“I’m sorry I blurt things out sometimes. Don’t mind me, dear, I’m just a silly old woman,” Selina replied with a weird half smile.
“Trip’s dating Robin Sands,” I countered.
Al and Selina scrunched up their noses and glanced at each other.
“Have you talked to Trip?” Al asked.
“I just saw the article today, but yesterday he mentioned to the team he was dating someone. I haven’t talked to him today.”
“He told you he was dating someone?” Selina’s eyebrows rose to her hairline.
“Not me individually. He told the team yesterday before practice started.”
“So you two haven’t discussed it directly?” Al questioned as I shook my head. “I think you need to let him explain before you jump to conclusions. Look how well assuming worked out for me when it came to you. I could have missed out on meeting such an intelligent young woman.”
“Exactly, how old are you, McKenna?” Selina asked as the waiter set down our food.
“I’m twenty-three.”
“And you’re going to graduate this year?” she inquired.
“In a couple of months actually. I took classes during high school, so I’m finishing up my doctorate in PT and I’m going to take the NPTE next month.”
Selina nodded her head, not paying attention to her food. “I think you need to talk to Trip. I have a feeling things aren’t as they seem. ”
“But he told the team,” I finished weakly.
Selina and Al nodded in unison without another word on the subject. During the meal they told me stories of Trip when he was younger. I think they realized how uneasy I was with the previous conversation and wanted to ease my tension. After lunch I hugged his parents and agreed to another lunch in the near future.
I sat in Dora for a long time in the parking lot. My phone rang and Trip’s face plastered itself on my screen. Norah had taken it on one of our family dinner nights. Trip was slurping up a spaghetti noodle with sauce all over his face.
Not ready to talk to Trip just yet, I let it go to voicemail. I had my fill of the Butler family for the moment. My mind kept screaming Selina’s words on repeat.
In love with Trip. There’s no way I could be in love with him.
My inner voice howled with laughter the whole drive home.
