Page 130 of Unbreakable
He peeked an eye open to glance at me. “You don’t?”
I shook my head. “I think maybe we needed this. It’s not pleasant, but we needed the shakeup. We’ve got work ahead of us, but I think we’re going to make it.”
“I think so too.”
I rubbed my lips together and ran my fingers through his hair, just like I did when he first got injured. At least his hair was clean now. When we got home from the game, I gave him thestrangest and most pathetic bath, the swelling in his knee truly alarming. “What do you want to do if you quit?”
“What do you mean?”
“You never want to talk about it, but surely you’ve thought about what you want to do if you retire. Where do you want to go?”
He scoffed. “I used to think I’d go home to Pittsburgh and coach or something, but that’s . . . complicated now.”
I nodded. “So what does that leave?”
“Honestly, Jeannie? Wherever you’re happy. As long as I’ve got you, I don’t care where we are. As long as we’re okay.”
“Right, but what do you want to do? Coach? Teach? Twiddle your thumbs?”
“See, that’s the thing. Jack knows he wants to coach. It’s not that clear for me. I keep hoping when the time comes, I’ll just know.”
“Buy a red Ferrari?” I teased. “Mid-life crisis?”
“Only if you’ll ride shotgun,” he said.
“Please. We both know a red Ferrari is for picking up chicks . . . or other middle-aged dudes.”
“You’re the only chick I want.”
“But I am not the middle-aged dude you’re looking for.”
“No, you’re not.” Dylan’s eyes softened and he tugged on my hand. “Come give me a kiss, woman.”
I raised up on my knees and leaned over his upper body. He yanked me over him to have all my weight on his chest. “Dyl! Your knee!”
“Well, just don’t kick it. I need to really kiss you.”
Our sweet, soft kisses were some of my favorites. I held my face over his as we pulled apart. “What do you want to do, baby? You ready to hang it up or do you still want to play?”
His fingers threaded into the hair falling in my face. “I still want to play.”
I puckered for a kiss, which he met with a goofy suction noise. “Then we’ll get you in playing shape, hockey boy.”
Dylan wrapped his arms as tight as they could go around my back, crushing me to him. “Thank you.” He paused. “What are we going to do for you, though?”
I nestled into his neck. “You’ve been taking care of me a lot lately. You’re fully entitled to some time where I take care of you.”
“No, but beyond medical care,” he laughed. “When are you going to sing and dance again, J?”
I wormed my way into the crack of the couch. “It’s so hard to decide if that’s what I want. I kind of like that time frozen in the past. I need to figure out what makes grown-up me happy. It might be theater, but it might be something totally different.”
“Well, think about it. Any hobby. I don’t know. I want you to do something that lights you up. You’re helping me get back to my thing. I need to help you get back to yours.”
“Figure skating? Ice dancing?” I asked. “I’m at the rink half my life anyway. May as well make use of the time.”
“Ooh, you in one of those skimpy little fake skin tone outfits with the sparkles?” He drew his fingers down my neck, making me giggle. My bucket filler was back at it.
“You would just care about the outfit.”
