, and we walk down to our seats next to Austin and the boys.
Austin reminds the boys to remove their caps and place them over their hearts. The gesture is enduring, and I inhale to get a grip on my hormones as I want to cry. I’m so happy right now.
“Oh, say can you see…”
The sun shines down on the seats below us, but we’re covered in the shade. A gentle breeze ruffles my hair, and I push the loose strands away from my face. Closing my eyes, I sing along and feel the energy of the crowd, the moment, and the blessings around me. “Thank you,” I whisper.
The song ends with an eruption of applause, hoots, and catcalls. We take our seats, and I leave my baseball cap off since I no longer need it.
Casey is the starting pitcher, and we receive some nasty looks when we stand and cheer for him. I’m sure it’s confusing since we’re wearing Lions baseball caps, yet we’re cheering for a Jets player. But we’re loyal like that.
His first pitch is a strike, and the Lions player steps out of the box. At the next pitch, he pops the ball above Casey’s head and he easily catches it to get the first out. We cheer and the fans next to us boo.
“Hey, that’s our friend up there,” says Charlie. And I’m proud of him for sticking up for us. We faithfully cheer when the next batter strikes out, but silently whoop when Casey picks him off at first base.
My stomach growls loudly when the next batter comes to the plate, and Austin hears it. “I’ll go check if they’ve brought the food out yet.”
“No, no. I’ll go,” I say, but Austin is already up and puts his hand on my shoulder. “I got it.”
I turn to Jane. “You really lucked out with that one.”
“I know.”
The breeze picks up, and I put my jacket back on. I put my arm around Charlie, and he looks up at me. “Can I get a soda?”
“Sure.”
“I can get it,” says Jane, but this time I use Austin’s move on her. “I need to pee, anyway.”
She smiles knowingly and sits back down.
Before heading to the bathroom, I order a soda with the server and point him in Charlie’s direction. Then I stand next to Austin over the buffet. “Oh, that smells so delicious,” I say, inhaling the creamy pasta and tiny Swedish meatballs.
“It doesn’t smell as good as my Alfredo sauce, right?” Austin asks, looking genuinely concerned.
“Oh, it absolutely does.”
He tickles me relentlessly, the bastard, knowing that I can barely contain my bladder. “If I pee all over this floor, Austin, I’m going to kill you.”
He laughs and pulls me in for a hug. “I’m sorry, Char. I forgot what it’s like.”
“Yeah, well, I’m sure you never actually knew what it was like.”
“Oh, Jane made sure I did.”
We both laugh and look over at Jane. But I get this feeling at the back of my head, and a shiver runs down my spine.
I look over my shoulder, and my body freezes. Everything is still, except for my heart that beats like a drum in my chest.
Am I imagining this? Am I going crazy? Is this pregnancy brain?
“Caleb,” I whisper, and Austin turns to look at the man staring at me with his mouth open and eyes as big as baseballs.
I smile, but his face is blank. He stares at me and then at Austin, and finally, he mutters a rushed, “Excuse me,” before turning on his heel and quitting the room.
“Do you know that guy?” asks Austin.
I nod, unable to speak. My hands drop to my bump.
My worst fear has come true. He took one look at my pregnant belly and left. His face paled and then he ran as fast as he could.
My hands tremble, and my breathing is shallow. I’m scared I’m going to faint. I hold on to the table next to me and Austin notices. He leaves, but I don’t pay attention to where he goes. I blink, expecting him to return, willing him to.
“Char, what’s going on? Austin said I should come to you.”
“It’s him, Jane.”
“Who?”
“Caleb. He’s here. Or he was… I—”
“Where?”
“He saw my belly and ran.”
“No. I don’t believe that.”
“It’s true.” A tear escapes, and I wipe it away angrily. I was prepared to raise this baby on my own, but to be so unceremoniously rejected before I could even tell him the baby was his was humiliating.
“Let’s sit down.”
“No. Just give me a minute. I’ll be fine.”
It was a lie, but what should I have said? Why does every man in my life run from me ?
Caleb
I can’t believe it’s her. When I left St. Kitts, I thought I’d never see her again. I thought if I ever did, it would be fate bringing us together. I’m not usually the romantic type, but I believe no can take what’s meant for you.
But I’ve truly lost her. She’s here with her boyfriend.
Fuck .
I rub my chest and wonder why the hell this bothers me so much. We both agreed it wouldn’t be anything more than a fling—as incredible as it was, it was over.
Stop being a dick and go say hello.
I straighten my suit jacket and walk back to the private box. My original intention was to greet Casey’s guests, make them laugh, and get them to assist me in bringing Casey over to the Lions organization when his contract is up next season. But that plan went to hell when I saw them together.
Thankfully, I stepped away before my basic instincts fueled me to push the man aside and claim what’s mine.
She’s not yours.
I rub the palm of my hands over my jacket as I collect my emotions.
Deep breath in. You can do this .
I step back into the hallway, after exiting the bathroom, and slam right into her.
“Oh!”
I steady her by the shoulders before she stumbles forward.
“I’m sorry,” I say.
“It’s—It’s okay.”
She looks up at me, and I’m caught in her pretty brown eyes and doll-like freckles. My hand drops to her elbow.
Her chest heaves, and her mouth is slightly open. I want to lean in and take it like I’ve done so many times before. But I pull myself back. “I didn’t expect to find you here.”
She shakes her head and squares her shoulders. “Uh, me neither. Casey gave us the tickets, but I didn’t know the seats or that you—” she points to me. “Do you work for the Lions?”
I hesitate. They work for me, but I don’t bother getting into that. “Yes.”
“Oh. Oh,” she looks down, her lips pursed in thought. “And do you work inside the building on Seaver Way?”
Her familiarity with the organization surprises me. Did she know who I was when she met me in St. Kitts? No, her response was genuine. “I do.”
She smiles and shakes her head. “Sage was right. ”
“Sage? Your friend?”
“Yes. She found an obscure picture of you online and we tracked you down to your office.”
“Wait. You came to my office?”
She nods and fights off a smile.
I can’t help but smile back along with her. “What’s so funny?”
“The security staff nearly called the cops on me.”
“What?!”
She laughs. “It’s okay. I deserved it.”
“I need to hear the whole story. Let me walk you back to your seat. Your boyfriend’s probably wondering what happened to you.”
She stops walking and looks up at me. “Boyfriend?”
“Oh, maybe you haven’t labeled your relationship yet.” Or maybe they’re already married.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“The guy standing in the private box. He had his arms all over you.”
Okay, that sounds a little possessive even to my ears, but the words were out, and I couldn’t take them back.
She covers her mouth and laughs louder this time. “Are you talking about Austin? He’s not my boyfriend, although I wish I’d let him walk me home from school that day instead of Jason. But he’s my friend Jane’s husband. ”
“Jane’s husband. Oh, yes, I remember you mentioning him.”
She nods.
“So, not your boyfriend or significant other?”
She shakes her head and pouts her lips. “Nope.”
I exhale loudly, and she smiles at my relief. I’m pretty darn happy about it, too.
Surprisingly, very happy.
Still chuckling, I add, “It’s so great to see you.” I look closely at her now that she’s in front of me again, and for the first time, notice something different about her body.
I blink several times, trying to understand, when her voice interrupts my confusion.
“Caleb,” she says. “We need to talk.”