Chapter 34
Seth
My former coach and his wife come into the apartment. He has his arm across her shoulders while she puts her hand on her protruding belly. I pull out a chair for her, and he helps her sit.
“I’m glad everyone is here,” Layla announces. “You aren’t going to believe what I found out about Wakowski from his father?”
My eyes narrow at her, but she won’t look at me. She walks away and goes to her purse. Jasmine and Johnny come running into the kitchen like two bats out of hell. Jasmine goes straight for Coach, and Johnny tries to climb on Jeannie. I lift him and put him on her lap. He becomes mesmerized by her round belly and puts his head on it.
“Ball?” he asks while touching it.
“Baby,” Jeannie says. “Two babies.”
“For me?” Johnny asks.
“No, for me.” Coach snatches him from Jeannie and puts him on his lap.
“No,” Johnny says to Coach before he reaches for Jeannie again. When she takes him back, he puts his ear on her stomach while his little hands touch it.
“Two giant babies because my husband can never do anything like a normal person,” Jeannie complains. “Someone, please get me some cold water.”
Vickie runs to my fridge before I can and comes back with two bottles of water for Jeannie. That’s when my wife comes back holding a manila envelope.
“You guys won’t believe this,” she says, and I prepare myself for everyone’s reaction. I know what’s in there. “Seth Wakowski,” she says, pointing at me. “That fool over there who does nothing but gyrate on the court after every basket. That one,” she says while waving the envelope around and gyrating her hips like I do, “has never gotten anything other than an A in his entire grade school life.”
“No way,” Vickie says. “This guy over there? Him?” she asks while pointing at me.
“I’m offended,” I say to my guests.
“I have the proof right here.” She hands Vickie the envelope. She opens it, and Colt towers above her while he looks. Even Charlie looks too.
“This guy?” Charlie asks. “He mooned me the first time I met him.”
“Oh, that’s because I saw you from a distance, and I thought you were your brother.” I throw my head back and let out a loud belly laugh. “You should have seen the look on your face.”
“Mistaking him for his brother is not a good reason to moon him, Seth,” Vickie says.
“I’m not surprised. I saw his transcript when we were recruiting him,” Coach says. “He only did a year of college, but he had a perfect grade point average.”
I puff out my chest and jut out my chin while I look around the room. “I won’t mention how offensive this is, wife,” I say while I look at Layla. “I’m brilliant on and off the court. Deal with it.” I shoot an imaginary ball.
“And he took all advanced placement classes too. His dad said he was going to become a doctor.”
“Let me see those,” Jeannie says. When Layla hands her one of my report cards, she lets out a loud whistle. “These look fake,” she says.
“They’re copies,” Layla admits. “His dad wouldn’t let me take the originals, so I had to go make copies. Next time, I’ll have to bring some of his elementary school pictures. He was pretty cute, believe it or not.” She grins at me, and I snort at the backhanded compliment.
While everyone looks over my old report cards, I’m reminded that there are no school pictures after the eighth grade. Whatever little normalcy I had before that left when my stepmother fled town.
The only high school picture I have is from my yearbook. I had a summer job and scraped enough money to pay the senior dues that year. There was no one at any of my games and no one to cheer for me when I graduated. There was no celebration and no going away to college party. I was the first person in my family to ever go to college and no one cared. My father only cared because I was leaving him behind.
I shake my head. I don’t want to think about that right now. Or ever again. Whenever I do, I consider abandoning my father the way he abandoned me.
“Can we eat now?” I ask. “Chastains, just stay. There’s plenty.” They shrug and grab chairs. I serve the kids, Coach serves his wife, and everyone else serves themselves.
While everyone is seated at the table, I eat standing up by the kitchen island. Layla joins me, and I pull the stool out for her. She smiles and sits. I notice Coach watching me, and I remember the conversation we had the day they summoned us over to grill us about our impromptu marriage. I tilt my head toward Layla, and nod. He shakes his head at me and turns back to his food.
“Save this date, everyone,” Jeannie says. “We’re throwing Seth and Layla a wedding reception. I’ll let you know where.”
“Let’s do a bridal shower too,” Vickie says. “I’ll plan that.”
Layla stands and practically bounces from excitement.
“Let’s have it at The Pierre so we can see our old colleagues,” Jeannie suggests. “Let’s figure out a date, and I’ll reserve a room.”
I should have known they would do this. They are the same people who threw me a baby shower after I had Jasmine. When she came to live with me full-time, they helped me with a nursery, took me shopping, and promised to be there for me whenever I needed. And they have been.
I never had close friends before them. I kept everyone at a distance in high school. I was only in college for a year, and I was so busy with basketball and classes, I didn’t form any lasting friendships. Even when I joined the league, I still kept everyone at a distance. I busied myself with women, and in between playing and sleeping around, I had my father to look after. He’s been more work than Jasmine.
As if he can sense my thoughts, my phone starts to ring with his tone. I pull it out of my pocket and silence it.
“Are you guys sure?” I ask. “You’ve done so much for me already.”
“We’re sure,” they say at once.
“My wife wants everyone to be as happy in their marriage as she is in ours. Let her do this,” Colt says.