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I can’t help but giggle as I start to dish up his plate. “Yes, but better than on Monday and having to spend your whole weekend studying, right?”
He seems to consider that before replying, “I guess you’re right. A few nights of studying throughout the week is better than spending my Saturday and Sunday with my nose in a book.”
“See?” Placing the first plate on the table, I return to the stove and scoop only two shells this time for me.
“What’s up with Coach? I mean TD?” Brody asks, placing water on the table for us to drink before having a seat.
“What do you mean?”
“He had some lame excuse about needing to water his lawn tonight instead of having dinner with us,” he states, rolling his eyes.
I can’t help but laugh, but I’m not sure if it’s the fact Brody clearly knew it was an excuse or because of the silliness of it. “You don’t think people water their lawn in October?”
He pins me with a look that lets me know he’s not buying it. “Two nights after it rained? In Wisconsin in October? Come on, Mom.”
Smiling, I take my seat and start cutting up my pasta. “You’re right, it was an excuse. He wanted to give us an opportunity to talk.”
Brody looks up, his fork going still in the air. “About what? Is everything okay?”
“Yes, everything is fine,” I quickly reassure. “Things have been going very well, actually.”
My son smiles at me, suddenly looking so youthful and happy. “Good. Coach is awesome.”
“He really is,” I reply, knowing this is the perfect segue into the conversation I need to have. “That’s sort of what I wanted to discuss with you.” I scoop up a bite of the marinara covered cheesy noodle and take a small bite. “We’re having a great time together, and our relationship is moving forward. We’re not rushing anything, but we definitely enjoy each other’s company, and well, I wanted to make sure you were still okay with that.”
“I’m more than okay, Mom. TD is the closest thing I have to a dad.”
His words seem to shock the both of us. It’s as if he didn’t really mean to say that aloud.
“Brode, about that,” I start, but he holds up his hands, cutting me off.
“I didn’t mean anything bad by it. I know he’s not my dad and I’m not trying to say he is, but we’ve all been pretty close my whole life. He, Logan, and Gabe have all been there for me, but TD even more so, probably because he’s my football coach too. They’re all cool and I like hanging out with them. TD teaches me a lot of stuff, like fishing and camping. He taught me how to play football and pretends to help me with my homework when I don’t really need it.”
That comment makes my eyes water as a lump forms in my throat.
“So, if you’re asking if I’m okay with you and him getting even closer, I am. I love you, Mom, and want you to be happy. It’s a bonus that it’s him you’re dating. I’m not going to be around forever, you know. Soon, I’ll be going off to college, and if I know you’re here with him, then I won’t worry about you nearly as much.”
A single tear slides down my cheek. “I don’t think I’ll ever stop worrying about you, whether you’re living under the same roof or not.”
He gives me a cheeky grin. “I know. It’s part of the Mom code.” He scoops up a huge forkful of dinner and slowly chews.
“So, you’d be okay if, maybe every once in a while, I spend a Saturday night at TD’s house? I know you’re plenty old enough to be here by yourself.”
He shrugs. “It’s cool. And if he wanted to stay here sometime, totally all right by me.”
I take a deep breath, letting it out slowly. This conversation went as well as I’d hoped. “Okay, good to know. How are things with Morgan?”
His smile is wide and instantaneous. “Great. We’re talking about going to the movies in Hudson Saturday night for that new scary movie coming out.”
“Eww, I’ll pass,” I mumble, shivering at the thought of watching something terrifying.
Brody chuckles. “I figured. Anyway, I’m going to ask her to the winter dance. She had mentioned something about dress shopping soon, so I wanted to ask her before she went.”
“That’s great. I think you two will have a lot of fun,” I reply, choking on the fact my baby boy is preparing for all his lasts. Last football game this Friday, last winter dance, prom, and eventually, graduation. As crazy as the years have been, they’ve definitely gone by fast.
We continue eating in relative silence, mostly because my brain is stuck on something else he said. He referred to college, but has yet to disclose what those plans may be. Oh, we’ve discussed several post-high school careers over the years, but he hasn’t told me which way he’s leaning. His goal for senior year was to make sure he had the right amount of elective classes, as well as any necessary general education ones needed for either a two-year community college or four-year university. It’s still October, so I know his long-term decisions don’t need to be finalized right now, but I’d love to know which way he’s leaning.
“So, can I ask you something else?”
