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“You’re not the first person to make that decree,” Tillie says.
Harlow stands, giving me an affectionate punch to my biceps. “You played great tonight.”
Tillie follows suit but her attention is on someone behind me. Coen, I assume. She also congratulates me on a great game and takes off, calling over her shoulder to Lilly, “It was nice to meet you.”
Turning to Lilly, Harlow pulls a card out of her purse and offers it. Standing to accept it, Lilly’s gaze goes down and back up.
Harlow’s hand touches her shoulder. “That’s my cell number on there. You call me anytime you need to talk about your dad or if you have questions about the rehab process. My parents will be happy to talk to you too, from the perspective of a family member of an alcoholic. They had their hands full with me at one point. They joined Al-Anon for some really good support and you should too.”
“I’ll look into it. Thank you.”
Harlow pulls Lilly into a warm embrace and it fortifies me to know that the Hoffman family has someone other than me on their side.
When they pull apart, I ask Harlow, “Are you and Stone going to Mario’s?”
“Stone might. I’ve got an early workday tomorrow.”
I nod and Harlow goes to her tiptoes to kiss my cheek. She flashes Lilly another smile and then she’s gone.
“Ready to get a beer and meet some of the team?” I ask Lilly, holding my arm out to her.
“Let’s do it,” she replies, slipping her hand into the crook of my elbow.
I shoot a wave to Hendrix and Bain who will be heading over to the bar. They’re not surprised to see me with Lilly as I told them, as well as a few others, about her coming to the game tonight. They’re familiar with Aiden since they’ve joined me on prior hospital visits. Not all of them have met the kid since he was in isolation but they know I’ve got a soft spot for him, and now, consequently, his sister.
“I’ll introduce you to everyone when we get over there,” I tell Lilly as we exit the family lounge.
“Okay.” She sounds nervous and excited all at once.
When we talked last night and I told her I wanted her to come out with me after the game, she was admittedly anxious. “I don’t go out at all,” she’d lamented, a tinge of embarrassment in her tone. “My life revolves around Aiden, my father and running the deli. It’s been so long since I went out in a social situation, I’m not even sure how to act.”
“Don’t be silly,” I admonished. “You’re totally cool.”
She snorted and I could envision her rolling her eyes at me. “I have nothing in common with famous professional athletes or their wives and girlfriends. I’m going to be a complete dork.”
“Yeah, but you’ll be my complete dork,” I teased and then cajoled, “Come on, Lilly. Live a little. You deserve it.”
She didn’t need much to agree as she also admitted she wanted to take advantage of an evening away from the hospital with Aiden’s full permission. However, I expected her all day to send me a text backing out. Probably why my smile was so big when I located her in the lounge talking to Harlow and Tillie.
“How’s Aiden today?” I ask as I lead her toward the players’ garage. We’re close enough to walk over to Mario’s, but the temperature has dipped and it’s barely above forty. I notice Lilly’s only wearing a sweater, so I’ll park closer to the bar.
“He’s good. One of the kids on his hall had a birthday party this afternoon, so he went to that and got a tummy ache from eating too much cake.”
“That’s the type of thing you want to happen to him,” I say.
“Totally. And I FaceTimed him a few times from inside the arena. He got a kick out of that.”
“As soon as he’s able to come to a game, I’ll get both of y’all primo seats.”
Lilly glances up at me. “Where I was sitting wasn’t primo?”
I smirk back at her. “Not to see the game itself. I thought you’d appreciate seeing all the team action going on but if you want to see the game action better, you need to be up a little higher in club level or maybe from the owner’s box.”
“The owner’s box is far too extravagant for us,” Lilly exclaims with a laugh. I don’t reply but squeeze my biceps, which in turn squeezes her hand.
Weirdly, I think there’s nothing too extravagant for the likes of Lilly and her little brother. I barely know them but over the last week, I’ve found myself wanting to give them everything. Aiden, because he’s a good kid with a shit draw in life who’s quite the impressive fighter. And Lilly, because she’s a good woman working her ass off to take care of everyone else.
I give her the ten-cent tour as we walk around the bottom level, past the dressing room, the workout room and the coaches’ offices to the players’ garage. I don’t think twice about opening the passenger door for her but it makes me remember I was doing the same for her father just the night before.
