“You’re not leaving here mad at me.”
“I said that I’m not mad.”
“Then, what are you doing?” Brook asked.
“Respecting your wishes. You live your life, and I’ll get on with mine. I’m sure we’ll both be much happier,” I said.
“See? You’re mad.”
“Am not.”
“Are too.”
I took a deep breath and sighed.
“What did Tami teach you about me being mad?” I asked.
“To leave you alone because you get over it quickly.”
I raised my eyebrows.
“Okay, I’ll stop pushing,” Brook said and got out of the van.
“You look like you need a hug … ow!” Dare said.
Cassidy had grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and directed him away from my ex. The little shit was about to get on my last nerve. In some ways, Dare reminded me of one of my kids at their brattiest. One minute, you were sure all you needed for your life to be fulfilled was this tiny version of yourself; the next, you completely understood why parents murdered their children. Dare might not make it home.
◊◊◊
When we got to the airport, I discovered that Cassidy was flying us back. I was okay with that because it was a good way for her to log flight time, and I frankly wasn’t in the right frame of mind. It seems she had arranged for all our baggage to be shipped home so that she could keep the weight and balance within range.
I did focus long enough to double-check her preflight checklist and waited until we were in the air before I let my mind wander.
This weekend had been interesting. I’d found another mentor in Grace, who’d helped me realize some things that had been staring me in the face. The first was that baseball wasn’t really in the cards right now. It wasn’t like I couldn’t make a sunglasses advertisement and earn probably more money than I would playing ball. Nevertheless, even though the chance for a baseball career might be only a slim one, I still didn’t want to officially close that door.
My dad was big on saying that you should never burn any bridges. At the very least, the contacts I made with scouts now might pay off later when I was ready for whatever I planned to do after college. Plus, I’d never said I planned to play ball. I’d only said I wanted to explore my options.
The second revelation was that I didn’t need to be so black-and-white about my businesses. I didn’t have to be immersed in the daily decisions, but on the other hand, I didn’t need to completely relinquish all responsibility. I could still be involved at a high-enough level that I could keep my finger on the pulse.
At the same time, it was important not to step on my dad’s or Scarlet’s toes. It would be good practice to spend time now working out the right level of involvement I should have, so I would make that a priority.
Next, I wanted to talk to Frank about my image. Grace was right when she suggested that I should follow the Tom Brady roadmap and let people see that I really am, deep down, a family man. The best part of this decision for me was that it involved no deception. All I would be doing would be to make visible a reality that I’d kept somewhat hidden.
I’d kept it hidden to this point because I wanted both myself and my family to be as normal as possible. But people whose judgment I valued quite highly had helped me see that it was time for me to start embracing who I was. Part of that was letting others see the real me. I would leave it mainly to Frank to help figure out how to do that.
I’d also realized I had grown tired of football recruiting. It had gone on for far too long. I decided to pick a school by next week. As of that moment, it was a coin flip.
Some aspects of my celebrity status also needed to be addressed. There were two that stood out. The first was that it was costing the community money. The second was that everyone feared I would do something to attract even more attention. That would, in turn, draw more people to show up for events than could safely be handled.
We’d been playing it by ear to this point, and I wanted more control over that. I would sit down with my dad and grandmother and get their take on it. I might also have some ideas. Vice Principal Palm almost certainly wouldn’t like them, but hey, you only live once.
◊◊◊
“Jacob Jeffrey Dawson!”
Coby froze. He was just about to launch himself out of his high chair when I walked into the kitchen. Mom grabbed him before he made good his escape. My son picked that moment to have a meltdown, so Mom handed him to me.
My baby whisperer superpowers must have left me because he wasn’t having any of it. I agreed. Today hadn’t been the best day for me, either. Both Little David and Duke looked concerned and were only moments away from joining Coby in his hysterics. I turned around and took my son to my apartment before we had a bigger mess on our hands.
When I got upstairs, I lay down on the couch with my little escape artist on my chest. I’d guessed right; he was tired. It didn’t take long for both of us to fall asleep.
◊◊◊
Worst father ever! I woke to find my son missing.
