by K. Street
She groaned. “That’s what I was afraid of.”
“Mimi!”
She waved me off. “Oh hush. I might be old, but I’m not dead.”
I followed her into the kitchen.
“Presley is perfect for you.”
“How can you say that? You barely know her. And where is Zeke?”
“He’s still sleeping.”
“It’s almost nine.”
“I’m well aware of what time it is, and don’t change the subject. Do you want some coffee?”
“Yes, please.”
She reached into the cabinet and pulled out a mug, placing it next to hers on the counter.
After she filled them both, she added cream and sugar to hers before carrying the cups to the table.
She took a seat, and I sat in the chair adjacent to her.
“It’s just a feeling I have. I can’t explain it. The first time I met your mother, I had the same feeling. I knew Elizabeth was the girl for my Marco.”
I shot her a look of disbelief. “They were kids. How could you have known?”
“I just did. Your mama was special. She radiated warmth and kindness. Even as a little girl. There was a selflessness about her.”
I sipped my coffee while Mimi dived into her story.
“When your dad was little, he had chicken pox. A case so bad that he looked like a cartoon character. Your mama brought him his schoolwork every afternoon along with a little note, which she insisted on giving him.” Mimi paused to sip her coffee before she continued, “Your other grandma …”
Mimi made a face that had me nearly choking on my coffee.
She wasn’t a fan of my maternal grandmother.
Mom getting pregnant with me so young, even though she had been eighteen, never sat well with my other set of grandparents. They’d ended up disowning her.
“Gretchen,” Mimi continued, “knew as well as I did that there was no sense in trying to keep Marco and Lizzy apart. Two weeks later, your mama ended up with chicken pox, and every day after school, your dad would go to visit her.”
“That’s sweet.” I wondered why I’d never heard the story before.
“It was. Of course, Marco didn’t take Lizzy little notes with her schoolwork. He made her paper airplanes. One for every day of school she missed.”
“His two loves. Mom and planes.” I chuckled.
“Until he had you boys.”
We grew quiet then. Each lost in our own thoughts.
After a few minutes, I broke the silence. “I miss them.”
Mimi stretched her arm toward me. Her delicate hand gave mine a squeeze. “I know, baby. I miss them too.” She sighed as she clasped her palm around her coffee mug and stared into it for a long second before her eyes were on me again. “You deserve to have a love like that, Ryder.”
“Thanks, Mimi.”
“You’re not getting any younger, you know.”
“Playing the age card. That’s low.” I took a drink of coffee. “There will be time for love later.”
She made a show of looking under the table and then glancing around the room.
“What are you doing?”
“Looking for your crystal ball. Since you seem to think you can predict the future.”
“Very funny.”
“I’m not being facetious.” She tilted her head toward the ceiling and slightly shook it before settling her eyes back on me. “You young people are so frivolous. You’re always wasting time. Always waiting for something. To reach some illustrious goal or a certain age. To have enough money in your bank account. You think you have all the time in the world. There will come a point in your life when you’ll wish you hadn’t wasted so much of it. You’ll have more life behind you than you do ahead of you.”
“I’m not exactly wasting time, Mimi. I’m raising a kid.”
“That doesn’t mean there isn’t any room for someone else. You make the time for what is important. This crazy notion of being shackled to a life of self-sacrifice just because you’re a single parent is preposterous. One of these days, you’re going to have to stop using Zeke as an excuse to avoid being in a relationship.”
“Mimi,” I warned.
“Don’t take that tone with me, young man. You aren’t too big for a wallop. It’s not like I’m arranging your marriage or telling you to join one of those dating apps. You don’t want to be cat-switched.”
I barked out a laugh. “You mean, catfished.”
“I said what I said.”
She got up to refill her coffee. Then, she topped mine off before she sat back down.
“You’ve got to stop living your life in a holding pattern. If the right girl comes along, take a chance. Open your heart. It might work out, or it might blow up in your face, but you’ll never know unless you’re willing to take the risk.” She patted my hand. “Trust me, love is always worth the risk.”
“That was some speech. I’m fairly sure this is where you say, Thanks for coming to my TED talk.”
Her brows dipped in confusion. “Who’s Ted?”
“Never mind.”
“Suit yourself. Just promise me, you’ll think about what I said.”
I needed this conversation to be over, and the only way that would happen was if I gave Mimi what she’d asked for.
“I will,” I promised, and I meant it.
“Good. Now, what do you boys have planned today?”
“I’m not sure yet. Maybe the beach, or I might give Carter a call.”
The shuffle of feet drew our attention.
“Hey, sleepyhead,” I greeted my little brother.
Mimi opened her arms to Zeke. “Good morning, sweetheart.”
“I sleeped a long time.” He yawned. Then, he laid his head on Mimi’s shoulder.
She wrapped him in a hug and rubbed his back. “You did sleep a long time. Are you hungry? How about some cinnamon rolls?”
Zeke nodded.
“All right. Sit with Ryder, and I’ll light the oven.”
Zeke turned and reached out to me.
I lifted him onto my lap. “Hey, bud. Did you stay up too late last night?”
“A little bit.” He nestled into my chest, and I dropped a kiss to the top of his head.
I tightened my hold on him while I leaned forward and pulled my cell from my pocket with my free hand. After I shot off a text to Carter, I turned my attention to Mimi and found her watching us.
“Can I help you with anything?”
“I’ve got it. You just keep doing what you’re doing.”
She busied herself with making breakfast while I loved on Zeke.
The condo was quiet, except for bacon sizzling in a skillet, so when my phone rang a few minutes later, we all jumped from the shrill sound.
Carter’s name appeared on the screen. I swiped my index finger over the phone and then put it to my ear.
“Hey, man. How’s it going?” I asked into the phone.
“Hey yourself. It’s been a minute. How are things?”
“Can’t complain. You busy today?”
“Nah. I treated Kendall to a spa day, so I’m hanging with Brucey.”
“Nice. I was thinking about taking Zeke to the trampoline park. You guys want to meet us there?”
My little brother sat upright, suddenly wide awake. He clasped his hands, as if he were praying, and began bouncing. “Can we? Can we? Please. I’ll be so good.”
I put my index finger over my lips and then nodded.
Zeke fist-pumped the air. Thankfully, he missed my face.
Carter laughed on the other end of the line. “Someone’s excited.”
“Just a little.”
“Sounds like a plan. What time were you thinking?”
I glanced across the kitchen to the digital clock on the microwave. “It’s almost nine thirty. Let’s say, eleven?”
“Great. See you then.”
“Later.”
I disconnected the call.
Zeke squirmed off
my lap and started dancing around the kitchen while chanting, “We’re going to the bouncy park. Going to the bouncy park. Going to play with Brucey.” He stopped mid-wiggle. “Is Brucey coming?”
His antics made me chuckle.
“Yes,” I answered, “but first, we have to eat breakfast, and you have to calm down, dude.”
“Okay,” he agreed, suddenly deflated.
“Go get dressed. You can brush your teeth after breakfast.”
“All right.” He ran in the direction of his room, singing, “Going to the bouncy park. Going to play with Brucey.”
The corners of my mouth tipped upward.
I stood and carried my coffee cup to the sink, kissing Mimi on the cheek as I passed by. “Thanks for the talk this morning.”
“Anytime, sweetheart. Take my advice. I’m old. And I know things.”
“I’ll try. And you’re not old.”
“I’ll be seventy. I’m hardly a spring chicken. I appreciate the compliment all the same.”
“I’m going to get Zeke’s stuff together.”
“Breakfast should be ready in ten minutes or so.”
“Thanks, Mimi.”
I ambled through the living room and went down the hall in search of Zeke.
He was in the midst of tugging on a shirt when I sauntered into the guest room Mimi had set up for him.
“Need some help?”
“No. I got it.”
“Are you sure about that? You’re trying to shove your head into one of the armholes.”
A few seconds and some ninja moves later, he popped his head out.
“See, I did it. All by myself,” he beamed.
“Good job.”
I gathered his things he had brought from home while he cleaned up his Legos. Just as I finished helping him make the bed, Mimi hollered that breakfast was ready.
We ate our fill of scrambled eggs, bacon, and cinnamon rolls. When breakfast was over, I ordered Mimi to sit and relax while I cleaned up the kitchen. I overheard her in the living room, reading The Runaway Bunny to Zeke, and couldn’t help but grin.
Mimi had read me the same story when I was his age. Zeke and I were lucky to have her in our lives. She filled a little bit of the void Mom had left behind.
Zeke had been so little when our parents died. The only memories of them he had weren’t really memories at all. They were stories I told him.
I’d had an incredible childhood. Full of love and laughter. I wanted the same for Zeke, and I started to realize—maybe for the first time—in order to give him those things, I needed love and laughter in my life too.
Ten
Ryder
Music greeted us as we entered the indoor trampoline park. I spotted Carter and Brucey at one of the tables near the concession stand.
Carter lifted his hand in greeting.
I pointed to Zeke and then pointed back at Carter. He nodded his understanding, and I sent Zeke over to wait with him and Brucey while I got checked in.
A few minutes later, I joined them.
Carter stood, offering his hand. “Hey, man. What’s going on?”
We did the bro hug.
“Same old, same old. How about you? Been here long?”
“Same. Nah. We just got here a few minutes before you did.” He pointed to the packages in my hand and laughed. “So, you had to buy the socks too? Glad I’m not the only one.”
“Right? We should buy stock in the damn things.”
“Daddy, can you help me with my socks?” Brucey asked Carter.
“Sure, buddy. Sit down.” Carter busied himself with helping his son.
Zeke sat in a chair next to Brucey.
I knelt and pulled his shoes off. Then, I opened the kid-size socks and slipped them on his feet.
Zeke’s eyes widened. “Are you jumping too?” he asked as I took off my own shoes.
“Sure am.” I put on my own pair of bright blue socks with green tread on the bottom.
Brucey stood and bounced on the balls of his feet. “Hurry up, guys.”
“Hold up. Let me put your shoes away.” Carter turned his attention from Brucey to me. “I rented a locker. You guys can just throw your stuff in with ours.”
The second our belongings were stowed in the locker, Zeke and Brucey took off with Carter and me on their heels.
At the top of the landing, Carter nodded in the direction of the rock wall adjacent to the foam pit where the boys were playing. “You up for it?”
“Hell yeah.” I looked over my shoulder. “Boys?” I waited until they both looked at me. “We’ll be over here.” I pointed to the gray wall with colorful holds mounted to it.
“Okay,” they shouted in unison.
Carter chose one end of the wall, and I chose the other.
I was a few feet up the wall when Carter said, “Tell me about her.”
“Her? What’re you talking about?”
“Kendall mentioned you had a date.”
“Where did she—” I didn’t need to ask a question when I already knew the answer.
Carter laughed. “I’ll give you one guess.”
“For the record, it wasn’t a date.”
It didn’t take us long to scale the wall and work our way back down. When we reached the bottom, the look on my friend’s face told me he wasn’t going to let this go.
We moved to where the boys were, stood behind the rails, and watched them as they dived into the pit of giant foam cubes again and again.
“Does she have a name?”
“Presley.”
“So?” Carter pushed.
I stared straight ahead. “There isn’t much to tell. We had dinner. I took her home.”
“Yeah, I’m not buying it. You like her.”
“You sound like a chick.”
“You definitely like her.”
I didn’t bother denying it.
“There is one thing I’m a little confused about.”
I shifted my gaze to Carter and crossed my arms. “What’s that?”
“Who exactly was the matchmaker? Your grandma, your little brother, or your dog?” Then, he proceeded to laugh his ass off.
“Mimi told Kendall that too, huh?”
“You gotta admit, man. That was some funny shit. Literally.”
“You’re such an asshole.”
Carter laughed even harder, making it impossible not to join in.
It was a damn funny story; however, it wasn’t the whole story.
Before I had the chance to fill Carter in on my history with Presley, the boys bounded over.
“Ryder, I’m hungry.”
“Me too, Dad,” Brucey added. “And thirsty.”
Carter mussed Brucey’s hair. “All right, let’s go get you boys a snack.”
After the boys were settled with their chips and water at one of the small, round tables, we sat at one of the empty tables next to them.
“Are you taking her out again?” Carter pried.
“It’s complicated.”
His gaze shifted to Zeke and then back to me. “No, it isn’t. That’s why it’s called dating.” He lowered his voice. “It’s not like you’re moving her in.”
“Oh, trust me, it’s complicated.” I fixed my gaze on the label of my water bottle.
“Exactly how complicated?”
I nodded. “A buddy from college married Presley’s cousin. We met at their destination wedding in Miami. She was a bridesmaid; I was a groomsman.”
“And?”
I gave him a pointed look.
Carter’s brows shot up, and his mouth formed an O. “You mean as in the biblical sense?”
“Yep.”
He reached for his water, twisted off the cap, and then brought the bottle to his lips, draining half the contents.
I opened my own water and took a large gulp.
“Okay. What’s the problem?”
“The day she literally knocked me on my ass, I had no idea who she was.”
Carter winced
. “I see what you mean. Damn, Ry. I knew you were a player but—”
“What’s a player?” Zeke interrupted.
Simultaneously, Carter and I both swiveled our heads to the boys.
“Someone who plays sports,” Carter told him.
“Or video games,” I added.
Brucey’s eyes widened. He proudly proclaimed, “I am a player.”
“Me too. A big player,” Zeke declared.
“We are both players,” Brucey agreed.
Brucey and Zeke high-fived each other.
Carter chuckled and then groaned. “Well, this is great. When my wife gets home and our son tells her he’s a player, I’m blaming you.”
“Me?”
“If I go down, you’re going with me.”
“Fair enough.”
I clapped my hands together. “All right, boys, who’s ready to go jump?”
Two little voices combined and shouted, “Me. Me. Me.”
“Throw your trash away,” Carter instructed.
The boys did as they had been told before they ran off.
I stood, and Carter followed suit.
We pushed the chairs in and grabbed the boys’ half-full water bottles before we tracked after them, keeping a watchful eye as our conversation picked up where it’d left off.
“Let’s get back to Presley. You really didn’t remember her?” Carter asked.
“Couldn’t is probably more accurate.”
“Damn. How drunk were you?”
“I wasn’t drunk. Not really. Pres and I’d shared several drinks that night. We danced. We ate. We were tipsy but we knew what we were doing.” I blew out a hard breath. “Later that night, after we hooked up, Presley fell asleep. She was out cold when I got the call about my parents.”
“Fuck, man.”
I went on to tell Carter how I’d blocked that night from my memory. I told him about Presley’s odd reaction the day we’d collided.
“I was instantly attracted to her. When I introduced myself, she ran away like her ass was on fire. The next day, she was standing there, in Mimi’s kitchen.”
“I bet that was awkward as hell.”
“You have no idea.”
“Over lunch, Mimi suggested I show Presley around town.” I chuckled, remembering the look on Presley’s face. “Pres was not having it. Then, Ben jumped in and damn near insisted. I used my alluring charm to convince her to have dinner with me.”
