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“Oh, right. I didn’t tell you. Alyssa came back. She was mad at me, but we patched things up and we’re in a better place now,” he says. “I promised not to stay so late at work, and Alyssa promised to be more understanding.”
I don’t know what to believe. On the one hand, I want it to be true. I want my son to be able to go over and see his dad and not worry about what sort of emotional state his father will be in.
On the other hand…he’s not exactly been truthful and forthcoming, so I’m a bit confused.
“That’s great,” I say. “What are the weekend plans?”
“Wet’n’Wild all day Saturday, and Alyssa scored some aquarium tickets for Sunday,” he says, and I’m glad he actually has plans for Jonah while he’s there.
“Jonah will love all that,” I say.
“So will the girls. And I’m sorry about the Gridiron. I was in a bad place. I should’ve called to apologize before now.”
“Your son is the one who deserves the apology,” I say.
“I’ll work on it this weekend.”
I sigh. I sure hope so.
I text Lincoln to let him know Jonah is going to his dad’s place this weekend, and he texts me back to let me know that means I’ll be staying with him this weekend.
After his event with Sam tonight, of course.
I can’t pretend I’m not thrilled for the chance at some extended alone time with him. We’ve barely had time to connect outside of the stuff Ellie’s got us doing for the podcast, and it’s hard enough having a secret affair, but add all these other pressures on top of it and I’m starting to feel the distance looming between us.
I’m just ready for the season to get underway. I’m ready for training camp, and I glance back at the email I received just a few minutes ago from Marcus.
Jolene,
Great news. You were approved to travel with the team to California for training camp. We won’t send a camera crew with you but you can take whatever equipment you want with. We’ll do a behind the scenes miniseries showcasing camp with a focus on the new coaching staff, rookies, and how the new team is coming together. The Aces should be in touch with your travel arrangements.
Marcus
Two weeks away with the team sounds incredible…but two weeks away from my son sounds like hell.
I’ll need to figure out arrangements for Jonah while I’m gone. I know Sam will volunteer to do whatever I need her to do, but it’s an awful lot to put on one person.
I sketch out a schedule to propose to my parents first, and then I call my mom. She’s on board, so I hold onto my schedule to propose it to Sam after she gets off work tonight but before her event with Lincoln.
I spend the day taking notes on everything I’ll need to cover at training camp. Before I know it, my day comes to an end and it’s time to head home. Sam’s in the kitchen when I walk in.
“How was work?” I ask as I set my bag on the counter and open the fridge to grab something cold to drink.
“Exhausting,” she says. “And now this appearance tonight…I feel like I’m constantly on the go lately.”
“I feel that,” I say, and now I’m starting to feel even more guilty about what I need to ask her. “Do you think we should push forward with the break-up?”
“Probably,” she says on a sigh. “I just didn’t realize how taxing all the lies were going to be. It’s bigger than us, you know? It’s Cade. It’s Devin. He’s a celebrity, so it’s all of Vegas, and football fans, and the world.”
“Speaking of Devin—" I start, and she cuts me off with a look.
“Let’s not speak of Devin please,” she begs.
“Okay, okay,” I say, holding up both hands placatingly. “But the offer is on the table.”
“Look, Lincoln hit the nail on the head, okay? I still love him. I think I might always love him. But what would I say to him? Hi, I know we have a kid together and you just got engaged, but let’s give it another go.” She shakes her head. “I haven’t been willing to bring it up in the five-plus years since we ended things. Why would I do it now that he’s happy?”
“Because the stakes have never been higher.” I sort of say it like a question even though it’s not. “You need to make your feelings known before he gets married and it’s too late.”
