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I slowly shook my head. “Austin’s his father.”
“You know, he’s a shit father, right?” Ethan asked.
“I know.” I swallowed thickly. “But he’s his dad. I’m just the uncle who helps out.”
“You’re more like a father to him than Austin is. He might go to prison for a long time, if they can pin all the burglaries on him.”
I rubbed the ache in my chest. The thought of Brody staying with me eased something in my heart. I’d always been quick to step in and help, but he’d never been mine.
Austin could potentially be behind bars for ten or more years. He was charged for being responsible for all the burglaries in town, and there was even a pending charge for assault on one of the shop owners, Remi. He claimed he’d only done the one he got caught for, but what were the odds of that?
I was angry all over again whenever I thought of Brody sitting at home alone while his dad broke into stores, causing property damage and stealing money. It wasn’t how we were raised.
“If I take that step, then it makes Austin’s situation real.” It was like I was acknowledging Austin’s guilt. That he’d be in prison for years. And what did I tell his son? His father was a criminal. I’d kept as much of it from him as I could. But I was worried the kids in school would talk.
“You must do what’s best for you and Brody. Right now, Austin’s gone.”
There was that familiar hollow sensation in my chest. I always hoped Austin would get it together, that he’d be the father Brody needed. But it was too late for a turnaround.
“Think about it.” Ethan clasped my shoulder before getting into his car.
“Thanks for helping out today.”
“Anytime.” With a wave, he backed out of the parking spot and pulled away.
With Austin being held on suspicion of burglary, it was likely I’d have Brody for a while. I hated that for him, but at the same time, I wanted him to have stability. The one thing the kid had always loved was baseball. But he couldn’t count on his dad to get him to practice. It would be different with me. It was my chance to be the father figure he needed in his life. I’d give him stability and love.
Filing for custody was an admission my brother wasn’t coming back. I wasn’t sure I was ready for that yet. Just like my parents, I held out hope that he’d get his life together. I just wasn’t sure he was getting out of it. And maybe that was what he needed to truly get a hold of his life.
Five
ABBY
Ibacked my car out of the lot, trying not to admire Nick’s muscles as he picked up the heavy bases and walked them to the storage shed.
I loved how confident Hunter was that he’d thought he’d made the team, but I worried the other parents would think he was bragging. I was very aware I was the rare single mom at baseball. A few others were divorced, but the father was still in the picture. They helped with practices and games.
When my ex, Seth, and I brought Hunter home from the hospital, he’d said he couldn’t handle it. At the time, I wasn’t sure I could handle it either. But I realized quickly Seth was saying he wouldn’t stay and try. He moved out and had been minimally involved in Hunter’s life since.
The most difficult thing to understand was that we’d gone through the stress of fertility treatments, but once our baby was there, he couldn’t handle it. It was hard for me to understand.
He came around occasionally, but I didn’t press him. He wasn’t lying when he said he couldn’t handle the responsibilities of being a parent. I knew he had a rough relationship with his own father, but I never thought it would stop him from parenting his own.
“Did you see me pitch?” Hunter asked for the umpteenth time.
I smiled. “You were great.”
“Coach asked me if I liked to pitch.” There was reverence in Hunter’s voice when he spoke about Nick.
“I heard.” I couldn’t get over that his potential coach was my Nick. The one I thought I’d never see again. I thought he was safely inside this memory in my head. That night with him was my one indiscretion. He was supposed to be Ethan’s cousin who lived out of town. Not my son’s baseball coach.
Hunter continued to ramble on about the tryouts, every perceived mistake, and everything he’d done well. I was happy he was so into baseball, but sometimes, I worried he was obsessed.
When he didn’t get onto the first travel team he tried out for, he was devastated. I wanted my child to be happy, and I knew he had potential. He wanted to play year-round and improve. I wasn’t sure what went wrong.
That tryout was markedly different than today’s. There were ten coaches with clipboards assessing each mistake the kids made. It was stressful. Hunter hadn’t felt great about it after he’d walked off the field.
Today, Nick was quick to ask the kids their names, what their experience was, and even if they liked the positions. He was attentive and understanding. He even interrupted the tryouts to give instruction.
