Page 77 of Backup Plan

Liam is waiting for us in the playroom, and the boys both run to him.

Sammy gets there first. Benji whines that it’s his turn.

My heart aches that this won’t be our future. Who knows how long he’ll play in San Diego and commute back and forth to Chicago? Does he even want that?

I mean…maybe it could be our future. Someday.

But someday feels like it’s fading, and besides, the boys won’t be this age ever again. They won’t have the innocence they have now. Maybe when they’re older, they won’t fall in love with Liam the way they so easily have. Maybe instead they’ll become jaded and resent him because he’s not their father.

“Hey, boys, I got you both something,” Liam says. He grabs three wrapped boxes and glances at the names on each, and he hands the third one to me.

The boys tear through the paper, and I watch them instead of opening mine. They each pull out a San Diego Storm jersey with Bradley 7 emblazoned on the back.

“The jerseys are for game days, okay?” he says. “Now go get clean. Whoever is dry and in their pajamas first wins a five-dollar bill from me! Go!”

“I’m gonna win!” Sammy shouts, and he runs off with Benji trailing behind.

I stare at Liam in wonder. “You do realize it takes me twelve tries to get either one of them in the bath or shower, right?”

He laughs. “I grew up with four brothers. Competition and money always work as motivators.”

“Duly noted, child whisperer.”

He nods toward my box. “Are you going to open that?”

I gently slit open the package, and I pull out the same jersey but in my size. My mouth makes a smile while my eyes make tears, and the contrast of feeling both happy and sad at the same time plows into me with full force.

“I promise to wear it on game day,” I whisper, my throat suddenly tight.

He walks over and pulls me into his arms. He presses a kiss to my forehead, and I bury my face into his chest as I try to ward off tears. The last thing I need is the boys coming out from their race to find me crying.

Eventually I pull back, and I move out of his arms and keep myself busy by cleaning the paper the boys tore off their boxes. “When did you have the time for all this?”

Liam helps me clean up. “I had some help from Dolores.”

“She really is the best.”

He nods. “She is.”

“So you’ll be back on Friday?” I ask.

“Yeah. Back Friday. Then back to San Diego on Monday.”

I press my lips together and nod.

He clears his throat as he moves in a little closer to me. “I was thinking…since I have to be out of here at like three in the morning, do you think we could—”

“I knew I’d win!” Sammy shouts, interrupting Liam as he races from my bedroom down here into the room he’s sharing with his brother to get into his pajamas.

I shake my head and laugh, and I glance over at Liam. “You were saying?”

“Do you think I could stay the night with you?” he whispers.

I snag my bottom lip between my teeth, and I nod slowly.

His eyes light up.

“As long as the lock on my door works,” I whisper back.