Jay: How sick is that blanket? My nanny did an amazing job, right??
Me: Seriously in love. Kinda sad I don’t get to wear the shirts anymore though.
Jay: Oh no, guess you will need to go shopping. Besides, your boobs are too big now stop being ridiculous.
Jay: We are nearly back to the hotel room, call you in like ten!
Me: I’ll be waiting impatiently
Like she said, ten minutes later, my phone rings with her ringtone.
“Hello.”
“Oh my word, it’s good to hear your voice.”
“We’ve talked like everyday for a week.” I laugh. “How is vacay?”
She groans loudly. “Yeah, but I’m still allowed to feel that way. Anyhow, being on vacation with my ex is not fun, believe it or not.
“Strangely, I think I can believe that.”
After telling me about the trip, Janelle fills me in about her time in California, since even when I was present before everything, I wasn’t really. She has made a few friends from class but promises I’m still her best. Apparently, she has told them all about me, but I didn’t ask what she told them and she didn’t say—that’s fine by me. I can only imagine what she came up with. She hasn’t mentioned Ronni once and neither have I. I don’t know what is happening between us. After Week of Pink, I kind of thought everything between us would be better, and it was for a while, but it seems weird again. Everything in my life seems off, but what is bothering me most is that Ronni’s name wasn’t on my visitation sheet once, even though I know she was in town from her social media posts.
Jethro steps into my room, telling me it’s almost time for dinner like he has done it a million times, but it’s only for the past week and is so weird every time. Like we are playing house, except we’re not playing and this is my life now.
I shove my phone into my sweats pocket before trailing after Uncle Jet. Despite having surgery tomorrow, my knee feels okay. A little loose, which makes sense, considering everything, but it’s just odd I’m walking today, and tomorrow I won’t be due to a surgery that’s meant to fix me.
“How was work?”
“Fine. How was your chat with Janelle?”
“How did you know who it was?”
He glances back and shoots me a duh look. “There are not many people, if any, you laugh that loudly with. I could hear you across the hall clear as day.”
“Wouldn’t be able to if I had a door,” I volley back.
He rolls his eyes but says nothing. Because I’m right.
“Dinner will be ready in thirty.”
“I had a lot of dreams while I was in there, you know?”
Ash is stroking my hair but pauses and looks from the TV to me. We are lying on the coach, just watching movies, and thankfully, Uncle Jet gave us some privacy. It’s like I’m . . . a teenager, I guess. But it’s comical because Ash is thirty and has to follow rules like he’s seventeen too.
“Like what?”
“Well, I had one where you were engaged to Coach Buckingham.”
His eyebrows fly up, a taunting grin splitting his face. “That right? And how did that make you feel?”
“Stabby.” I joke. “It was so weird, I was at your game to meet you, despite you being so old.” He frowns and I giggle. “Totally fangirling, and yeah, you were engaged to a different woman, but you agreed to coach me.” I scoff.
His chuckle rumbles through his chest and against my cheek. A soothing sound and one of my favorites. “That sounds like a good dream to me.”
I shoot him a murderous glare, his smile doesn’t faulter.
“Because it’s there in between the lines. You just have to look, babygirl. If That scenario were true, we would have still ended up together.”