She looks at me for only a second, but that second takes the chill right out of the air.
“He’s the most attentive person I’ve ever met,” she says. “He sees everything I need—tea, fuzzy slippers, caffeine, a space heater—and takes care of it without ever being asked. He even puts my boots away for me when I’m too tired to remember my manners.”
Now, the cold isn’t just gone from the air. It’s disappearing from my chest.
Sean grins and nods. “That’s Patty. He cares more than anyone thinks. I didn’t think he’d ever find someone who’d notice.”
Lou tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, a movement so small but so soft that it makes me want to kiss the barely exposed skin on her neck. But then she smiles, and that smile makes me think about everything I stand to lose.
“He’s impossible to ignore,” she says.
Security escorts us out to walk Sean to the parking lot, where both our buses are waiting. The home team is there too, mingling with fans and family. Several of Sean’s teammates are standing around talking, so there’s no rush. I give him a hug and say goodbye.
“I’m rootin’ for you,” I say, pounding my fist against his back.
“I am too,” a woman says.
Not Lou.
Her voice is warm gravel, but to me, it may as well be the hissing of snakes.
My stomach drops before I even turn, and ice hardens my veins as I see the woman spread her arms wide, the fringe of a white faux-leather jacket dangling. It’s worn at the ends, like it’s been through one too many shows. Her hair—a big honey-browncloud—is stuffed beneath a snakeskin hat, and her bright brown eyes are rimmed with enough makeup to stock an entire beauty counter.
Up close, it looks heavy. Like she tried too hard to cover the years creeping in.
She’s pretty but stretched thin—the price of trying to stay relevant when she’s closer to disappearing altogether.
“You are even prettier in person,” Mom gushes to Lou, all sweet Southern charm. “So nice to meet you. I’m Cheyenne O’Shannan.”
Lou hesitates for half a second before smiling, warm and gracious as always.
I glance at Sean, my jaw clenching hard enough to shatter my teeth. He gives me a sad smile, as if to say,She’s still our mom.
“It’s a pleasure,” Lou says, holding out her hand. But instead of shaking it, she gets pulled into a hug.
Lou’s eyes widen.
She releases Lou and holds her arms out before throwing them around Sean.
“What a great game, hon!”
Sean hugs her back.
Traitor.
“It’s good to see you, Mom. I thought you said you couldn’t make it.”
“I only caught the last few minutes,” she says, the regret in her voice almost sounding real. “I was on stage earlier, but I got here as soon as I could—showed security that VIP pass you sent me. I hated missing watching you play.”
She turns back to Lou, and for half a second, something real flashes in her expression … before she replaces it with something more practiced.
“You know how it is,” she sighs. “Always having to sacrifice a milestone or a memory for your career. Course, I’m a Shaniaimpersonator, and you’re …you.” She tries laughing, but it sounds off. Broken.
Lou’s smile hardens. Just a little. Just enough.
“Patty has told me a little about those sacrifices,” Lou says. “What a relief it must be to be so happy in a career that’s kept you away from your family so much.”
Something flickers in Mom’s eyes. But she blinks, and it’s gone when she turns to me. Her eyes wrinkle at the edges as she stretches out her arms for a hug.
