Best I Ever Had

I thought being Story’s ex was bad. Now, I’m relegated to Mommy’s friend. That’s worse by all standards. That’s me not even making it up to bat, much less first base or hitting a home run.

Mommy’s friend. Fuck.

Reed is the priority, so I guess I’ll take what I can get when it comes to Story.

Story: Seriously, don’t be worried. I know this is weird, but we’ll get through it together. Let’s try to have fun.

Yeah . . . fun.

What if he doesn’t like me, or we don’t click? I’m envious of parents who get the benefit of that instant bond built from the get-go instead of having to be introduced.

I pull on a dark gray T-shirt and some jeans. I’m not sure what’s been planned other than Lila’s hosting a barbecue at her place to keep things “light.” That also means Reed has Jake to play with if things go south. Story didn’t say that, but I could tell she was covering her bases just in case.

Since I have a few stops to make, I head out to hop on the subway.

I grew up running around the city and the five boroughs, but a lot has changed in the past ten years. I don’t even recognize this Brooklyn neighborhood. With my hands full, I ring the bell of the restored brownstone and wait.

I wasn’t nervous when I met Story or when I took the MCAT. I wasn’t nervous about suing my parents or pursuing a career as a doctor.

Meeting my kid for the first time? Now, I’m fucking nervous.

The door opens, but some guy is standing inside. Something is vaguely familiar about him that I can’t quite put my finger on.

“Hey,” he says as if he had to muster the greeting. “I’m Lou.”

Lou? Lou . . . “Oh Lou! Whoa, man, you’re a blast from the past.” And now I’m nervous again. Is Story dating Lou? Motherfu—

“Cooper, come on in,” Lila says, swinging the door open wider. “Why are you guys just standing here?” She reaches forward and takes the bag from me. “You’ve got your hands full. You know it’s just a casual get-together, right? You didn’t have to bring all this.”

“I wanted to.”

“Well, I’m not going to say no to all the cheeses one could ever want. Lou’s lactose intolerant,” she says, thumbing over her shoulder at him.

“Sorry, man,” I say.

“It’s okay.” He shrugs. “I’m used to it.”

Lila summons me inside. “Looks like a whole charcuterie in this bag. The rest of us can polish it off.”

I step inside, but before I go any farther, I stop to shake Lou’s hand. “It’s good to see you again.”

“I’ll be honest, I didn’t think it would be nice to see you again, but I’ve been hearing good things. So I’ll just leave the past in the past where it belongs.”

“I appreciate that, Lou.”

As I walk toward the back of the house, the sound of the boys outside screaming and having fun drifts through an open back door. I look out the window to see Reed running around with a blue cast on his arm. Lou points at the TV with a game competing for noise, and asks, “You okay with the game on?”

“Sure. I’m not much of a sports guy these days. Not enough time to enjoy it.”

“I hear ya. My software company sold last year to a firm in Silicon Valley. After I finish overseeing the transition, I’m taking Jake on a stadium tour next summer. Twenty stadiums in thirty days. It’s all mapped out.”

“Congratulations.” I nod, trying to decipher the relationship here. “That’s cool.”

I look around, but Story’s not to be found. Unloading the bag and display board, Lila whispers, “She wanted to do a little touch-up.”

“Ah.” Maybe she’s a little nervous, too. I set the flowers and bottle of wine down, and Lila laughs. “What is it?”

She shakes her head and gives me a wink. “You’ll see. Nice rosé by the way.”

“I didn’t know what to bring. And what will I see?”

“Wait until Story comes downstairs.” She shifts things around on the counter to make more room. “You brought too much, Cooper, but thank you. It’s appreciated.” She comes around and adds, “I didn’t approve of her bringing you into her life or Reed’s.” Not a great start, I think. I’ll wait for my final judgment to see where she’s going with it. “But when I saw you, and particularly when I saw you with Story . . . It’s good to see you again.” She hugs me.

I wasn’t sure where that was headed, but I hug her back. “It’s good to see you, too.”

With her head near my ear, she whispers, “Hurt her again, and I’ll kill you.” Leaning back with a warm smile, she pats my shoulder. “Capisce?”

Story is lucky to have her in her corner. “Understood.”