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“I’m emptying the dishwasher.” He laughed. “I know it sounds stupid, but this is the stuff I miss the most when I’m down for a few days after treatment. I did three loads of laundry today and it was awesome.”
If only he could see my house. I was lucky to get the dishes done once a day with Joey here. Caring for him had given me a newfound respect for anyone who took care of young kids.
“When’s your next treatment?” I asked him.
“In a couple of weeks. I’m starting a cedar chest for Mom in my workshop, hoping to get it done before the next treatment. Don’t tell her, though. It’s a Mother’s Day gift.”
I scoffed and grinned at the same time. “You douchebag. That’s an epic gift. Now I can’t just send flowers without your gift making me look bad.”
“I mean, you can. The favorite kid has to do something extra special for her, so you’re off the hook.”
“Favorite, my ass.”
He cleared his throat. “Hey, while I’m by myself, I wanted to tell you…Emma called Mom.”
My heart rate kicked up at the mention of our sister’s name. Joey was over at Lars and Sheridan’s house because they were hosting a sleepover for all the Mavericks’ kids tonight. Their new house had an indoor pool, so the kids had all gone over midafternoon to swim.
“Really?” I said, not sure whether I wanted to let him know I’d heard from her, too.
“She said she’s starting rehab. Mom said she sounded better than she has in a long time. She didn’t ask Mom for anything, either. She just wanted to apologize and tell her she’s working on getting better.”
“Yeah, I actually heard from her, too. She came to my apartment and I’m the one who took her to rehab.”
I could hear dishes being set down, then silence. “Seriously? Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I thought about it, but…I knew you were feeling like shit from treatment, and…I had my reasons for not telling Mom.”
After a beat, Andy said, “Dude, this is me. You can tell me. My body’s sick, but my mind is the same as ever.”
I immediately felt guilty for not saying anything sooner. My brother and I had always been close. He was the one I’d call if I was in a jam and vice versa.
“Okay, well…don’t tell Mom because it’s Emma’s place to do it, but, uh…”
“Just say it, fuck. Is she sick? Please don’t tell me she has cancer.”
“She has a kid.”
A few seconds of silence passed and Andy exhaled hard. “Wow. I didn’t see that coming.”
“Yeah, his name is Joey and he’s four. And he’s staying with me while she’s at rehab.”
Andy let out a full-throated laugh and I furrowed my brow, confused.
“What?” I said.
“You’re serious?” he said, sobering. “You?”
What the fuck? Like it was so hard to imagine me taking care of my own nephew?
“Yes, me. My teammates’ wives and my coach’s daughter are helping me.”
“What’s he like? Has she taken care of him? Shit, that poor kid.”
I immediately felt defensive on Emma’s behalf. For all her faults, I knew she was a good mom. That was the whole reason she was enduring the shame of admitting her alcoholism and going to rehab.
“He’s a great kid. He’s at a sleepover at one of my teammates’ houses tonight. I’ll send you some pictures, but this stays between us, okay?”
“Yeah, of course.”
