Page 95 of A Game Plan for Love

The words are quiet and laced with melancholy.

“Sorry,” Henry mutters, rubbing the back of his neck.

“PCOS makes it incredibly hard for Maren to conceive naturally, and we’ve tried everything under the sun outside of IVF to help boost her fertility. None of it has worked.” Jack wrings his hands together, the pain for his wife evident on his face. “She’s not ready for IVF yet, so we are exploring a different path.” He stares into the depths of my soul. “I wanted to talk to you about it first.”

“Talk to me about what?”

I scan the rest of the table, and everyone else is equally as surprised by his confession.

“Over the summer, Maren and I would like to take the required courses to become licensed foster parents.”

The air whooshes from my lungs.

“Oh.”

I don’t know who voices the single syllable, but my head begins to spin. Someone’s speaking, and a hand rests on my shoulder, but I’m having a hard time keeping up.

They want to become foster parents.

It’s possible I have nothing to do with the decision, but the soft look Jack offers tells me I placed the kernel of possibility in their minds.

“Nice,” is all I can choke out.

I manage a watery smile, and Jack beams. “Yeah?”

The excitement and anticipation are all over his face. He’s thrilled for this, and I know without a doubt they would make wonderful foster parents. Their home is warm, and one I would have dreamed of being placed into as a kid.

“You’d be wonderful foster parents,” Deon says quietly.

I nod in agreement.

“If our paperwork gets approved after the classes, we’d love to talk to you about what we can do to make our home a safe space,” he says, “If you’re comfortable with that.”

“I’d love that,” I whisper.

The table grows quiet, and we collectively rise and head to the door. Deon and Jack chit-chat about grilling and smoking meat, but Henry stays back and grips my shoulder. He’s always seen more than the rest thanks to playing in college together. “You really love them, don’t you?”

“More than I thought was possible.”

CHAPTER 28

Third Time’s the Charm – Megan Moroney

Addie

MyhandsshakeasI send the text I’ve been dreading for the last forty-eight hours. A few days after talking to Declan and hearing his assurance that he would join dinner, I decided I would face the terror and speak to my parents.

It’s taken two days to work up the courage to text my Dad.

Me: I am willing to talk. Next weekend is fine if you can still make it, but there’s a home game I have to work. I’m free to get dinner Sunday night following the game.

I slide my phone across the table and continue to process the invoices for last week’s produce orders so I can send them off to the finance department for processing.

It’s been a quiet morning, and practice is in full swing for the home game against Houston this weekend, and the interns haul cardboard boxes of fruit and vegetables into the large walk-in cooler in the back.

My phone dings and I fly for it, panic and nerves swirling around my chest. Instead of my parents, it’s Declan, who should be at practice, running around, not texting me.

Declan: This is a cordial invitation for you and Nora to attend the greatest sleepover ever at my house. This Friday. Be there or be lame.

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