Chapter 9
Sabre
Ifind out about a community event at the last minute on Friday when I pick Noah up from school. A crumpled-up flyer falls out of his backpack while he’s rooting around for his math test to show me the A+ he earned.
I bend down and pick it up off the ground.
The title across the top reads, LAS SALINAS PARKS & REC ANNUAL FATHER AND SON FIELD DAY.
It’s being held tomorrow. I read over the flyer carefully.
The event features outdoor activities like tying flies for fly fishing, a grilling contest, and competitive sports.
It says, bring your boy, your favorite outdoor activity, and your appetite.
It sounds all kinds of interesting, like something Gus and I would have enjoyed back in the day.
I don’t remember there being cool shit like this when I was a kid.
Noah tugs it out of my hand, folds it into a small square, and stuffs it back in the side pocket of his backpack. “It’s for dads,” he says matter-of-factly. “My teacher handed them out to everybody, even kids without dads. She doesn’t check stuff like that.”
He climbs on behind me and is quiet all the way home. I drop him off like always and watch Aunt Carol open the door for him before I ride away. Something about the look on Noah’s face when he said it was for dads made my chest ache.
I toss and turn all night, thinking about this situation with Noah and that father-and-son event.
I get up bright and early the next morning, shower, and dress in my cut like always.
I grab the gift I ordered for Noah and head over to Linsey’s house.
I stop and pick up a couple of coffees on the way.
When Linsey opens the door wearing a pretty pink robe with her hair loose around her shoulders, I almost forget the reason I came. She’s a beautiful woman, and this isn’t a sight that I could see myself ever taking for granted. She looks confused for a second. “What day is it?”
“It’s Saturday. I stopped by because there’s a father-and-son event in town, and I was wonderin’ if I could take Noah.”
She takes the coffee that I offer her and gestures for me to follow her. We end up in her living room. “Tell me more. I haven’t heard about this event.”
“It’s somethin’ the Parks and Rec Department is hosting, a field day out at the lake.
There’s gonna be all kinds of kid-friendly activities.
It starts at ten and ends in the late afternoon, around four.
The flyer says fathers and sons, but I don’t think anyone’s checkin’ DNA at the entrance.
I’d like to take Noah, if you give your okay, of course. ”
She just stares at me, looking all confused and adorable. Then she takes a sip of the coffee I brought for her.
“Look, I don’t think Noah realized we could just slide right in there. He’s a pretty concrete thinker. He literally thought only kids with fathers were allowed to go. That’s probably why he never mentioned it to you.”
Before she can answer, little feet race down the stairs, and Noah comes to a skidding stop right in front of us. “You’re really here about the field day?” Looking from one of us to the other, he explains, “I was listening through the vent, and that’s what you said. You said you wanted to take me.”
“Yeah, the flyer that fell out of your bag looked like fun.”
Noah chatters away excitedly, but I notice that Linsey’s not chiming in to give her approval. “It really did look like fun. It’s out at the lake. I love going there. All the kids at school were talking about it, and some of the girls were even threatening to come. Can you believe that?”
“Let them,” I say. “The more the merrier, right, buddy? No reason girls can’t do stuff like fly fishin’.”
Noah shrugs. “I guess. I don’t care about girls.” Turning towards his mother, he asks, “Is it okay, Mom? We’ll be really careful around the water ‘cause I know you worry about that.”
I reach out and drape my arm around Noah’s shoulders. “Yeah, I’ll stick right by his side and make sure nothin’ bad happens to him. It would be great for you to get a Saturday all to yourself. You could have a spa day or get your nails done.”
Linsey takes another sip of her coffee before answering. “Of course you can go. Be back in time for dinner.”
Noah throws both fists up in the air and yells, “Yes. This is going to be the best day ever.”
I slide the box from under my arm and hold it out to him. “I bought you a little somethin’ special to wear.”
Noah reaches for it. “Another gift. You must really like me. Aunt Carol says I grow on people like an exotic fungus.”
I press my lips together to keep from laughing. “Do you need help opening it, buddy?”
“No, I’ve got a letter opener in my room,” he says, racing back upstairs.
“Sabre, what did you do?”
I take a strategic sip of coffee and try to look innocent. “Just bought him a new outfit. You’ll see when he comes back downstairs. It’s nothing to worry about. I promise.”
When she doesn’t immediately respond, I talk about the math test from yesterday that he aced and how it was on compound fractions, which are technically his weakness, so this is a huge win for him.
About the time that I’m winding up that monologue, Noah comes downstairs, looking much more like a mini-me than I anticipated when I bought the outfit. He’s got his backpack and his helmet stuffed under his arm.
Linsey looks over his new outfit, taking in his jeans, T-shirt, and lace-up boots, all black. I even bought him a kid-sized leather vest. On the front right-hand side is a patch bearing his name. He looks real nice, in my opinion.
Noah stands at attention, practically vibrating with excitement.
So, I step up for him. Walking over, I tug the vest to make sure it sits evenly across his shoulders, check that the snaps are working properly, and dust off the patch.
“This vest is perfect for you. It’s made of real leather, just like the brothers wear.
It’s loose enough for you to wear for a couple of years but not so loose it hangs off your body right now,” I tell him.
“I love it,” he says happily.
I hand him the second part of the present, a patch that reads, Level One Knife Throwing Expert. He takes it and holds it between his fingers like it’s made of gold.
“You earned that patch, Noah. It ain’t no participation award. You’ve had three lessons, logged forty-one throws, and have a clean safety record. You should be proud. Wear that patch like it means somethin’.”
“Yes, sir,” he says proudly.
“Go find your practice blades and your canteen. We’re wheels up in ten.”
He shoots off again, happy to have something interesting to do today.
I know that feeling. When I turn back to Linsey, she’s standing with her hand over her mouth and tears in her eyes.
She’s staring at me, and I’m hoping it’s because of the amazing night we shared a few days ago, but something tells me it’s because Noah and I are getting along so well.
“Thank you,” she says in an emotional tone. “For this and everything else you’ve done for him.”
“Look, it’s no big deal. I enjoy spendin’ time with Noah doing guy stuff. It brings back memories of spendin’ time with Gus all those years ago.”
“Sabre, you’re making a huge difference in the quality of Noah’s life.” She wraps her arms around me and adds, “Mine too.”
My arms come up to hug her back. “You’re welcome. It’s a privilege getting to know you both. You’re good people. Spending time with you and Noah ain’t no hardship, darlin’.”
“He’s a good boy. Sometimes I wondered if I did the right thing leaving my family. I mean, I know it was for the best. But for the past ten years it’s just been us and I always worried I wasn’t enough.”
“Noah might be a little kid, but he’s real smart for his age.
He’s curious about the world, works hard, and is learnin’ to deal with his bully.
Your son’s a lot braver than he realizes.
Bein’ the one who gets to show him things is the best part of my week.
Him and the woman who’s doin’ a fantastic job raisin’ him. ”
She looks at me for a long, hard minute and then lowers her head to rest against my chest. We stand like that for about two minutes before Noah comes back into the room. Then we break apart, and Linsey walks us out to my bike.
“Come out to my place next weekend,” I say before she turns to leave.
Glancing at Noah, I add, “Both of you are invited. We can have a cookout. There’s a good fishing hole on my property, if we decide to give that a try.
I have three spare bedrooms. You can pick whichever ones you want.
We can set up the target board and get some more knife throwin’ in.
Maybe after dark we can have a campfire and roast marshmallows.
We can even make breakfast together the morning after. I know you’ve been eyein’ my Griswold.”
Linsey gives me a warm smile. “That sounds like a nice, relaxing evening, Sabre.”
Something tight loosens in my chest. Asking Linsey to come to my house for the night is one thing. Asking her and her son to spend the night is entirely different, and we both understand that this is a step forward in our relationship.
“So, you’ll come?” I ask.
“Yes. We’d like that.”
After saying our goodbyes, we ease out onto the road, leaving Linsey standing in her driveway, staring after us.
***
The event area is crawling with people by ten thirty.
It’s almost exclusively dads and sons. Smoke is already rolling off the grill as men line up to load it up with hot dogs, hamburgers, and some other odds and ends.
There are camp chairs and picnic tables scattered around.
Some kids are playing football in a field.
Others are playing horseshoes, cornhole, and other outdoor games.
Several fold-up tables are pushed together, and someone is teaching a class on tying fly fishing lures.
There’s even an old guy making rope. That’s just what I can see from where we’re standing.