Page 17 of Make Your Shot
I stare at the drawing for a moment, really looking at the outlines of rainbows, unicorns, and butterflies that Mia drew on the blacktop. It’s clear she’s incredibly talented. I lift my head and study the side of her face as she stares down at my daughter.
Her features are delicate, her skin like silk, nose straight and rounded at the end. My eyes trace her soft jawline, up and over her subtly lifted cheekbones. A tender smile lifts her plump, pouty lips and she lets out a sigh as she tucks some of her dirty blonde hair behind her ear and turns to look at me.
My breath catches in my throat, our gazes colliding as she catches me staring at her. Heat creeps up my neck and I adjust my weight on my feet, looking away and clearing my throat to try to play it off.
What the hell is my problem?
I don’t know what has gotten into my body. Maybe it's the mercury in the microwave or whatever the hell I see people posting on social media about the planets when life gets weird.
“Did you want to sit on the porch so we can talk about things?” I gesture toward the house with my coffee in hand .
Mia’s head slowly bobs up and down. She tips her head back down toward Tella. “Hey, Tell. Finish this up while your daddy and I talk about things.”
“Okay!” Tella complies, not bothering to look at her as she grinds the chalk faster and faster until there’s a pile of dust on the ground.
Laughter bubbles in my chest again as Mia and I turn away from her, walking along the concrete walkway to the front porch. I step up first, Mia directly behind me as I move toward the white wooden rocking chairs. Something tugs at my heart, a lump lodging in my throat as I pause. Those damn chairs have been around for forever.
Amelia and I bought them for the front porch of our old home. The house we bought together. After she passed, I had to sell the property. I couldn’t stand to be there, expecting to see her around every corner I turned. All of her belongings were just painful reminders of what I had lost. I got rid of almost everything except for a few keepsakes and these two chairs.
For whatever reason, I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of them.
I extend my arm for Mia to move around me and sit. She takes the left one. And I take the one on the right, the wood creaking beneath my weight as I settle against the back slats. Mia begins to slowly rock in hers, her lips wrapping around the straw once more as she takes a sip of her iced drink.
“How was practice?” she asks, as she turns her head to look at me.
“It was good.” Mimicking her actions, I start to rock in my own chair. I turn to look at her, her eyes slowly searching mine.
“What were you thinking in terms of me watching her?” Mia questions me, cutting right to the chase.
“Since kindergarten has already started and just to have the normalcy for T, I think it would be better ifyou stayed here with her while I’m away.” I pause, my throat bobbing as I swallow hard. “I have two guest rooms, so you’re more than welcome to make one your room.”
“That makes complete sense,” she agrees without any hesitation. “I can just stay while you’re gone, that way I’m not encroaching on your space when you’re home.”
I let out a breath. “If you would rather move in, I’m open to whatever you’d like to do. I just would mainly need you here during practices, games, while I’m out of town and for any other events that may pop up.”
Mia lets out a soft chuckle. “Maybe moving in would make more sense.”
The corners of my mouth twitch. “We can play it by ear, see how things go.”
Mia rolls her lips between her teeth, biting down as she bobs her head. “That works for me,” she says, her voice softening. “If you need me to watch her for more than work stuff, I can do that too. You know, if you have a date or just anything.”
Her words catch me off guard and I inhale sharply, immediately shaking my head. “I don’t go on dates, Mia,” I tell her, my voice dropping. “That’s not something I’ll ever need you for.”
Her lips part, eyebrows drawing together as she lets out a breath and closes them. She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth, dragging them over it as her brows relax. “Okay,” she says softly. “Sorry, I just thought I would offer, at least.”
I rake my hand through my hair, letting out a sigh. “No, I’m sorry,” I say, pursing my lips. “I appreciate it. I don’t normally do much outside of work but take care of T. I will keep your offer in mind, in case I do need you for something random.”
“I get it,” she tells me, saving me from the awkwardness of this conversation. She gives me a gentle smile, her eyes warm and inviting. “Do you have your schedule for the season?”
“I have our game schedule. Practice is normally the same, but can vary on a rare occasion. I can send you everything scheduled so far. Can I give you event details and any practice changes as I know about them?”
“Of course,” she says, nodding eagerly. “I’m at your disposal, so whenever you need me, I can be available. I do plan on going to Sugar Hill Hollow to visit my friend at some point, but I can work that around your schedule.”
“If you need any time off or a date doesn’t work for you, I can figure something out,” I assure her as my mind drifts to a previous conversation with her. The one about her wanting to look for a job. “I don’t want this to affect you finding another job or anything like that.”
Mia’s silent, slowly scanning my face. “Yeah, I’ll let you know if anything changes.” There’s something off about the way she says it, but she immediately moves past it. “Do you want to just email me your schedule?”
“Absolutely,” I say, nodding as I pull out my phone. “What’s your email address?”
