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I pick her up and put her on my knee. “Did you have fun this morning?” I ask, smiling when she nods her head so fast, she could be a Pops! doll.
“It was the best ever. But I liked Holly-Anna’s show too, it was funny.”
I notice the look my mother and sister share, and how they cover their mouths to smother their laughter. Nyree has made no effort to hide her amusement about Dion and her ridiculous videos, and has more than likely told our mother everything she knows. Which is too much, in my opinion.
“I can’t wait for Saturday,” Aroha adds, her voice rising in pitch. “How many sleeps is it?”
“Five sleeps,” I tell her. “But you’ll still see her at school.” Learning that she’s best friends with Holly-Anna was a bit of a surprise. They couldn’t be more opposite if they tried. And therein lies an irony I can’t ignore — Dion and I couldn’t be more opposite if we tried, either. I kiss Aroha’s forehead, and she hugs me. “Thank you for doing the Haka with me today, Papa.” I squeeze her little body. “Pleasure, puawai.” What should have been a one-person show became a family affair when Aroha told my parents she wanted to perform the Kapa Haka for her talent show. Being my daughter, she refused to do the women’s version of the traditional Māori War Cry, and only wanted to do it the way Papa and Koroua did it when they played rugby. Neither I, nor my father, could deny the request. “C’mon,” Nyree reaches for Aroha’s hand. “It’s time for bed, pēpi.” Aroha hops off my thigh and says goodnight to my parents before going inside with Nyree. Mum takes a seat opposite us on the sectional couch. “What are you two talking about?”
“Nothing,” Dad and I say at the same time, sharing a look of our own.
“You’re both terrible liars,” she states, leaning back and tucking her feet beneath her. “So, Mikaere, tell me more about Dion.”
“Hasn’t Nyree told you everything already?” I deadpan.
“Oh, she has,” she giggles. “But I’d like to hear about the woman you’re seeing from you.”
“It’s not like that, Mum.”
“I know exactly what it’s like, but your sister insists that you actually like this woman. Have you brought her over here?” I know where this is going — it’s an inquisition. My parents are terrible at feigning indifference about my relationship status. I mean, Dad isn’t bothered by it so much, he knows I’ve been burned in the past, but it’s Mum’s dream to see me get married, and give Aroha a mother. Maybe even a sibling. Not likely at this point, which is why I’m careful with how I word my response.
“No, I haven’t. Saturday will be the first time, and that’s all your doing.”
Mum tries to play innocent but fails. She may be petite, and is gorgeous, even with her graying hair, but she’s as headstrong as Dad and I, and like most mothers, likes to stir the pot now and again. She won’t give Nyree a mouthful about her dating life — my parents love Gabe — but they’re determined to meddle in mine under the guise that my daughter can’t grow up without a mother in her life.
“Actually, you can blame the little ones, it was Aroha and Holly-Anna. I just facilitated, as grandmothers should.”
My father snorts beside me but doesn’t even so much as throw me a lifeline.
“And you made sure to invite the woman you know I’m…” How do I word this without offending my mother? Or throwing myself under the bus?
“Having sex with for fun?” she finishes, a smirk dancing on her lips. She does that single-brow lift mothers usually reserve for when their children are doing something they shouldn’t.
I clear my throat and feel my cheeks warm. “I plead the fifth.”
“Oh, come on Mikaere, there’s nothing wrong with it, I’m sure your father has told you that's how we started — what do the kids call it these days? Nyree said it’s friends with bennies, or something.”
“We’re not talking about this, Mum.”
“Why not? If you’re sleeping with her after what happened with Nina and Layla, she must be something special, and she’s quite beautiful, too.”
That I won’t deny, nor can I deny that my mother’s observation carries truth. I don’t just sleep with anyone after Nina and Layla, I learned that lesson.
“She is beautiful,” Dad agrees. “And if she sticks around after Saturday, you might have a keeper on your hands.”
My mother taps her chin, watching me with her all-knowing gaze. “I have a feeling she can hold her own.”
“Don’t start planning a wedding,” I tell her. “That’s not what this is.”
“Whatever you say, Mikaere. A mother knows what a mother knows.”
Dad decides to take pity on me, and changes the topic to Aroha, and the veterinary clinic, and when they call it a night, I stay on the patio for a while longer. Everyone else has gone to bed, but my mind is stuck on this morning, and seeing Dion. I wasn’t thrilled to see her after her last video, but I couldn’t be rude. As if she knows I’m thinking about her, my phone vibrates, and I see the text bubble pop up on my screen.
Do you have time for a playdate with me this week?
I’m tempted to say yes, because just thinking about her gets me hard, but I won’t push my annoyance with her aside just to get my dick wet. That’s not how this works. If she insists on going public with our situation-ship without any regard for me, or how I might feel about it, then she can stew in the consequences of her own immaturity. The only game I’m interested in is rugby — head games? Not so much.
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