Page 116 of The Irresistible Distraction

“Anyhow, I had to figure out what to do about this traffic light that definitely seems busted, and it turns out since Lake Arrowhead is unincorporated, it’s governed by San Bernardino County, and while I never actually wanted to be like a congressman who went to DC, the filing deadline for serving on the county board was open anyhow⁠—”

“No.”

“Yeah,” Brody says, eyes twinkling, deliberately misunderstanding. “August 7th is when it closes. So I threw my hat in. I mean, first I have to win, and then I have to get on the right committee. It’s a whole thing⁠—”

Sebastian tackles him. “You’re awesome.”

“That’s what I’m always telling people too.”

My son punches Brody lightly in the arm before sitting again.

“So, now that we’ve settled the important stuff, this is where I remind everyone that I am a trained and usually highly compensated divorce attorney.”

“Is this where you make me sign a prenup?” I’m joking, because I trust Brody, but also, he clearly has a lot of assets to protect.

“Not at all, I’m just saying that as your soon-to-be husband, I’m suddenly feeling very eager to examine these divorce documents of yours. The one Arthur Williams, who as your then father-in-law should have known better, but still apparently mediated for you, despite the glaring conflicts of interest, the disparity of age and legal knowledge.” There’s a gruff tone in his voice that lets me know how upset Brody is for past me. “Given the care you’ve taken with Sebastian despite hardships and lack of financial support, and given how minimally Jesse’s used his visitation rights, I’m sure we could come to a different agreement.”

I glance nervously at Sebastian, because yes, punishing the Williamses sounds not just tempting but . . . good on a visceral level. Yet it hardly seems aligned with my overarching goal of allowing Sebastian the opportunity to build a healthy relationship with his grandparents.

I’m about to say something about keeping the peace, but I don’t get the chance.

“That sounds good to me.” Sebastian looks first at Brody and then at me before giving a lopsided grin. Despite the fact Sebastian looks like me and he is Jesse’s son, in this particular moment, with that particular smile? Seba’s channeling Brody in both composition and . . . swagger. “They tried to bully you, Mom, and they used me to do it. Guilted me into being an accomplice.” He snaps his fingers, and again, that twinkle in his eye tells me I’m going to have to be careful Sebastian doesn’t learn too much from Brody. “It’s like you’re always telling me—I can love them and be mad at them. I can contain multitudes.” He gives me what I think of as the Brody dramatic pause. “But for now, let’s be mad.”

An unwitting chuckle escapes from me, and I hug Sebastian to me again, until it goes on for too long and he wriggles away from me, saying he has homework from Lorelai. Yes, I notice that his eyes are just a tiny bit watery as he pulls away, but I don’t say anything. Instead, I watch as Sebastian smooths his hair down to partially hide his face and eyes, and I feel no shame at the wetness behind my own lids.

I wait until Sebastian’s door is closed.

“You’re serious about all of this?”

“The marriage proposal, the living wherever you want, the completely well-thought-out running for local office, or the going after the Williamses in the only way they’ll understand?” When I open my mouth to answer, he waves my attempt away. “It doesn’t matter, because my answer is yes, to all of the above. Yes, I want to marry you and commit myself to you and Sebastian, in whatever manner you’ll allow. Yes, I will be thrilled to live wherever you are. I assume here.” He waits for my nod before continuing. “Though I prefer that I be allowed to use my credit cards and Cally’s expertise to make a few adjustments here and there, I’ll be content where you are, because who knows if I’ll lose the San Bernardino thing . . . And also, yes, if you would allow me the honor of representing you formally, I would be delighted to stick it to Adeline, Arthur, and Jesse.”

“That’s a lot of yeses.”

He lowers his head. “I enjoy modeling good behavior.”

35

FROM TEAM LORASS TO TEAM BS

We are married, yes . . . married, a week later. While I initially tell Brody I need time, now that Seba is also firmly Team Brody, it just becomes increasingly difficult to be the levelheaded one in the face of their excitement.

We are together in the backyard under a telescope Brody tells me he’ll upgrade as soon as he has funding, when I capitulate.

I am sitting to the side, allowing myself to relax into how calm and lovely this all feels, with a leashed Spock and Kirk lolling next to me. Brody is alternating between finding various astronomical objects of interest and teaching my son about physics. “Feynman said we shouldn’t treat time as a ruler, because it doesn’t ever push any event forward.”

There’s a small pause as my son scrunches his face, deep in thought. “Like a coordinate system? Ordering events?”

Brody looks over, eyes gleaming with pride, before he wraps my son in a bear hug and turns to me. “Can we have, like, a dozen more of him, please, Sophie? I mean, I’ve never thought of myself as a baby guy, I might even be anti-baby, but if they turn out even a little like Seba . . .”

Though my son tolerated the hug, it’s not without a little eye-rolling, and he sips the hot chocolate Brody made for him while he watches the scene in front of him.

And this . . . this is when I decide, in the dark enveloping peace of Vera’s backyard, over cocoa, that it won’t ever be as quiet of a life as I might have envisioned, but it will be ours.

“I’ll marry you,” I say, my words quiet but electrifying.

Brody picks me up and spins me around, almost knocking over the telescope and sparking a wave of barking from Spock and Kirk.

“Tomorrow?”