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It was a little before one when Ian’s third game ended in a loss of five to six. Merit had taken the blanket so Mae’s brother could have the chair, and when he got up to stretch, he noticed her smother a yawn.
Bryce stood and stuffed the chair into its carrying sleeve. “I’m going to say goodbye to the munchkin and then head out,” he told Mae. “Nice chatting with you, Merit. We’ll see you around.”
“Likewise,” he agreed with a quick handshake.
The guy gave his sister another hug, and after he left, Merit swiped the blanket from the ground and started folding.
Mae shot him a quick sideways glance while packing up her chair. “I’m sorry about earlier.”
“For what?”
“The knocked up comment.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he assured her. “Although, should I be prepared for the same from the rest of your family?”
“Bryce is the worst of ‘em when it comes to stuff like that. My middle brother Zach lives up in Boulder, and my parents moved to Phoenix, Arizona last year. They come back for the holidays mostly, and their specialty is the silent treatment.”
Sensing a bit of resentment against her parents, he turned it back to her siblings. “So Bryce is the youngest.”
“Yeah. And a real pain in the ass sometimes.”
Merit grinned.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
She planted a hand on her hip. “That smile isn’t for nothing.”
“He said you were a pain in the ass.”
She rolled her eyes. “I assure you, it’s definitely the other way around. Younger siblings are always—”
“So much fun,” he finished as Ian stepped up from behind her.
Mae’s eyes widened, and she mouthed a quick thank you while hugging her son close with one arm. “Nice job out there, Scoob.”
“We didn’t win.” The kid’s voice was substantially subdued compared to the two previous games.
“You win some; you lose some, hon. That’s how it goes.”
Ian shrugged.
“Did you do your best to win?” Merit asked as a boy with spiky, brown hair and a matching red and white jersey slid to a stop beside Mae and Ian.
“Yeah.”
“Then you did great. Come on. Put ‘er here.” He offered both boys a high five, and they smiled while jumping to reach his palms.
Mae slung her chair over her shoulder. “All right, then, let’s head home.”
Ian whirled around to face her. “Cory’s going swimming at the water park, and his mom said I could come with. She’s coming over right now. Can I go, Mom? Please?”
Her gaze shifted from his pleading face to a couple approaching with a baby strapped to the man’s chest. “Hi, guys.” She reached out to grasp the baby’s waving hand, and her voice rose an octave. “Hello, Elliott. Look at you, growing so fast.”
Merit couldn’t look away from the pure joy on her face as she interacted with the baby. The radiance in her expression was breathtaking.
“Six months already,” the woman said as she put her hand on Ian’s buddy’s shoulder. “Time’s just flying.”
