Chapter 33 Loved That Move
LOVED THAT MOVE
“Idon’t know how I let you talk me into this. Both of you,” Farrah said three days later.
“You didn’t need much talking,” he said. “It’s going to be fun. It’s only three kids.”
“And Archer. That is four boys, ages eight and nine. I’m nuts. Completely nuts to do this. But thankfully the other two couldn’t make it on short notice.”
He didn’t think four friends spending the night was that much work. He’d done it a lot as a kid.
“You’re not alone,” he argued. “I’m a pro at this.”
“That’s right. If I have to do this, so do you. He got the idea from you and then with you both begging me at dinner the other night, I couldn’t be the bad guy and say no.”
“I don’t believe there was any begging from me,” he argued.
Maybe he laughed when Archer put his hands up in prayer, then stuck his lower lip out.
Could have appeared as encouragement, but the kid was a riot.
He saw a lot of himself at that age.
And Farrah had just laughed right along with them.
“You two are a pair now so it means I can blame you both.”
He liked when she said things like that.
The next day when she’d called to tell him how many kids were coming to the sleepover and that she expected him to stay also, he knew right away there was more going on.
With Archer up and running around the house he hadn’t been able to get much out of her other than they’d talk later.
Later didn’t come because Friday, rather than him going over and hanging out with them, she was running errands and getting everything needed for this sleepover with Archer.
It was the first he’d really had a chance for them to talk.
“How long before they get here?” he asked. “I know you, you’ve got to have a ton of activities lined up.”
“I do. They are going to play outside for as long as they want. Basketball, cornhole, other lawn games I grabbed when we were out. Prizes for winners, gift bags. We are ordering pizza and there are cupcakes I made this morning.”
“Sounds like you’re the pro at this.”
“Keeping them entertained is the key. Wearing them out so they aren’t up all night is important.”
“Are you nervous having them upstairs in the loft with you down here?”
“Nope, because you’re sleeping in the guest room upstairs,” she said, smirking at him. “Archer thought it was cool. He even offered his bed, but I figured you’d be more comfortable in the queen in the spare room.”
“Yeah, I will be. But they might talk me into sleeping with them on the floor in sleeping bags.”
Just the thought of that had him both terrified over how much pain he’d be in the next day and thrilled to be included and how much fun it’d be.
“That would be up to you,” she said. “I’ve got an extra sleeping bag from when I took Archer camping once.”
“You didn’t tell me you liked camping.”
“Because I don’t like it. We did it once. One of his friends was at a campsite and asked us to come. He was only five and I didn’t want to leave him alone so I put a tent up and he and I stayed in that. It’s Liam’s parents. We know them well.”
“Can I say I’m glad you aren’t a camper because that might be roughing it too much for me in a tent. Now if we rented some RV, I’m game for that.”
“Archer has asked. Liam’s parents have one.”
“Just say the word, I can get on board with that for a vacation.”
Maybe a good way to slip it in there he’d like to spend a week with them. Of course then Archer would know he was staying the night with his mother and they hadn’t attempted that yet.
“Something to think about,” she said. “I always take two weeks off over the summer. One week when he’s with Tucker just in case something goes wrong and I have to get him.”
“Has that happened before?”
“Once. It was the first year, and Archer was scared without me. Tucker was pissed, but he had to get over it. It’s not like he spent a lot of time with his son and it was a lot for him to get used to.
After that it was fine. But you never know.
The other week I take off so we can do things together.
I haven’t decided what yet. Since he’s going to Disney, I’m not going to worry about a big trip. ”
“Camping,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows.
She laughed. “Can you take a week off? You’ve got a new job and all.”
He hadn’t thought of that. He’d just had six weeks off between jobs.
“I’m sure it’d be fine,” he said. His parents wouldn’t tell him no. He had vacation time to use like everyone else.
“Something to talk about at another time. I just need to get through this night.”
“Since Archer is entertaining himself playing games up front, tell me what is going on. You were quiet the other day after you talked to Tucker.”
She let out a sigh. “Nothing major. Or nothing more than the same.”
“Meaning he wasn’t happy about the basketball camp gift?”
“Nope and he’s not even smart enough to play along with Archer telling him how excited he is over it and thanking him. He caught on and let it go and then lit into me. You know, a waste of money.”
“Then he should pick out the gifts himself.”
“I said the same thing. Of course, I hadn’t realized that Archer came downstairs and caught me talking to Tucker and saying that he could spend more time with his kid and learn more or send him things they could talk about or do together.
It’s the same conversation all the time.
I’m over it. He’s only hurting Archer in the end. ”
“And that bothers you or is it something else?”
He was hoping she’d give him something. Anything for him to lean into and figure out what could go on in her mind between the two of them.
“Liam is pulling in,” Archer yelled.
Horrible timing.
She reached for his hand. “I owe you for this.”
“Yes, you do,” he said, laughing. “I’m going to take payment on it the minute we can.”
“I’ll find a way for it to happen so we aren’t waiting too long. You know, like I might have taken Monday off... but shush.”
“You did?” he asked, his eyes lighting up.
“Yep. I thought I’d need a day to unwind. Sunday I’ll be cleaning up everything once the kids are gone and then sitting on the couch staring into space so that I won’t be able to get anything else done I normally do on the weekends.”
“I might have to sneak out and come see you.”
“I fully expect you to do that,” she said. “Then maybe we can think about you spending the night again. I’ll see how Archer reacts to this.”
“Mom! They are walking up the front.”
“Here we go,” she said. “They know you’re here, so I can introduce you to the parents.”
“I figured you’d tell them.”
“You met Colin’s parents. He’ll be here. Then there is Brandon.”
“Got it,” he said.
She got in front of him and opened the door. “Chelsea,” she said. “Come in. This is Jayce McCarthy. He’ll be helping me tonight.”
“I heard about you,” Chelsea said.
“You did?” Farrah asked.
“Melanie mentioned she saw you both out getting ice cream.”
“Oh. Yeah. Jayce is very responsible. We’ll both be here, but I wanted you to know and meet him also.”
“I’m not too concerned,” Chelsea said. “Is your brother married to Elise Kennedy?”
“Yes,” he said.
“I went to school with Elise. She was a year ahead of me. So I guess we kind of know you and who you are.”
If it worked in their eyes, that was fine with him.
“Colin is here,” Archer yelled.
Archer and Liam ran out the front door to wait. He saw Melanie get out and remembered her.
Both mothers had their arms filled with bags, the kids carrying their sleeping bags.
It was bringing back memories of his youth.
The last kid pulled in. Had to be Brandon. Met the kid’s parents and away all the adults went, leaving him and Farrah ready to tackle four kids.
“Mom, what can we do first?”
“What do you want to do?”
“Lawn games,” Archer said. “Then can we play basketball and you and Jayce can play and we can have three on three.”
“I’m all for it. I’ll cover your mom, since we’re the two adults.”
“You’re on,” she said, shoving his arm.
Three hours later, his body was collapsing into the patio chair.
“Oh, my God. I’m old. Tell me I’m old. Why do I feel so freaking old? Everything hurts on me.”
Farrah laughed next to him. “I told you it’s a lot. Now you’re going to call your mother and thank her for doing this every year, aren’t you?”
“I don’t remember it like this.”
He was going to bring flowers and chocolate to his mother on the way home tomorrow as a thank you for putting up with him and his friends.
“You wouldn’t, just like Archer won’t.”
“Will they settle down to eat?” he asked.
“Pizza is on the way. That will hold them over for about an hour, if we’re lucky. That’s adding the cupcakes to it.”
“Do you have movies planned or something?” he asked. “I don’t want to cry defeat, but I feel it coming.”
She nudged him. “There are movies and popcorn and other candy for them.”
“Sugar? You’re going to feed them sugar and have me sleeping with them upstairs. Now it’s really not fair.”
She put her head on his shoulder while the kids were playing a game of HORSE.
He loved that move. Loved it even more that she did it in front of Archer who hadn’t even seemed to notice it.
Maybe he wanted to puff his chest out some when Archer was telling everyone how good Jayce was at basketball and where he used to work.
All those things he took so much pride in and used to show off.
For the past few months he was trying to put it behind him, but it was hard when it shaped so much of him, good and bad.
Seemed like it was more bad than good and he wondered why he was still letting his ego get in the way.
“I’d say I’d give you a massage,” she said.
“I’m going to take you up on it on Monday when I come here. I mean it. And you know what—I can give you one back.”
“I expect that you will,” she said. She looked at her watch. “I think the pizza will be here any minute.”
“I’ll go watch out for it,” he said, standing up.
Farrah let him go into the house while she stayed out with the boys. The plates and napkins were already set up for them to eat outside. Less mess for Farrah to clean up, he was sure.
When the doorbell went off, he opened the door, grabbed the three pizzas and big box of wings. Jesus, that was a lot of food, but considering how much Archer ate, he shouldn’t be surprised.
Jayce walked back through the house and then out the door to the table and put the boxes down. The boys sensed food as if they were hunters on the prowl.
He was lucky enough to jump out of the way before he lost a finger in the rapid reaching of hands.
The entire time Farrah laughed at his reaction.
He knew he was doomed tonight, but once he got his wind back, he’d have a blast.
How could he not, when every smile from Farrah and every burst of laughter from Archer wrapped around him like the warmth he’d been missing his whole life?
It wasn’t something he’d even known to long for, yet now that it was here, it felt as natural as breathing.
This—them—was what had been missing. And in the quiet awe of that truth, he knew he’d cherish it for as long as he was given the chance. As long as she’d let him keep walking in that open door of hers.
He couldn’t lose them. He wouldn’t do anything for that to happen.
But he wondered, and feared, was she thinking the same as him? As deeply as he was?
Or was it all about her son’s happiness and not what the two of them were experiencing?