Page 39 of Keeping Score

“What’s wrong?” I shifted to look at him more intently.

He paused, eyes drifting off to stare at the wall behind me.

“I think Liam wants to quit the team.”

“What?”

“Not quit, I guess,” he amended. “But retire.”

“He’s only thirty-two,” I said, finding it hard to reconcile my young, active brother and the word retirement.

“Most professional athletes retire before they hit thirty,” Brody countered.

“But what would he do?”

I couldn’t imagine it. Not waking up with a purpose. Not having anywhere to be or tasks to complete.

I think it would make me feel empty. Lost. I probably wouldn’t last a week.

“Probably continue adding to the Brynn brood.”

I laughed.

“Which he could totally do and hold a job at the same time.” He paused for a beat. “Just like we could.”

“Brody,” I groaned, rolling off of him.

“What?” He sat up. “Don’t you want a little guy to hang out with you?”

“I have you,” I said, grabbing some clothes off the floor and stuffing them into the hamper.

I didn’t even know if they were dirty; I just needed a task to do.

“I mean a kid, Mags.”

“I know what you meant,” I said, moving around the room. “I was deflecting.”

Brody frowned.

“Don’t you think we’re getting to that point?”

“What point?” I asked. “Having kids? Just because I turned thirty?”

“It has nothing to do with age. I just feel like we’re ready.”

“How could you possibly think we’re ready?” I looked at him aghast. “You’re away multiple nights a week for hockey, and I’m working seventy hours a week.”

“You could cut back at work.” Brody shrugged. I made a noise of protest, but he continued. “Go part-time. It’s not like we’re pressed for money.”

“I like working,” I countered.

“I know you do, but you hardly have a life outside of it lately,” he said. “It wouldn’t hurt to have something else to focus on.”

“So what—you think the solution to me working too much is keeping me home with a baby that I have to take care of for the next eighteen years?”

“Why are you making it sound like having a kid is the worst thing in the world?” He drew back. “We always said it was in the plan for us.”

“Yeah, but when we talked about that, it was always more of a hypothetical, like in the distant future.”