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We are taking things slow on that front, and if she asks about us, we won’t lie, but she needs to have time to still get used to her mother and father not being together, and I don’t want her to resent me for being with Vanessa. Children at her age are very vulnerable when it comes to families splitting up, and she needs to be able to take that in at her own pace.
She leans in and kisses me.
“Second, we need to talk about Lee. He is Sherrie’s father, and isn’t going anywhere. Promise me you will be civil?”
“As long as he doesn’t pull that crap again, then I’ll be fine.”
I don’t agree with how Lee has conducted himself since I have come into the picture, and manipulated Vanessa to get what he wanted from her. Co-parenting is important for Sherrie and I would never come in between that, but he has to understand his place. He has no say in Vanessa’s life, and as long as he doesn’t cross the boundaries set, then we should all be fine.
Things don’t need to be heated between us, and I’ll make sure to stay out of Vanessa’s way when it comes to Sherrie. They are her parents, and even if I don’t necessarily like it, they must communicate. I always wanted this for my parents when they broke up, and Sherrie deserves for her parents to get along when it comes to her. Plain and simple.
This is new territory for me. I have never dated a woman with children, and in fact, up until Vanessa, I never planned on doing so. Sometimes, plans have to change accordingly. If I wouldn’t have been open to the idea, then I wouldn’t be laying here next to this beautiful woman right now.
Things are a little different since we coach Sherrie together, and eventually she is going to notice that we are acting differently toward each other, but we want to try to keep things strictly professional on the field. I don’t want any of the parents thinking I’m playing favorites. I will treat Sherrie the same as anyone else on the team. That’s just the type of coach I am.
Will Sherrie be okay with me dating her mother?
* * *
My hand reaches beside me,but the bed is empty. Vanessa isn’t able to stay over right now, because we haven’t told Sherrie about us. I’m not pressuring her at all, considering she is still trying to get used to her father not living with them and that’s enough for her to process for the time being. I won’t lie though, a part of me wishes we could be at her house snuggled up in bed again all day today, but being an adult comes with a price. Bills. So, I mosey myself out of bed, letting my feet hit the ground, and then wrestle with my hair. It’s all over the place, and a shower might do me some good.
The clock shows it’s almost seven, which means this has to be quick for me to be able to make it to work. Liam agreed to work my second half of the shift for our first softball game today. Are the girls are ready?
I turn the nozzle to hot, and go to the closet to grab a pair of shorts and a t-shirt to put on afterward. I get in, and the water hasn’t heated up fully, so I back myself out of the water, and grab my body wash in the meantime. Once the steam starts to fill up the shower, I use my loofah to wash all the sweat off my body from yesterday, letting the water run over my body. Normally, I would enjoy a longer shower, but there’s a time crunch so I turn the knob off, and wrap the towel around my waist.
Vanessa is supposed to have lunch with Tina today, and I’m sure I’ll be the topic of conversation. Normally, I don’t like when people meddle in my business, but without her help, we wouldn’t be together. She nudged Vanessa to go out with me, and that set things in motion sooner than I anticipated.
I step out of the shower, and emerge into the bedroom, pulling my boxers on and then my shorts. My phone buzzes on the nightstand.
Vanessa: Have a good day back at work. See you at the game this afternoon.
I set my phone down and let my t-shirt slide over my shoulders and down around my torso.
Me: Wish we were still in bed. Why do we have to be adults?
The swoosh alerts me that the text has been sent, and I grab my bag and keys and rush out the door to head to the depot. Vanessa and I aren’t keeping things a secret anymore, and I’m excited to tell Damon. He has been wondering what’s going on, but I couldn’t tell him. He’s not usually someone I keep secrets from, but I did as Vanessa asked.
After I pull into the parking lot, Damon is getting out of his truck, and meets me walking in.
“How was your day off? It was boring around here without you.”
My mind recalls being in bed all day, and that’s probably not what he wants to hear. “It was good. Girlfriend and I hung out all day.”
“Girlfriend, huh? So, things are working out, then?”
My mood has shifted, but I’m happy now. There is no hostility toward Vanessa for thinking things through. I needed her to be sure she wanted to be with me, and not because her friend was pushing her to. A relationship can’t be based on a lie, and even though our attraction and chemistry was very real from the beginning, she was having a hard time.
“Vanessa and I are doing well. Hit a bump, but worked through it.”
He stops as we enter the locker room, and turns around. “Vanessa?
This is going to come as a shock to some, but really if they paid enough attention, they could have figured it out.
“Yes, but I can't let what others think stop me from being happy. You of all people know how that goes.”
I throw my bag to the bottom of the locker, and shut it. Damon just smiles at me, and asks if I want to play some poker. Honestly, I’m in such a good mood, maybe this time I’m clear headed enough to beat him.
“Sure, why not.”
