Page 114 of Crazy Love

“Really generous of Jerry.”

Addy giggles and slides her arms around my waist. “We’ll figure it out.”

I sigh and pull her close. “Was it good for you to be home this weekend?”

She smiles against my chest. “I loved it. I really needed that. I even got to catch up with Goldie. She says hello, by the way.”

“Hello to Goldie. Tell her to come back and visit longer. And I’m so glad you had a good weekend. You seem…happier.”

She looks up at me, and her hands wind through my hair. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a mess. I’m gonna try to do better.”

I push her hair back and look at her intently. “There is not a single thing you need to do any better, Addy. This is not on you. I want to talk to your dad tonight about ways I can be home more too. There’s not much I can do if I stay with the team, but I’ve played long enough now that I don’t have to be at as much training in the summer…I can streamline the things that I volunteer for…there are tweaks I can make with workouts and such, which would help with being here when the kids are home from school. We’ll keep working on this, but it’s not on your shoulders.” I lean closer, tilting her chin up. “Okay?”

She nods. “Okay.”

She kisses me then and lifts up on her tiptoes to get closer. When she pulls away minutes later, breathless, she whispers in my ear, “I think we have time before the kids get home, if we’re fast.”

“Oh, I will be so fucking fast,” I promise, already lifting her over my shoulder. “And so fucking thorough,” I add, bolting for the stairs.

The sounds of our laughter fill up the house.

Damn, it’s good to be home.

Later that night, Addy is in full domestic goddess mode. She’s got an elaborate meal spread out for the six of us. It smellsamazing.

“This looks stunning, Adeline,” her mom says. “What is that salad?”

“Thanks, Mom. I’m so excited you’re here. So, we have a pear and gorgonzola salad with candied walnuts. And we have salmon with a lemon-dill yogurt sauce, garlic-roasted Brussels sprouts, and quinoa with sweet potatoes and kale.”

“And she made dessert too!” Sam adds happily. “What did you call it?”

“Passionfruit Pavlova,” I say, grinning at him.

“Do the two of you eat all this fancy food?” Danielle asks Sam and Winnie.

“Addy is the best cook ever,” Sam says.

“Best cook ever,” Winnie repeats. “I love Addy’s foodsomuch.”

“Me too.” Sam nods.

“Well, you are both remarkable,” Danielle says. “Addy always loved any kind of food too.” She laughs and looks at Addy fondly. “There were no chicken fingers for you…you were my grilled shrimp and filet mignon child. Expensive tastes.”

“Ilovechicken fingers and shrimp and steak,” Winnie says.

We all laugh, and the conversation flows into Sam’s game over the weekend and our win in Florida. Coach is actually talking to me. Real, genuine conversation, not the awkward grunt-based communication we’ve had for years.

When pressed, Addy talks a little about how crazy everything’s been lately, but she keeps it light while Sam and Winnie are at the table. Winnie ends up on Danielle’s lap, and it’s evident that both Rex and Danielle are smitten with the kids.

After the kids go to bed, the conversation shifts.

“So…” Rex studies Addy carefully. “How are you really doing?”

She sets down her wine glass. “A little better. A weekend at home helped. I want to keep figuring it out with Lorelai.” She glances at me and then back at her dad. “It was actually a lot of fun working on her projects while she was gone. And talking with her today...I think she had even more fun than I did, traveling with the team again.”

“You think that’s something you’d both consider doing more regularly?” he asks.

“It seems like she’s open, which I really appreciate.”

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