Page 52 of The Slapshot and the Single Mom
“Jack brought our car back. Isn’t that nice?” Maggie says, her voice full of forced cheerfulness.
“I guess,” Liam says, still glum.
I have to roll my lips between my teeth so I don’t laugh. I’m sure that would just piss him off more, but the contrast between his mom trying so hard to get him to engage at a basic level of politeness and his completely flat response is too funny. I have this sudden vivid memory of being about the same age as Liam and pissed as hell at my mom because she wouldn’t let me stay the night at my friend’s house—after I’d already stayed the night at another friend’s house like two nights before that and she had a good friend coming to visit from out of town. She made me come to lunch with her and her friend, and she tried so hard to get me to stop being a little shit, just like Maggie’s doing with Liam, and just like Liam, I wasn’t cooperating.
I’ve heard enough stories about him to know that this isn’t his normal attitude. And I know enough background about his shitty dad and how much this kid idolizes him that I understandhis bad attitude. And I can only assume that the hero worship is the reason Maggie hasn’t dragged her ex back to court before now, even if she says it’s mostly financial.
“Jack just offered to have a pizza delivered for us.” That perks him up a little bit. He glances at me, the tiniest spark of interest entering his gaze. “Or,” Maggie continues, “he offered to take us to a movie. Any interest in either of those options?”
He screws up his face in thought. “What movie?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Maggie
I holdmy breath as Jack searches his phone for movie options, turning when he shows me the screen. “I’m not sure what kinds of movies you’d approve of as the mom.”
Liam rolls his eyes, but I appreciate Jack’s thoughtfulness, especially in the face of my child’s rudeness. I know that he’s mad about having his weekend with his dad cut short. And I know that somehow Liam blames me for the situation. Or, at the very least, he’s taking his anger out on me.
That’s how it goes now. His dad fucks up, and I bear the brunt of everyone’s ire. Kyle’s mad that I point out he’s a douchebag. Liam’s mad his dad’s abandoning him yet again. And somehow I become the bad guy when really it’s Kyle.
Except Jack. Jack’s here offering comfort and making an effort to cheer Liam and me up. Liam and I had already talked about ordering a pizza, but going to the movies is a rare and special treat.
“Oh, there’s a showing of that new movie you wanted to see,” I say to Liam. “Remember?” I show him the picture of the movie poster. “If we’re going to go, we need to leave now, though. The movie starts in half an hour.”
Liam pauses, his lips pursed, and something flickers through his eyes. For a split second, I just know he’s going to say no. That he’d rather stay home, and I’ll be trapped with my moody, brokenhearted tween yet again.
But then he surprises me. “Okay. Let’s do it. I need to go pee first, though.” And he darts back inside, leaving Jack and me alone once more.
Turning to Jack, I take advantage of the few short minutes my son’s giving us and give him a kiss. “Thank you again,” I whisper, trying to convey how much his actions mean to me with those few small words.
He kisses me back, keeping it chaste and quick. “Seriously, Maggie. It’s not a problem. I’m happy to do it. I told you I want to make your life better.”
“I know,” I whisper, but there’s no way I can make him understand what a big deal it is for him tosayhe wants that and then to also do things that prove his words true. When you’ve spent too many years being told the things you want to hear but never seeing those words become reality, it’s easy to dismiss words as nothing more than hot air.
Liam comes back out, and I step back from Jack, glancing at Liam to see if he noticed anything. If he did, he gives no sign. “Ready?” I ask Liam. At his nod, I gesture for him to go down the stairs first.
Jack gives me a sly, almost guilty look as I follow Liam down, but by the time we get to the car, everyone appears to be acting normally. Which, in Liam’s case, is a huge improvement.
He chatters away in the car, bouncing between telling us about something that happened at camp this week, telling Jack about how he got a hit at his last baseball game, and how he’s been hoping to see this movie in theaters.
“Can we get popcorn?” he asks as we pull into the parking lot.
“Of course!” Jack chimes in before I can answer. “What’s a movie without popcorn?” Then he glances at me, giving me a small grimace. “If that’s okay with your mom, I mean.”
Laughing, I put the car in park and turn it off. “That sounds good to me.”
“What about candy?” Liam asks, tossing it out as Jack and I are climbing out of the car, that tone in his voice like he’s hoping to pull a fast one, though there’s nothing particularly sneaky about asking for candy.
“I’m happy to buy whatever snacks we’re all craving.” At my questioning look, Jack nods. “I told you it’s my treat. The point of a treat is for it to be special and not something you do all the time, right?”
I suppose he has a point. I hold out a hand to Liam. At ten, he’s not as readily affectionate in public as he was when he was younger, but he’ll still hold my hand in parking lots, which makes me feel better about him being safe. “Just because Jack says he’ll buy whatever you want,” I tell Liam, “that doesn’t mean you get to geteverythingyou like. You can haveonecandy to go with the popcorn and soda.”
“Okay!” Liam chirps, skipping a little beside me, not at all upset about that very mild restriction.
On the rare occasion we go to the movies, it’s usually popcornorcandy. Not both.
Liam seems back to his normal self as we get tickets and wait in line at concessions, wiggling and bouncing and looking around at the different movie posters, full of his usual energy and curiosity. It’s a relief that he’s bounced back so quickly from his disappointment. Most likely I’ll still have to deal with some residual fallout over the next couple of days, but at least we’re not moping at home tonight.
