Page 27 of Interference
“I wasn’t here. I came home from my morning shift at the center. Anyway, whatcha got there?”
I pull out the burger first. Emery’s eyes light up.
“Ooh, that looks good,” she tells me.
“Good, because it’s for you.” I hand it over to her.
“Cora, I grabbed this too in case the burger wasn’t what Emery wanted. You can have it.” I hand over the salad.
“Good looking out, my guy. I appreciate it,” she tells me.
“Did you not get yourself anything?” Emery asks, concern in her eyes.
So I lie.
“We do meal prep. Better if I eat the chicken and veggies. I’m going to go heat some up.”
While it is true that I should be eating the meal plan that the team has us on, I haven’t cared much about that recently. Not since the injury. Now with Emery, I really don’t care as much. I don’t want to be a professional hockey player.
All I want is to be a dad.
When I come back into the living room with my food, Cora has already finished hers, while Emery is still picking at her burger.
“I’m going to head out. I need to grab some things. Emery, don’t you be a stranger now, and don’t hide in his room. You are allowed to be here. In fact, I want you here.”
Emery smiles up at Cora. “Okay. Next time I’ll act like I own the place.”
“That’s more like it. Treat her well, Brett.”
“I plan on it,” I tell her, taking a seat on the couch.
After Cora leaves, Emery speaks up. “The burger was for you, wasn’t it?”
I look over at her, chewing the bit of food in my mouth.
“I want you to eat whatever you can eat. I don’t care why I bought the burger as long as you eat it,” I tell her honestly.
“We can trade,” she says, her nose scrunching at my steamed veggies.
“No. We really can’t. You eat that and get your strength back. I’ll eat this and stay in performance shape. Really. It’s okay.”
She huffs. “Okay.”
We eat in silence as I stare at whatever show they have on. Someone just threw a glass of something in someone else’s face, and now they are about to brawl. I have no idea what is going on.
“So Cora made a comment earlier that had me thinking.”
“Oh yeah?” I turn and give her my full attention. “What were you thinking?”
“This weekend is parents’ weekend. My parents will be here. I think I need to tell them about the baby.”
“Of course we should. Let’s set up dinner or something with them. I’ll pay.”
She shakes her head. “No. That’s not what I meant. I am going to tell them.”
I laugh. Straight up laughing, making her glare at me.
“Buttercup, I am not letting you face your parents alone. We will tell them together so that when they get angry, they take it out on me. The boy who soiled their daughter’s image andimpregnated her out of wedlock. They won’t even be able to be mad at you if I’m there. Trust me. Instant hate.” I stab another piece of chicken and eat it.
