The conversation flows around me, and I let it wash over without really participating. This is what I've missed during the weeks of solitary rehab. The easy camaraderie and the shit-talking. My teammates are my brothers and my family just as much as Bella and Lucy were my sisters.
Maya starts crying, and Theo disappears to change her diaper.
“You seem different,” Cole says to me.
I crane my neck to look at him. “Different how?”
“Less miserable.”
Logan nods. “He's right. You almost smiled when you walked in. I was concerned.”
“Fuck off.”
“There he is.” Cole grins. “For a second, I thought the aliens had replaced you with a functional human being.”
I flip him off, but I don't argue. The progress with my knee has lifted my whole mood. The darkness that was suffocating me has lifted enough that I can breathe again. Enough that I can sit here with my teammates and not want to put my fist through a wall.
But it’s not just the knee. It’s Natalie.
Theo returns with Maya, who is now calm and content. I sit up and reach for her. “Come here, little monster.”
Theo hands her over, and her big eyes lock onto my face. She reaches up to grab my nose with her chubby fingers.
“Got me,” I say in a ridiculous voice. “Oh no, you got my nose. What am I going to do without my nose?”
Maya giggles. I blow a raspberry against her cheek, and she squeals with delight, her little legs kicking against my stomach.
“Again?” I ask her. “You want Uncle Ethan to do it again?”
She babbles something that sounds vaguely like agreement, and I blow another raspberry, this time on her neck. She dissolves into giggles, her whole body shaking with joy. I lift her up above my head and make airplane noises, swooping her gently through the air.
“You're going to be trouble when you grow up,” I tell her. “I can already tell. You've got your dad's stubborn streak and your mom's pretty eyes. Boys are going to be lining up, and I'm going to have to scare them all away.”
“That's my job,” Theo protests.
“You're too soft. You'll invite them in for dinner and give them the shovel talk over dessert. I'll just stand there and glare until they run away crying.”
Maya grabs a fistful of my shirt and shoves it toward her mouth. I let her gum the fabric, not caring about the drool spreading across my chest. Cole snaps a photo, and I don't even threaten to break his phone.
I bounce her gently on my good knee, making silly faces that have her giggling all over again. We talk about the showcase, about training camp, and which rookies are looking promising.
By the time I leave, the sun is starting to set, and the city is glowing orange and pink.
I take an Uber back to the apartment complex and let myself into my place. There's nothing to distract me from the thing I've been avoiding all day.
The necklace.
I bought it three days ago from a jewelry store near the arena. It's a delicate gold chain with a small emerald pendant, but the moment I saw it, I thought of Natalie. I bought it as a thank-you gift, to show my appreciation for everything she's done.
Once I’m back at my apartment, I pull the velvet box from my dresser drawer and stare at it for a long moment. This is a terrible idea. What if she says I’m crossing lines? But I already bought the damn thing. It's not like I can wear it. A dainty gold necklace isn't exactly my aesthetic.
I grab the box and walk down the hall to her apartment. Inhaling deeply, I knock on Natalie’s door.
The door opens, and my brain stops working.
Natalie is standing in front of me in a yellow gown that looks like it was painted onto her body. The fabric clings to her curves, dipping low between her breasts and flowing down to the floor in a cascade of golden silk.
Her hair is loose around her shoulders, and her feet are bare.
