Page 178 of Made Better Together

But as soon as my burst of anger passes, I have one thought—oh shit.

I look around at all the faces locked on me. Johnson, Landon, Grace, Rawley, Rori, Avery and many more. All staring at me.

My anger cuts through the shame of making a scene.

“Mom, you can’t come here and insult your hosts, insult the majority of the guests, insult me, and think we’re all going to let it ride.”

She seems to recognize the stares in her direction. “Well…”

“I’m having a fucking good time on the Waves, and it’s what I want to do. I get to decide.”

“But what are you going to do with your degree?” Mom asks, her volume lower, but her tone as strident as earlier. “Do you even have a plan?”

“I hope he doesn’t have a plan yet,” comes a new male voice. Del. “Because I need him right where he is. Our number two kicker. As we fight for this little thing called the Super Bowl.”

Del faces me with a smile spread across his face.

Landon steps in the fray next. “Mom, why don’t you come with me and Rori?” he says quietly, resting a hand on her arm.

“Fine,” she says in a clipped tone, not looking at Del or me, as Landon leads her across the room.

Now left without her overwhelming presence, I collapse a little energetically. Del comes closer and puts his hand on my back. “I’m sorry if I overstepped there,” he whispers so only I can hear. “I have a…challenging mother too.”

He helps guide me back to where Rawley stands, as if he suspects I need my brother’s strength right now. I don’t necessarily, but Rawley throws his arm around my shoulder, merging me into his conversation with his Waves friends.

The next five minutes I’m in my own world, as Rawley and his buddies talk playoffs. Did I really do that?

Grace’s easing her way toward me, I notice. Finally, she reaches our group, Johnson in tow.

As the conversation dies off and the larger group breaks up, she turns to me.

“Proud of you, Connor,” she says, kissing the side of my head.

“We’re here for you, man,” Johnson adds.

Just then, a text comes into the Better Together chat.

LANDON: I’m getting Mom into her Uber back to the hotel.

The one that Pam pre-ordered, like she sees into the future.

In true Mom fashion, we get a text ninety minutes later that she’s rebooked her flight for the early morning and won’t be joining us for Christmas.

No one responds.

On our FaceTime that night, Eden appears like the haloed angel on top of our Christmas tree.

My angel. My beautiful Rosy, that honey hair in a braid around her head, Christmas pajamas on from her own family gathering earlier.

The only dark spot is that her face is loaded with concern, no doubt based on my quick summary by text earlier. “I’m so sorry, Connor.”

“It’s okay. It’s going to take a while to tell you everything…”

“I want to hear it all. Whatever you need.”

We end up talking into the early morning hours, before I fall asleep with her on the other end.

I sleep soundly.