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“Coach Peters, it is. We have plenty of time to cover the particulars. Izzy will be in touch… but first, I think you have a game to finish. Right, Rory?”
“Right!” Rory squirms out of his arms and runs back to the field. She sticks her nose in the air as she passes Kelsey and that alone made this whole exchange worth the price of admission.
CHAPTER 14
Nathan
We stride away from the soccer field letting Murphy get in some sniffing around before we pack up. I hitched a ride with Chett, just so I’d have a reasonable excuse to hang out with Izzy after practice. Thankfully, Jules drove herself here, too, so now it’s just Izzy, Rory, Murphy and me.
“Thank you…. for doing that,” Izzy says reluctantly, like she hates the fact that I just helped her. She has Murphy’s leash, and is watching him sniff around a tree rather than look at me.
“I’d do anything for you, Izzy,” I say, hoping she can at least hear the sincerity of my words. I turn to look at Rory, who is chatting with a few of the other girls from the team a few feet away. Watching my daughter score a goal today might have been the best moment of my life. I’ve never been more proud of anything. “By extension, I’d do anything for her.” I turn back to her mother. “How did you choose the name Rory, anyway? You a closet Gilmore Girls fan?”
Izzy laughs. She’s beautiful when she laughs. I wish she’d spend more time doing it, instead of frowning at me all of the time. Her hazel eyes sparkle when she’s happy. “I’m surprised you know what that is.” She tugs Murphy’s leash and calls out to Rory that it’s time to go.
“I used to sit and watch it with you in the summers,” I say as we start toward her Jeep. “Don’t tell me you don’t remember.”
“You did not!” She lightly shoves me. At least she’s touching me more. That’s the second playful shove today. It’s progress.
“I did!” I insist. “You thought I wasn’t paying attention, but I was.”
“If you say so.” She shakes her head, then sobers, tucking her auburn hair behind her ears. “To answer your question, it’s not Rory… it’s Aurora.”
Aurora. My daughter’s name is Aurora Rossi. Would she change it? If by some miracle Izzy and I wound up together, would we all share the same name? Maybe I’d just change my name to Rossi, and save us all the hassle. It’s not as if my name carries some great legacy—an alcoholic and a deadbeat… yeah, no loss there.
“What’s up?” Rory asks, hearing her name.
“I was just asking your mom if she’s ready for the movie night we promised you. You could come to my place? We could order pizza?” I lower my voice. “We could test out the new bed you picked out.”
She sputters all the way to the car. “I didn’t pick it out. That was all you. What about your friend Courtney?”
When we get back to the house, Rory and Murphy hurry off to pick out a movie, while Izzy and I go into the kitchen to make popcorn and plate the pizza. I spend a minute watching Rory and her dog in my living room. Her little voice fills the living room. To my left, Izzy, flits about my kitchen… I could get used to this.
The house is so big and empty most of the time, but when they’re here, it’s full of life. It reminds me of Izzy’s house growing up. The Rossi house was always noisy, but not in a bad way, unlike the shouting of my house. Even before my mom left, my parents were never home and when they were, they were yelling at each other.
But the Rossi’s were always laughing and enjoying each other’s company. I’d craved being near them, feeling like I belonged somewhere. It’s the same feeling I have now, watching my daughter and the woman, who I am now certain is the love of my life. All it takes is that one quiet moment to realize that I can’t lose this. I won’t. This is what I always wanted, even if I didn’t realize it.
I guess, I never in a million years dreamed this would be possible for us, but fate had other plans. So, here we are, with this chance to have everything. Now, if I could just convince Izzy to see what I see.
“Since you’ve been ignoring me, I take it you saw the pictures of Courtney at my house. She just showed up, but I told her I’m not interested.”
“Hm,” Izzy hums, feigning disinterest. “It’s funny, you keep telling me you sent her packing, and yet pictures keep cropping up of the two of you together…”
“Iz, it’s not like that–”
Izzy’s phone pings, giving her the perfect way out of this conversation, of which she takes full advantage.
She pulls out her phone, turning her back to me.
I force a casual smile even though there’s nothing casual going on here.
“What’s up?” I nod to her phone, desperate to keep her from shutting down.
She glances at the screen. “Oh, it’s an email from Lila. Which really shouldn’t surprise me,” Izzy mumbles to herself as she scans the text.
“Nope, it’s the weekend. No working.” I unsuccessfully try to swipe her phone, but she twirls away still reading.
“Lila isn’t happy about the recent press… but she’s agreed to the field day at the stadium with Rory’s team.” She looks up, frowning. “Now, how did she know about that?”
