AllFreeNovel
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It was probably ridiculous, but they were building in mine too.
We went into parenthood expecting to be hit with the feels on those big milestone days.
First steps. First birthday. Driving. Graduations. Wedding days.
And those moments are impactful, for sure. But moments like this were when it really hit. The sight of a floorboard filled with crushed Goldfish and tiny Lego figures. Fingerprints on the mirrors. Cuddling with an on-the-go toddler who’d finally lost his steam. Hearing “I love you, Mom” for the one hundredth time that day and still never being sick of it. Watching them work together to score a goal on a wet Saturday morning.
At times like this, it hit me the hardest. Like a lightning bolt to the chest. My boys were growing up. They were doing it together, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
I sniffled as the buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the game. Parents around us were standing and clapping and collecting their things. I, on the other hand, was glued to the spot. Twenty feet away, Liam was too. For several long seconds, we watched one another, like it was just the two of us, and we were frozen in time.
I pointed to the field. “Those are your boys,” I mouthed.
They were. Those boys were just as much his as they were mine.
He shook his head, the corner of his lip hooking up. “No,” he mouthed back. “That was all you.” He pointed right at me.
That motion was like a physical poke to my heart. Sharp and fierce enough to leave a mark.
Without looking away from him, I wiped at the tears spilling down my cheek.
Allies…right…
As the kids jogged off the field, heading to the locker rooms, I picked up my bag and shuffled toward the stairs. At the end of the row, Liam stood, blocking my way.
“Good game today?” he asked, ducking his head and stuffing his hands in his pockets. His tone was laced with a hint of guilt, probably because he hadn’t arrived until close to the end.
“Really good…” I sucked in a breath. “I’m glad you’re here. I mean, that you made it.”
It was the truth. I wanted him to be here for the boys.
“Me too.”
I wrung my hands and cleared my throat. “I was going to text you later. I have a client who needs a color, and the only time that will work for her is on Wednesday morning. Could we meet up to work on the project on Friday night?”
I gripped the strap of my tote bag filled with snacks and my Kindle, and I was hit with a memory of how I’d hold on to my backpack strap in high school while talking to Liam in the hallway.
He dipped his chin and rocked back on his heels. “Sure. How about I bring dinner over? We could work on—wait.” He hissed and shook his head. “Crap. I have plans on Friday night.”
I pushed down the dismay that immediately formed inside me. Don’t. Don’t you dare. You have no right to be upset. You’re the one changing plans, and he has every right to have a life. You shouldn’t even be excited to see him in the first place.
“Damn.” He tilted his head and scratched his beard. “I’m sorry. That sounded really good. I mean—”
“It’s fine.” The words came out a little harsher than I meant for them to. “Let’s just pick back up next Wednesday. I need to get things outlined this week, so you wouldn’t really have anything to do anyway.”
He scratched the back of his neck, shoulders slumped. “I could do another day, maybe. Thursday morning?”
I shrugged, going for unaffected. “Booked. Sorry. I’ll see you next week, though.”
With a forced smile and scattered emotions, I walked past him before he could protest.
“Did you guys have fun today?” I asked as the boys and I were headed to meet the rest of the team for celebratory ice cream.
“Yeah. Did you see me kick it to Ty?”
“And how I kept the ball from coming to Jace?”
“Oh yeah, and then you did that three-sixty spin and—”
