Page 31 of Breakaway Daddies

I continue feeding the iguana, feeling the rough texture of its scales under my fingertips. It’s surreal, this hands-on experience with such an exotic creature.

I shake my head, half in disbelief, as the iguana looks up briefly, its beady eyes meeting mine.

Jinx glances over her shoulder, curiosity in her expression. “You ever had pets growing up?” she asks, sounding genuinely interested.

I shake my head slowly. “No. Not with my grandparents,” I reply, my voice steady, though the words carry a weight I seldom share.

She pauses, her movements stilling as she watches me, sensing the gravity of what I’ve just said. With Jinx, somehow, the words come easier than they usually do.

“My parents died when I was a kid,” I admit, my tone even as I focus on the iguana’s rhythmic chewing. “Car accident. It was just me and my grandparents after that. My grandpa passed a few years ago, so now it’s just my grandmother.”

Jinx leans against the door, her expression easing with empathy. “I’m sorry, Bruno,” she says quietly.

I shrug, keeping my eyes on the iguana. “She’s great, though. My grandma. Toughest woman I know,” I say with a hint of pride, thinking of her resilience and the warmth of her kitchen on Sunday mornings.

Jinx smiles, and there’s a depth in her eyes—understanding, perhaps. It’s as though she knows the feeling of loss, of being left with fragments of what once was.

For some reason, that shared understanding makes me feel less alone, like a small bridge has formed between us, spanning the quiet spaces of our pasts.

Jinx straightens up, stretching her arms over her head, the fabric of her sweater rising slightly to reveal a sliver of her tattooed midriff. She rolls her shoulders, releasing a small sigh.

“You know,” she muses, her eyes reflecting a twinkle of mischief, “life’s about having adventures.”

I snort, skepticism lacing my words. “Is that what this is? An adventure?”

Her lips curve into a grin, though her gaze grows introspective. “Yeah. And you don’t always know how an adventure is gonna turn out. That’s kind of the point.”

I glance at her, observing how she casually tosses a sliced up apple and banana in the enclosure for her lizard. She moves with a relaxed confidence, like she’s completely at ease in her skin. I wish I could feel that way, like it’s okay to let go.

“We love our families, but we have to live our lives for us, not them. If you want something, you should pursue it for you, not because you’re afraid of what someone else might think.”

I scoff lightly, shaking my head, doubt settling in my stomach. “You say that like it’s easy.”

She shrugs, a knowing smile playing on her lips. “It’s not. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing.”

Her words land solidly in my chest, heavy but not unwelcome, like a warm stone in a stream. I know she’s right. I just don’t know if I’m ready to take that step.

I sigh deeply, rubbing my hand over my face as if trying to wipe away the confusion.

“I get what you’re saying, but…” My voice trails off, and I search the air for words that seem just out of reach. “I don’t trust easily. And this? It feels like it’s moving at lightning speed.”

Jinx tilts her head, her eyes narrowing slightly in curiosity. “You think so?”

A dry chuckle escapes my lips, tinged with disbelief. “Yeah. I mean, one minute, we’re just teammates, exchanging high-fives on the field. The next, we’re entangled in something I can’t quite define.” I gesture between us, my hand moving through the space as if it could capture the confusion swirling within me. “I just—I don’t do things like this.”

She watches me with an intensity that makes my skin prickle, then steps closer, her warmth radiating as her hand gently rests on my forearm. “What are you actually afraid of?”

I swallow hard, my gaze dropping to the floor as if the answer might be etched there.

“Someday, I want to take a woman home to my grandmother. Introduce her over tea and cookies. Tell her this is the person I love.” My voice lowers. “I don’t want to struggle to explain what this is.”

Jinx nods, tucking a stray curl behind her ear with a delicate flick of her fingers. “I get it,” she says in a gentle murmur. “My parents are pretty traditional, too. Well, at least compared to me and my brother.”

I arch an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. “Jack? He seems pretty… normal.”

She shrugs, a rascally look on her face. “That’s because you don’t know the half of it. He’s got his ‘good ol’ Canadian boy’ act down pat, but he’s just as much of a mess as the rest of us. There was this one time he got so plastered after a game that he stumbled into the wrong hotel room, crawled into bed, and ended up spooning the other team’s coach. Buck naked.”

I blink in disbelief, then burst into a short, surprised laugh. “No way.”

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