Page 53 of The Slapshot and the Single Mom
Jack orders a big bucket of popcorn for him and I to share and a small bag for Liam to have all to himself—which Liam thinks is the best thing ever since I usually buy a big one that we share—and we all pick out candy. I get Milk Duds instead of my usual Red Vines since they only have Twizzlers here, Jack gets Sour Patch Kids, and Liam gets M&Ms.
We get into the theater just as the lights dim for the previews to start and find our seats, me in the middle between Jack on my left and Liam on my right. Jack offers me the popcorn, and I take a handful with a smile of thanks.
I wouldn’t have intentionally introduced someone I’m dating to my son this early, but despite the rough start and the terrible circumstances, things seem to be going well. Liam’s happy, we’re out doing something fun all together, and I feel surprisingly good.
Jack leans forward to look at Liam, and when he sees that Liam’s engrossed in the movie preview, he puts up the armrest betweenus, resting his hand in the space next to my leg and rubbing the back of his fingers against my skin.
Smiling at him, I let my hand rest on his, and he flips his hand over to thread his fingers through mine.
Doing this in the dark in the theater makes me feel the same sort of thrill as when I first held hands with my crush as a teenager. Like it’s a little bit forbidden—even if it’s not really—a little bit secret. Something just for us that we’re not ready to share with the world yet.
Though, really, the world knows already. It’s just Liam who doesn’t. And since I haven’t dated at all since his dad and I split up, I’m not really sure how to handle this with him. I introduced Jack as my friend on the fly because I didn’t want to explain the fact that we’re dating to my already overwrought child. I’ll probably have to tell him the full truth eventually, but it’s not bad for him to get to know Jack first and form his own opinion before finding out that Jack is more than just my friend, right?
And just because I’ve introduced them and we’re going out to a movie doesn’t mean that Jack’s going to be coming over every day. While I hadn’t given it a lot of specific thought, I’d always sort of figured dating someone for six months was the minimum amount of time before introducing him to my son.
Should I wait another few months before having Jack around Liam again?
The previews finally end and the movie starts, so I decide to think more about that problem later and just enjoy this day for what it is.
“How’s Liam doing?” Jack asks over the phone when we’re talking a couple nights after our impromptu night at the movies. Liam’s in bed, and I’m hanging up laundry that I didn’t put away yesterday after I washed my clothes while I talk to Jack on speakerphone.
“Pretty good. He was a little grumpier than normal yesterday, which I expected, but seemed back to his usual self today.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Jack says, sounding thoughtful.
I wait to see if he’ll add anything else, and my patience is rewarded.
“Did he have any opinion about me being there?”
“He was happy you bought him his own popcorn. He said, and I quote, ‘Jack is really nice. I like him.’”
Jack chuckles. “Well, good. I’m glad to know your son can be bribed into liking me.”
My laugh isn’t very enthusiastic. I know he’s joking but, “It only goes so far, though, just so you know. His dad tries to buy his affection, too, and while it works to some degree …”
Jack grunts. “Yeah. Okay. Got it. That wasn’t my goal, though. You know that, right? I was just trying to cheer you both up.”
“I know,” I say softly. “And you did. It was exactly what we needed.”
“Good.” He takes a deep breath, and once again I wait to see what he has to say. “So, um,” he clears his throat, and I have to smile. He sounds nervous, which is entirely unlike Jack.
“Yes?” I prompt, hoping I sound encouraging and not like I’m on the verge of laughing, which I am.
“My captain, Nick Abernathy, is hosting a barbecue for anyone that’s in town later this week.”
“That sounds fun.” I put a shirt on a hanger and hang it up in my closet.
“Yeah. It’s usually a good time. It’s open to team members and their families. Or, you know, significant others or whatever. Nick’s got two kids, and a few of the other guys have families too. It’s usually a big chunk of the guys who come.”
I pause, hanger in one hand, shirt in the other, and step closer to the phone where it rests on my dresser next to my closet. Is this an invitation? “Okay,” I say slowly.
“So, uh, it’s actually on Friday. And I know we normally go out on Fridays, but would you be interested in going? Like I said, it’s usually a good time, and there’ll be other kids there if you want to bring Liam. I know you said that he goes to camps and stuff and he’s playing baseball so he’s around other kids plenty, but it might be good for him, too. And when else does a kid get to hang out with a bunch of professional athletes and their families?” He lets out a nervous chuckle after the last sentence, and I can’t help grinning at how awkward the smooth and confident Jack Bouchard sounds right now.
I’m glad we’re on the phone so I don’t have to hide my smile.
“I’m happy to go with you to the barbecue. I wouldn’t mind meeting your teammates. That sounds like fun. Can I get back to you about Liam, though? I’d rather let him choose since he normally goes to my parents’ house on Friday nights. Since he was at his dad’s this past Friday, he might not want to miss twice in a row.” Furrowing my brow, I consider the issue. I could offer to let him go on Saturday evening if he wants to be able to do both. Or maybe after the barbecue on Friday? “Or, well, what time is the barbecue? And how late does it go?”
“It’s dinner. The official start time is five, and it usually goes until eight or nine. Like I said, Abernathy’s got two little kids, and Tina, his wife, won’t want people there until all hours.”
