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Wes avoids me the rest of the day Tuesday, and I find myself growing anxious about it. I want to call him out on his reaction to finding out about Katie. He’s being childish, and I have the strongest urge to be childish right back, until we can both laugh about it. But at the same time, I should probably leave him alone. I need to focus on Greg right now. I can’t be distracted by Wes when he’s back in my life.
By Wednesday lunchtime I’m sick of being alone with my thoughts, and since I don’t have any players scheduled today, I’m going insane. After trying many things to distract myself, I pop my head into Aaron’s office in the hope of finding something to do. “Anything to report?” I ask as I enter his office.
He looks up from the papers he’s rustling through and smiles. “Nope. All smooth sailing here. How about you?”
I internally deflate but manage to plaster a smile on my face. “All good with me. Just wanted to check in,” I lie.
“Good to hear. Lola said you haven’t called her and actually asked me to stop by your office. This saves me the trip.”
My shoulders stiffen as he indirectly mentions one of the topics I’m trying to get out of my mind. I don’t want it to be a big deal. Because if others think it’s an issue, it becomes an issue. I still haven’t responded to Greg’s text. The last thing I need is to have more people worried along with me.
“Please tell her I’m all good and I’ll try and catch up with her on one of my lunch breaks this week.” I walk backward toward the door as I talk, hoping that I can escape before he asks more questions.
“Okay, Luce. I will. Enjoy the rest of your day. Here’s to it remaining injury free.”
Is it wrong that I hope someone needs me? Yes, it absolutely is.Either way, I raise my crossed fingers as I depart, and when I arrive at my room, it’s empty.Damn.
I settle at my desk and check my phone—yet another avoidance technique—and see three missed calls from my mom. Panic courses through me because she never calls me at work, and she’s with Katie.
I call back immediately, and the fifteen seconds it takes her to answer are excruciating.
“Lucy, thank God.”
“What’s happened? Is Katie okay?”
Mom sighs. “Honestly, I don’t know who’s more dramatic, you or your brother.”
My face scrunches. “Excuse me?”
“Katie’s fine. I would have texted or left a voicemail if she wasn’t.”
That’s reassuring.Mom’s been great. I shouldn’t complain. But she relaxed on the whole mothering thing after Dad died, so I do worry about how she’d react if she was ever in a situation she wasn’t prepared for.
“Okay, that’s good, but you’re calling me at work?”
“Oh yes, I’m on my way to drop Katie off.”
“Where?”
“At your work.”
My head drops back and I look to the ceiling, taking a deep breath before I respond. “Why?”
“Sam got off early from work and wants to take me to the city for the afternoon. He forgot I had Katie, but he works so hard. He deserves the break.”
Ah, what?I only dropped Katie there a few hours ago. “But you’re watching Katie because I’m at work.”
I should have known something like this would happen.
“I know,” Mom continues, like my statement was obvious but meaningless. “Katie’s a good kid. I’m sure she’ll just color quietly in the corner.”
I almost bark out a laugh because she can’t be that clueless, right? She raised Dylan and me. We were four once. Instead, I massage the bridge of my nose, closing my eyes, trying to bring about calm. I can do this. “Okay, Mom. I’ll see you soon.”
“You will. I’m just pulling up.”
She hangs up before I can respond, and that’s probably a good thing because she would have definitely heard my overdramatic sigh and commented on it.
I quickly rearrange my room to give Katie a play space and text Aaron to let him know what’s going on.With a little white lie.
