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“But don’t you want—”
I hold up my hand to stop her. “I don’t want anything serious. I knew when I broke up with my fiancé last year that I wouldn’t be ready for another relationship for a long time. Plus, who knows what Theo’s mom would think about it? Not to mention the press if they ever got a hold of it. Plus, neither of us wants to confuse Theo. Brady’s protective of him, which I respect, and I don’t want to make Theo think I could be a permanent part of his life unless I’m confident that might happen. The truth is, I don’t think Brady is really looking for anything serious either. We’re just enjoying each other’s… company.”
Shayna opens her mouth, but she presses her lips together and nods instead.
We’re quiet for a minute and look at the field where Brady is tossing Theo the ball. He manages to catch it this time and immediately looks at me.
“Violet, did you see that? I caught it!”
“I saw! Awesome job!” I give him two thumbs up.
He smiles and gives it a half-decent throw to his dad. My attention turns to Brady, who’s looking at me, and he catches the ball without even turning his head to look at it.
“Can I just say one thing?” Shayna asks. I manage to turn my attention away from Brady and look at her. “A man who doesn’t want anything serious doesnotlook at a woman like he’s looking at you.”
She walks down the sidelines without another word, and I turn to look back at the field. Brady is still watching me until Theo calls for his attention.
When he looks away, my entire body shivers.
I park the car, remove the keys, and flop back in my seat, looking at the restaurant sign that’s so familiar to me. It’s a little faded and sun bleached now, but it brings the familiar sense of nostalgia and hurt it always does.
“Can I have the same thing as last time?” Theo asks from the back seat.
“You don’t want to try anything different this time?” I ask, opening the door.
I exit the car and open the back door to help him out.
He shakes his head. “No, I liked that.”
“All right. Bulgogi and rice it is then.”
He smiles and slides his little hand in mine as we walk to the sidewalk that runs in front of the plaza. Low-level anxiety hums through my veins as we enter the restaurant. The wood tables and flooring are dated, but my parents repainted and reupholstered the chairs a few years ago. My parents say it’s the food, not the atmosphere that people come for.
It’s lunchtime, so it’s fairly busy, but it’s as if my mom has radar on me because the moment we walk in, she notices us from the far side of the restaurant. I give her a small wave and smile, waiting for her to have time to greet us.
“Hi, Mom. You remember Theo.” I place my hand on his back.
She looks down at him and gives him a nod. “Nice to see you.”
“Hi.” Theo smiles and waves.
“Are you staying for lunch?” she asks me.
“Figured I’d stop in for a visit since we were around the corner at the training facility.”
Her lips press into a thin line and she kind of huffs. Anyone else would be impressed by a professional football player, but not my mother. “You can sit at the table by the register.”
We dodge trays of raw meat and banchan dishes to be served and grilled at each table. We take our seats at the small table, but she’s not going to sacrifice space for me in case a paying customer comes in. Nor would I want her to. She goes to the next table and takes their order.
When she’s done, she turns her attention back to us. “Drinks?”
“Waters. I can get them.”
She nods and turns around but turns back. “Make sure you go to the back to say hello to you father.”
She tells me this every time as if I wouldn’t do it. Usually I’d say something snippy, but since Theo is here and I’m trying to set a good example, I just give her a serene smile. “I will.”
With a nod, she turns around and heads to the back to probably tell my dad that his disappointment of a daughter is here to visit.
