Page 16 of Penalty Kill

“Thanks, that’s great. I’ll let you know if there are days when I’ll be home in time to eat with them.”

“Daddy, she can make grilled cheese. They’re good,” Milo confirmed and Sydney looked proud.

“I’m glad I got your approval,” she said with a laugh.

“He’s a tough critic. It took me a few attempts to get it right, so you’re lucky you got it on your first try.”

She looked at the boys. “It’s all about the perfect amount of gooey cheese, huh?”

They nodded. “Yeah!”

It was amazing how comfortable they were around her. I thought they would be more hesitant, especially since they hadn’t had a stranger in their life for a while. I was just grateful Olivia didn’t manage to harden their warm hearts. They were probably starving for a feminine influence.

“I’m going to grab something to eat.” I wasn’t sure what to do. I was home now, but the boys were more than content playing with her. Did she want to leave? Was she done for the day? I probably should have figured this out before right now.

“Okay, we have a race to finish and then we can head down and have the dessert we made, right?” she addressed the boys and they quickly agreed.

“Sounds good.” I backed out of the room, grateful she had a plan. This was a whole new world for both of us. I had some research to do on what to expect from her and how to make sure we were on the same page.

I opened the fridge and freezer, searching for something to eat. There was a container of something pink in the freezer, so I pulled it out and lifted the lid. It looked like sorbet or ice cream. After a sniff test I was pretty sure it was strawberry. This must be the dessert they made. I put it back and pulled out the grilled chicken and rice I usually ate.

She was here for the boys, but I couldn’t help but get excited about the surprises I was sure to find daily. Not only were the boys alive and fed, they were laughing and having fun. No tears or begging for me. They didn't even seem to care I was home.

She was nothing like Olivia. She was here for the right reasons. I wasn’t going to let the guys get in my head.

6

Sydney

The pool house was nicer than my parents’ home in Pennsylvania. It was far nicer than any hotel I’d stayed at. It was decorated in gray and white, much like the main house, giving it a warm, inviting feel. The bedroom had a queen bed, walk-in closet, and dresser so there was plenty of room for me to put away my meager possessions. I hadn’t expected to feel comfortable living in someone else’s home, but the boys and Brandon never came near, so I was able to quickly get used to it being my space after a day or two. On Saturday, I spent the afternoon with the boys while Brandon had practice, and on Sunday he spent the whole day with them. I had a chance to explore more of the city and familiarize myself with the area. By Monday, I was getting used to the routine.

The boys were already gone when I walked into the main house—I still couldn’t believe that was something in my vocabulary now—to see what I could make them as a snack after I picked them up from preschool.

A black and maroon jersey with Cullen written out across the top was waiting for me on the island. I picked it up and couldn’t help but grin. Not only was I going to my first hockey game tonight, but I was also wearing one of the player’s jerseys. His personal jersey! Never in my wildest dreams did I think something like that would happen.

Part of me wanted to call and tell my dad, but he’d stopped answering my calls two years ago when I told them I wasn’t coming home for Christmas. I’d been living in Seattle and couldn’t afford the trip. When Dad offered to pay for my ticket, I turned him down. Not because I didn’t want to come, but because I knew spending that type of money would be hard for them, too. I couldn’t say that though, not without offending them. They were offended anyway, so much so that they told me not to bother calling or coming home ever again.

Mom emailed me once to let me know my last living grandparent, my dad’s mom, passed away. Again, I couldn’t afford to attend the funeral, but she hadn’t even invited me. I replied but never heard back from her.

Dad might like to go to a game. I could ask Brandon about getting tickets for when they played the Philadelphia team, but then again, that would require my parents to drive two hours. That was as likely to happen as them forgiving me.

I set the jersey back down and pushed them out of my mind. They chose to live their lives in a tiny bubble. I couldn’t control that. If they were happy then I had to leave them be.

The fridge was well-stocked. I found out Brandon’s assistant did the grocery shopping, so I didn’t even have to worry about that. My only responsibility was caring for the boys and keeping them happy, which wasn’t that hard. They were so good and so desperate for attention that simply playing with them made them completely content.

Neither of them had mentioned their mother or missing her. I wanted to know what the story was but it wasn’t my place or my business. I had a suspicion that I could find out online— there had to be information about his ex— but I felt like if Brandon wanted me to know he would tell me himself.

I pulled out some fruit and cut it up before putting it in baggies so the boys could munch on it in the car on the way home. I swear, after a few hours of playing with their classmates, they were as ravenous as if they’d been starved for days.

The drive to their school was short but I basked in the silence, knowing it was about to end for the day. I parked and went into the waiting area just past the doors. The school preferred that parents wait for the children to come out rather than interrupting the other classes. I wasn’t sure how my appearance could disrupt a bunch of three- to five-year olds’ playing, but I followed the rules.

The woman at the front smiled. “Good afternoon, Miss Sydney. I’ll go get the boys for you.”

“Thanks.” Brandon had notified the school that I’d be picking the boys up, so when I showed up Friday, they were prepared. I’d been worried they wouldn’t let me take the boys home, but once I showed my ID and they took my picture for their system I was all set.

“Sydney!” Milo and Finn ran toward me and barreled into my legs, wrapping their arms around me.

“Hi boys.” I rubbed their backs for a second before stepping away. “Are you guys ready?”