Page 71 of Delay of Game

He hasn’t asked for more help with his stretches, and part of me is disappointed. Not because I don’t get to put my hands on him again, although that is a huge downside, but because I thought he was making progress in asking for help.

My phone buzzes and I pick up the call.

“Hey, Roro,” I say, smiling at my brother’s old nickname.

“Hey, Al. I need to ask you a favor,” he says, jumping right in.

“What’s up?” I ask distractedly, running my hands over a soft red scarf.

“Can you babysit this weekend? We have a fundraiser for the Blue Line Brigade and it’s all hands on deck,” he says in a rush.

“Robbie, of course. Are you okay though? You sound stressed.”

My brother sighs, and I take a seat on one of the benches that just opened up. “Yeah, this week has been a lot, honestly. I thought Olivia would be home this weekend, but her schedule got mixed up. And—“ He trails off, sighing.

“And what?” I ask, frowning and gripping the phone a little tighter.

“Honestly, I feel like I’m failing,” he eventually says in a sad voice.

“Are you kidding? You’re, like, the best, Robbie. You’re an amazing dad, a great entrepreneur, a great husband. Why would you think you’re failing?”

“I don’t know. It’s just hard when she’s gone for longer periods of time,” he says quietly and my heart sinks. Robbie always puts up such a great front, being there when everyone else needs him, but he struggles asking for help just like the rest of us.

“How about I take Val for the whole weekend? That way you can focus on work and get some rest too.”

“I can’t do that to you. Just a few hours would be?—”

“Please, please, please. You know I don’t see her as often as I want.”

Robbie laughs, though I catch the reluctance in his tone. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. I’ll come get her.”

“Thank you. You’re the best.”

When I get to Robbie’s house, I find him napping on the couch and Valerie quietly playing in her living room crib. The cats run up to me, meowing for attention and I smile, giving each one a pet.

“Hey, baby,” I coo at Valerie, picking her up and snuggling her to my chest. She babbles incoherently at me, and I kiss the top of her head. I step over the pile of toys on the floor and grab a nearby blanket with one hand, draping it over Robbie. He’s out like a light, and I take a moment to really take him in. He looks tired, and his dark blond hair is sticking out in all directions. I sit next to him, rearranging the pillows and propping his head up on a fluffy blue one.

Val is content playing with my hair and a random toy she found, which she has a death grip on, so I turn the TV on low volume and let my mind wander to all the things I could be doing to help my family more. By the time Robbie wakes up, I have a plan in mind. I just hope he’s willing to accept the help.

Jordan

The food is precariouslyclose to falling out of my arms, but I manage to readjust at the last second, pressing the button to the third floor with my elbow.

“Wait,” a familiar voice says from the hallway, and I stick a leg out to stop the door from closing.

Alice’s flushed face comes into view as she’s pushing something into the elevator. I peek around the mountain of bags I’m holding and notice she has Val bundled up in her stroller, a variety of luggage dangling from the handles.

“Thanks,” she breathes out, sounding winded.

“Everything okay?” I ask, facing her.

“Yeah, I’m babysitting for the weekend,” she says, peeking down at Val and smiling. The baby giggles and waves her little arm up at Alice and I can’t stop the grin that overtakes my face. Alice is so good with kids, and I’ve imagined more than once what starting a family with her would be like.

My cheeks redden at the thought, and I quickly look away. “I’m babysitting too, for the night,” I say.

“Really?” She perks up at the thought of seeing Katie and Lory, and my stomach does something it hasn’t done in a while—itflutters.

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