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“Remind Myles how fast college goes. He needs to have fun, too.”
“You know your brother. So, what about you and Devin? You two doing okay?”
“Yeah, we’re working some things out.” I pluck a pair of athletic socks from my laundry. “He’s getting a late workout in, so he’s not home right now.”
He pauses for a beat. “Ah. That sounds less than positive.”
“No, I mean, we’re good. It’s hard to plan our life when there’s so much up in the air.”
Dad laughs. “Planning out life is one of the biggest cosmic jokes, Novie. You won’t be able to make a checklist this time around.”
“I know that, but… What if the life of a pro athlete’s wife isn’t for me?”
“Ah. That’s a question only you can answer.”
“I love him. I do, but I’m already dreading the arrival of February and spring training. How will we be able to build a solid relationship when our lives are structured in such different ways?”
There’s a low hum of understanding on his end. “Well, I know it’s not the same, but when your mom was on Broadway, we made a lot of sacrifices. Life on Broadway wasn’t consistent, either. Sometimes we had more time together than others, but what it came down to at the end of the day is that we loved each other. I chose your mom every day. Even with the complexities and uncertainty, we made it work. We put forth the effort. All of that was worth being able to call her mine.”
A familiar beat tapping on my door has me dropping my clothes. “Hey, Dad, Leo’s here.”
“All right. I’ll let you go. Tell him I said hello. And, sweetheart, sometimes you must let go of what you thought life would look like so you can embrace what it can be.”
Have I not done that already? I went to school for dance, switched to business, then sat on my degree in favor of marrying Anders before I left him, fell for Dev, lost Dev, pursued sports marketing further, found a dream job, then secured my dream man. Now I need to let go again? Of what? The man, the job, the dream? I don’t even know what my dream is.
Ignoring the anxiety churning my stomach, I let Leo in.
“Hey, cuz.” He kisses my cheek and ruffles my hair the way he did when I was ten. “Hope I’m not interrupting the happy couple with my impromptu drop-by. No moon out tonight?”
“Hey, Leopold. You talked to Mari, huh?” I wave him in. “It’s just me, and as you can see I’m dressed. I was talking to Dad and cleaning. Come to the bedroom. I want to get this laundry folded before Devin gets back.”
He sniffs the air following behind me. “Mmm, someone was baking.”
“Yup. My everything-but-the-kitchen-sink cookies. Dev loves them.”
“Speaking of, where’s my boy?” Leo sits on the trunk at the end of my bed.
Tossing a laugh over my shoulder, I pick up a pair of pajama bottoms. “He invites you along to one watch party and suddenly he’s your boy?”
“Ahh, sweet, naïve Nova. I’m a sports agent. I get invited to plenty of parties.” He crosses his ankle over his knee. “He’s my boy because he’s in love with my favorite cousin.”
“Liar. We all know Crew’s your favorite.”
“Fine, but you’re second best.” I roll my eyes. “So, tell me, did you have a good time last night?”
The Sharks veteran right fielder threw a barbecue at his waterfront home for some of the team, their families, and other guests for the AFC and NFC Championship games. Not my favorite way to spend a Sunday, but it was my first event on Devin’s arm around his friends, so I couldn’t say no.
“It was mayhem, but most of the wives seem really nice.”
“Mayhem.” Leo laughs. “That was a family party. You want to see mayhem, wait until the Super Bowl.”
My arms drop mid-fold. “I’m gonna have to go to a Super Bowl party?”
“Nova, you’re twenty-three. You live in one of the hottest cities on the planet. Are you really pouting because your professional athlete boyfriend will expect you to attend a star-studded Super Bowl party?”
“I…” Memories of Devin’s stories from high school hit me. He was Mr. Social, Mr. Party, Mr. Popularity. That’s my man. How did I forget that about him?Oh, probably because he’s also the most gentle man you’ve ever been with.
“Not to mention some of those guys are our clients. We work at a sports agency. Being at events is part of your job.”
