Page 126 of Unbreakable
“Oh no!” I gasped. “Now he’ll think I’m the parent tattling to the principal.”
“Somebody’s gotta keep him in check,” Lacey sighed. “He can be pretty rotten.”
“I just hope they win a little more,” Mara said to everyone’s laughter. “Even I’m running out of nice things to say to Jackie when he gets home.”
“Don’t we all!” Christine added.
“Oh, it’s alright, Mara. You can just peg your way back to happiness,” Lacey said with a smirk.
“Lace!” Christine chided her.
Mara jolted so hard that she almost spilled her matcha latte. “I’m sorry, what?”
Christine, Lacey, and I looked at each other before eyeing Mara.
“Maybe tell your husband to stop running his mouth,” I said, grimacing. “I think he’s rather open about your . . . adventures. Which is fine! We all have things we like! And he must be really happy about it.”
“No, oh no, this, nope. Uh uh. I’m going home. This is some bullshit. That little asshole’s gonna be in so much trouble,” Mara said, moving to get her cane and stand.
“You gonna punish him?” I asked to everyone’s giggles.
“Yeah, take him down a peg,” Lacey added.
Mara covered her mouth, convulsing with laughter.
“Kids! Let’s go!” She turned back to us. “Anybody want to help me bury a body later?”
FORTY-EIGHT
DYLAN
NOW | JANUARY
Come down to the tunnel so I can say hi to the kids during warmies
Jeannie
They’re excited. See you soon
“Say hi to Daddy!”
Jeannie held Bella on the other side of the glass while Alice and Greyson stood beside them.
Jeannie brought the whole family to this Sunday game. I pressed my forearm against the glass and Greyson returned it with his soft-casted arm. He only had a week to go before he was totally done with it.
“Hey, it’s the robot arm guy!” Leroy said, skating up next to me. “How’s it feel, bud?”
Grey’s mouth curled up a little. “It’s good.”
“You’re tough as nails,” Leroy said. “You’ll be out here playing with us in no time.”
“You’ll be retired before he makes it, Jack,” I joked.
“Well, if he’s lucky, I’ll be his coach.” He skated off to take a few more practice shots.
“Daddy, I wanna see Russ T.,” Alice whined. “Mommy told me you’d find him for me.”
I coughed a laugh. She was referring to the team’s mascot, a rusty nail that walked around the arena. Its name was, who could guess it, Russ T. Nail. “I’ll put in a good word. What section are you in, Mommy?”
