Page 46 of Moms of Mayhem
Mom scoffed. “Listen to me and listen good.” Her hand reached across to lay over my arm, and the trembling was more obvious. “I am your mother. Chasing your dreams isexactlywhat I want you to do.”
She tightened her grip on my arm, and I put my hand over hers, squeezing back.
“Don’t just chase them,” she said. “Catchthem. Grab them by the reins and hang on until a new dream comes along that’s even bigger and better than the last one. Then, and only then, do I want you to let go. Don’t let me get in the way of that.”
I dipped my chin, my face tingling with emotions I tried and failed to keep at bay. “I don’t want to lose you.”
“Well, I’m still here, aren’t I?” She patted my arm, then let go. “And so are you.”
“I want to stay.” This time the words sounded surer than they had any time I’d said them before. “I want to be here with you and rehab this shit together.”
“Language.”
“I’m 37 years old.”
“And I’m your fucking mother, so watch your mouth.”
I chuckled, then stood up and put my hands in my pockets. “While I’m here, I want to fix things withTy. Being back has made me realize what a mistake letting that friendship drift away was.”
My mom nodded, a bright smile on her face. “Ty is such a good boy. You really did win the lottery with that one.”
“I know I did, so it’s time I make sure he knows it too. Retirement is hard on all of us—walking away from a sport that becomes our whole personality is never easy. I can be here for him during this.”
“Good.” Mom’s eyes crinkled at the corners when she smiled. “So, what’s your plan other than wooing his sister?”
I snorted, then shook my head. “I’m notwooingEmmy. And dating my best friend’s sister hardly seems like a way to support a friend.”
“You should absolutely woo his sister. And sure, it is. Ty wants her taken care of, so you do it. You show him that you can be that type of man, set that example for Jace. The boy I raised knows how to do it, even if you’ve never met a woman worth trying for before.”
“Mom.” I held out a hand in an attempt to stop this conversation from hemorrhaging. “It’s not like that. The team has mandated I work with her for PT check-ins once a day. And I may be coaching her son.”
She grinned, her smile turning slightly diabolical. “Oh, perfect. Make it so she can’t avoid you even if she tried. I love it.”
“I think you’re getting the wrong idea,” I said, attempting to pull her back down to earth. “I can’t be interested in her. Hell, she told me we can’t even flirt.”
My mom’s white eyebrows shot up. “And how did that conversation come about, Beckett?”
I blew out a breath, staring at the crooked watercolor instead of her. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
My mom clasped her hands together in front of her face as much as the sling and cast would allow. “It would make your dying mother so happy to see you happy.”
“I thought you weren’t dying?”
“Aren’t we all?” My mother shrugged, and I couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’m not saying you have to marry the girl, but she and that boy of hers deserve a slice of happiness, and so do you, my son. Be the bright spot in their lives.”
I exhaled deeply, turning back to my mom. “Alright, well, when Emmy is kicking both our asses in Pilates, we’ll see if you change your tune.”
“You’re taking Pilates?” A soft laugh emanated from my mom, and I shook my head. “That should be fun to watch. I’ll have to call the knitting group so we can all go with you.”
“Yes, because a group of women in their early seventies watching me do sun salutations is every man’s idea of a good time.”
My mom laughed harder. “Beckett, have you ever done Pilates before?”
“No?” It came out more of a question than I’d anticipated, but my mom’s reaction caught me off-guard. “How hard can it be, though? I get paid millions of dollars to play sports professionally.”
This time, her laugh turned into a full belly laugh until she was gripping her side. “Don’t go without me. I need to watch this.”
A rap on the door sounded, and I turned to see the therapist come in the room. “I’ll let you go, you mean woman. See you tomorrow?”
