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I can’t stop the giggle that leaves my lips, watching my best friend become defeated as his mom and somewhat ex have completely bonded, thanks to the time we’ve spent living under one roof this week.
“Yes, we are.” Mary swings her arm over Ali’s shoulders, the two of them standing at the same height, their dark hair intertwining. “If I haven’t made it clear, I would trade you and your brother in for Logan and Ali in a heartbeat.”
“You’ve made it clear.” Marc rolls his eyes.
“I can’t believe I never had daughters.”
“Is there some kind of support group I can go to that addresses the emotional distress caused by a mother’s lack of love?” Marc not-so-quietly asks me.
“Heard that,” Mary adds with a playful smack to the back of his head before heading back into the kitchen.
“So, Alison,” Marc begins. “You gonna take care of our girl this weekend?”
“Absolutely. I’ve got this handled. Did you know that you can just freeze food for the whole week, then pull it out when you’re ready to eat? Mary just made a shit ton of food for us then froze it. And you can make soup out of the leftovers. Did you know that? She put all the extras in a pot and made soup. It was crazy.”
“Have you never cooked before?” I ask with confusion.
“Who needs to know how to cook when there are food delivery apps?”
Marc changes the subject. “What’s the birthday plan?”
“Logan told me not to plan anything. I’d typically ignore her and do whatever I want, but I can’t exactly throw a party for someone who is healing from surgery and has a broken leg when they don’t want a party.”
“I just want to lay low and watch Eli’s game,” I chime in.
Which is true. I’m not one to draw attention to myself, especially for my birthday. And this year feels weird enough as it is. The one person I want to spend the day with is off playing hockey, and his entire family is spending the weekend traveling to Chicago and Detroit for his first two professional games.
And to be honest, it doesn’t feel like there’s much to celebrate this year besides Eli chasing his dream. So, that’s what I’m going to focus on by spending the weekend on the couch, watching the man I love play the game he loves.
“Ali!” Mary calls out. “I just found Marc’s baby album. You’ve got to see this. You’re going to die. Chubbiest baby I’ve ever seen!”
“Oh, hell yes.” Ali gives Marc a squeeze to his shoulder before taking off in search of his mom.
Marc smiles to himself, seeming happier and more content about the Ali situation than he has been in a long time.
“How are you two doing?”
“We’re good. We’re trying out the whole ‘friends’ thing. Without the benefits this time.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
“Yeah, I am. Ali told me about everything the night of the accident. I know all about her past relationship and the things she’s dealing with now because of it. Of course, I wish she would’ve explained everything a lot sooner, but it is what it is. I can’t fault her for not being ready, and there’s no use in being weird with each other just because I was ready to be in a relationship and she wasn’t. Ali’s a good person, and I think deep down she knows who she is, but she’s second-guessing herself because some asshole made her feel like she couldn’t speak her mind. So, if she needs to be alone to realize she has her own voice and she’s allowed to use it, then I’m going to support that.”
“That’s big of you, Marc, to be able to be so understanding.”
“Well, what can I say? I’m just such a fucking good guy,” he adds, causing us both to laugh at the glimpse of Eli he just displayed. Marc is as humble as they come, whereas his brother is anything but.
“If you need anything, just call, and I’m on the first flight back.” Marc nudges his knee into mine before standing from the couch.
I pull out my phone, squinting at my screen, my eyes needing a moment to adjust.
E: I want to come home.
Dropping my head back to the pillow below me, I release a long deep breath.
The selfish part of me wants nothing more than for Eli to come home and be with me, mostly because I don’t think he’s handling the loss of this pregnancy very well. But he can’t. He needs to stay in Dallas and fulfill his dreams. We can sort everything else out over time, but him playing hockey and making it in the league has to happen now.
He needs to focus and play well so he can earn a long-term contract with a team.
