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Mrs. Saul quickly interrupts her. “You know, I would just like a regular facial, and a mani-pedi, and a massage. How does that sound, Ruby?’
I nod in agreement. “More than sufficient.”
Junko goes to enter our order into her computer. Mrs. Saul gives me a severe look. “This shall never be mentioned to my son. As far as he knows, I do not have private parts. He was delivered of a virgin birth, and his father and I have never gone further than first base.”
“First base,” I cry delightedly. “What does that consist of again?”
“I’m sure I don’t know. What kind of hussy do you think I am?”
I lean in close to her. “The kind who was seriously considering getting a rainbow mohawk wax job vagina facial, and a henna tattoo on her hoo-ha.”
We both burst into peals of laughter again.
A little while later, we are both reclining in soft, cushy chairs with our facial masks drying.
“Thank you so much for coming today,” she says to me. “I know Paxton thinks I’m a little overbearing when it comes to you, but the thing is, he’s never felt like this about anyone else.”
“He what?” I say, startled. I sit bolt upright and turn to look at her, and part of my facial cracks and falls off. “What makes you think that?”
“Little things. The way his voice changes when he says your name. All those pictures of you that he sent me before you had your little tiff a while back. He’s never sent me pictures of a girl before. He’s never bothered to tell me about any girls he’s been with. If I asked if he was dating anyone, he’d always say no, or ‘nothing serious.’ But with you, he’d call up all the time and he’d want to tell me things that you and he did together.”
“I had no idea.” I truly didn’t. He certainly never let me know.
“And now that you guys are back together again, he keeps trying to deny it, but it’s just so obvious.”
“Well, I appreciate that.”
“Here’s the thing. I know I failed Paxton in a lot of ways when he was growing up, and when you and he broke up over whatever that little argument was, I could tell he was miserable. Paxton doesn’t know this, but his father and I broke up over a dumb argument before we got married, and I’m lucky that he came back around and pestered me for another chance. Paxton, though—he’s kind of prideful, and I worry he’d let that stubborn pride get in the way. I don’t want that to happen to you two.”
“Hold up,” I say. “What on earth would make you say that you failed Paxton in any way at all? Paxton clearly adores you.”
“My husband I both know that we failed him.” She shakes her head. “We live in a football town. My daddy was a football coach. Paxton’s father was a college football player who got injured and became a football coach. And football is the national sport of Devil’s Fork. We live, eat, sleep, and toot football there.”
I laugh, and my face cracks even more. Then I grow serious again. “So you were into football. Hardly a crime.”
“Well, Paxton was the odd boy out. He didn’t quite have the football physique, and he was always more into hockey than he was football. My husband and I spent all of our time ferrying the boys to their football practices and games. I’d take Aiden and Logan, our twins, he’d take Hayes, or vice versa. Most of the time, Paxton would tag along with a friend to get to hockey practice, or we’d pay someone to take him, until he was old enough to drive himself.”
She falls silent. Glancing over at her, I can see tears glittering in her eyes. I want to say something to comfort her, but I’m also actually kind of mad on his behalf.
“I mean... in all honesty, I can see how he’d take that personally,” I admit. “But he does know you love him,” I add.
No wonder he was so mad about me bringing a football player as my date to the Stanley Cup.
She heaves a sigh. “I’ve tried to make it up to him as we got older. We would do anything for him, but he doesn’t seem to want anything from us. My husband and I keep offering him money, but he’s too prideful and he always turns it down.”
“Yeah, about that... with his endorsement deals, he makes millions.”
“He what now?” She sits bolt upright and stares at me in shock. “He makes how much? My goodness. That’s more than his brothers make.”
“His endorsements pay incredibly well, and he’s one of the most in-demand players in any sport. He’s very selective about who he’ll endorse, and he has people lining up and begging him to represent their products.”
“We had no idea.”
“Well, most people don’t know that. But I kind of get the impression that he thinks that you don’t take his hockey career that seriously, because of the money thing,” I add.
“Oh my goodness. You see? I keep failing him no matter what I do.” The tears in her eyes well up and run down her cheeks, leaving trails in her facial.
“Margaret, I mean, you made some mistakes in the past, but you know it and you’re trying to make it up to him. He knows the reasons behind you offering money, which is love and concern for him. I’m only telling you because that’s one thing you guys can do for him—don’t try to give him money anymore. In fact, maybe ask him for a loan or something. I’m not kidding; he’d actually love it. Tell him you’re remodeling your house or something.”
