“I want to know everything about you.”
“Does that go both ways?”
“Yes. I’m an open book to you.” I’m not just saying it. I’ll tell her anything she wants to know. I have nothing to hide.
“Tell me about your family,” she prompts.
“Easy. I was raised by a single mom. My dad ran off when Mom told him that she was pregnant, so I’ve never met him. My grandparents helped my mom raise me.”
“Do you ever wonder about him? Your dad?” I can hear the hesitancy in her voice. We’re diving right into the grit of getting to know each other, but I’m okay with that.
“Sometimes, but not because I want to know him. He had his chance, and he blew it. It’s more of me wondering if he has a family now, you know? As far as I’m concerned, my father is gone.”
“So, if he were to come back into your life today, you’d push him away?”
“No. I wouldn’t have to. He made his choice, and I’m doing fine without him. My mom busted her ass working two jobs to raise me. With the help of my grandparents, she made sure I had what I needed for baseball and that I was at every game and every practice. I had a warm bed to sleep in at night, and my belly was always full.” I pause, collecting my thoughts. “And I knew I was loved. Sure, there were times growing up when I wished that I had a father like my friends, but that’s not how life works, and as I got older, I saw the hard work and the sacrifices my mother made to give me the world.”
“She sounds incredible,” she replies softly.
“She is. She’s going to love you,” I tell her honestly.
“That’s a pretty strong statement.”
“Not when it’s true. She’s going to love that you keep me on my toes and make me work for it.” I know she can’t see me, but I can’t contain my smile when I think about Mom meeting Paisley. “Growing up, she always told me my smile could charm any woman and most men.” I laugh. “She’d tell me that it would take a strong woman to put up with me. That’s how I know she’s going to love you.”
“So, she’s going to like the fact that I don’t give in to your every whim?”
“Exactly. Now, what about your family?”
“Is that how this is going to work? Because you answer, I have to as well?”
“Yes. We’re getting to know each other. That’s how this works. An even exchange of information.”
“I’m sure you already know all about me. I mean, my father is Easton Monroe.”
“Believe it or not, I didn’t seek out the internet when I found out who you were. Any information I get, I want it to come from you, so spill, Monroe.”
“Well, I’m the oldest of three girls. My dad, he adopted me when I was a little girl. I was four years old when he met my mom and me.”
“I didn’t know that,” I say, keeping my voice soft. I have an all-new respect for Easton Monroe, and I was already giving him mad props for his skills on the field.
“Yeah. My mom fought it, but he just kept showing up. Anyway, they got married, and he adopted me. A few years later, my middle sister, Parker, was born, and a few years after that, the baby of the family, Peyton.”
“Three girls. I bet your dad had his hands full.” I laugh.
“Well, there are over seven years between Parker and me and three years between Parker and Peyton. So Dad still has his hands full.” She chuckles. “I like to tell my little sisters that I paved the way for them. They both have to name their firstborn children after me,” she teases.
“How bad does your dad hate me after the kiss cam went viral?”
“He was disappointed in me. Not because it was you, or even from the kiss cam. He’s just… overprotective. He wanted to know who you were and how I knew you. Those kinds of things.”
“I’m guessing when you told him we were strangers that went over like shit floating in a punch bowl.”
“W-What?” She splutters with laughter. The sound wraps around me like a warm caress. “You did not just say that.” She chuckles.
“You telling me I’m wrong?” I ask her.
“No,” she says, the laughter still evident in her voice. “You’re not wrong.”