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Jackson served first, which was a fail. The ball bounced back off the net, and Gareth had to help it over. Jay didn’t fall for the attempt to keep the play going and grabbed the ball out of the air and tossed it back to Will to serve.
When his serve cleared the net, Will got into position and bumped the ball into the air. Jay stepped up and returned the ball with a lot less power than he might have against better players.
It was a lighthearted game with questionable plays that no one got too upset over. Well, aside from Jackson, who protested every time one of his hits went out of bounds.
When Janessa got the ball over the net and past her brother, Will called out, “Good one, Nessa!”
“Hey, bro,” Jay protested. “No cheering on the opponent.”
“Are you kidding? I’m going to cheer for anyone who gets a shot past you.”
“I agree,” Misha said as she gave Jay a hug. “You’re a force to be reckoned with, honey.”
Will threw the ball back over the net so their side could serve, and the game continued. When Ciara started fussing, they decided to end the game. And even though they were down by two players, Will’s team had managed to tie the score.
“I’m sweating again,” Janessa complained as they walked back to the picnic table. She grabbed a drink from the cooler, then sat down on the blanket. “I really hate sweating. I wish I could be physically active without the sweat.”
“You can,” Gareth said. “Just exercise in the winter. Without a jacket on.”
“I can’t believe a doctor would recommend an activity that might endanger my health. I’d like a second opinion.” Janessa looked over at Misha. “Dr. Barnes? Care to weigh in?”
Misha glanced between Janessa and Gareth, then held up her hands. “I think I shall have to refer you to another doctor.”
Will watched as Ciara toddled over to him, her hands held out. He’d interacted with her plenty over the months, so didn’t hesitate to reach for her as she neared. The smile she gave him as he picked her up was toothy and beaming. He took her hand and put her palm against his chin, shaking his head a bit to make the whiskers of his beard tickle her.
Her giggle made him smile, and even when he let go of her hand, she kept it pressed against his face. After he shook his head again, she giggled and smacked his cheeks with both hands.
“Gentle, Ciara,” Misha said.
Will didn’t mind since her soft slaps didn’t hurt him at all, but he didn’t contradict Misha.
“Here.” Misha held out a cookie. “She can have this.”
Will shifted Ciara around so she sat on his leg, then reached out to get the cookie from Misha. When he looked up, he found Janessa watching him, a smile on her face.
“She loves her grandma’s cookies,” Janessa said.
Jay laughed. “Wealllove her grandma’s cookies.”
“She makes a big mess of them,” Misha said. “The chocolate chips smear badly.”
After another hour, people began to leave. Once it was just him, Janessa, and Misha and Jay, Will made sure that all the garbage had been collected and tossed, while Janessa folded up the blanket. Jay carried the cooler to his vehicle, then returned to help Misha with Ciara and Peyton.
“Thanks for setting this up,” Will said once the kids were buckled into Jay’s car.
Jay put his hand on Will’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “It was a good day to spend outside.”
Will glanced over to where Misha and Janessa were talking. “I appreciate everyone hanging out.”
“You know that is never a hardship for me. Being outside and spending time with my best friend? I wouldn’t miss it.”
Not for the first time, Will was thankful for that day when his teacher had asked him to buddy up with the new kid in their class. He’d worried if the new boy would like him. Not all kids did since he was nerdy and smart, and he usually spent recesses reading rather than running around.
Jay hadn’t minded reading, but he’d had somehow managed to convince Will to do things that required a little more physical exertion, too. And he’d continued to do that over the years.
“Love you, bro.” Will gave Jay a quick hug before stepping back. “I’ll talk to you later.”
“See you tomorrow,” Janessa said with a smile. “Hope the rest of your day goes well.”
