I slap his hand away. “Hey, coffee first, pancakes, then sex,” I say, grabbing a mug, filling it with hot coffee, then smelling it. Best smell ever.
“Okay, go set the table outside, or we will end up on the floor with me riding you, then no one will eat.”
“I know which one I pick.”
“I pick pancakes. Now go. Please.”
He goes but not before smacking my ass again. What is up with that, I think, smiling into my coffee. We are sitting on the patio, breakfast devoured, him holding his coffee cup in his hands, my feet resting in his lap.
He puts his cup on the table. “So what’s the story with James?”
Oh boy, this is going to be fun. “I’ve known James since I was sixteen, high school sweethearts, college sweethearts, you know, the typically stuff. Married at nineteen, had Matthew at twenty, couldn’t get pregnant again till ten years later. It was a bit rough when we had Allison. He started traveling a little bit more and more. I went to surprise him one week and walked in on him pounding away at Tiffany. That’s it, end of story. He tried to tell me it didn’t matter, that it was nothing, but I couldn’t trust him. I also couldn’t get him and her out of my mind. So I told him we were over. He gets my kids every second week, and I try not to kill him every time I see him. Which is hard. Matthew had the hardest time with it. He understood what was going on. He didn’t believe for one second that ‘we still loved each other’ bullshit speech we laid on them. He knows his father fucked up, which strained his relationship he has with him. Two weeks after we separated he had Tiffany over. Two weeks.”
I shake my head, not wanting to cry for him. “That’s when Matthew knew. He came home and asked me point blank. I looked at him, so young, so innocent, thinking to myself that he isn’t supposed to be dealing with this. He’s not supposed to shoulder my pain. I’m supposed to shoulder his. So I told him the truth. Not the whole truth, but that we did in fact fall out of love. He cried, said he hated him. I told him in the end all that matters is that James still loves him, will always love him.”
“Only a strong woman would put her kids before her hatred for her ex. You hear stories about the shit women do. Set the clothes on fire, key scratch their cars. But not my girl. My girl pulls up her big girl pants, locks away the pain, and shows them that in the end she will always be there. You can’t buy that, you can’t learn it. You are born with it, babe,” he says, looking in my eyes.
I nod. “When you have a child you learn that you live for them. Period.”
“He’s an idiot. Had it all. Threw it away. For second-class pussy. Lucky for me. I get first class!”
I get up from my chair, putting my coffee cup on the table next to his, and crawl onto his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck. “That speech just got you laid.” I laugh into his lips where I proceed to ride him, making sure he never second-guesses that I really am first class!
Chapter Fifteen
We arrive at the rink an hour before Matthew’s game, the parking lot already full.
This is the championship game, and people always come out to support the local team. It also helps that they are against their archrivals. This game should be interesting. I know that Meghan, Tom, and the kids are coming. I also have no idea if James is showing his face, and after the showdown of yesterday I’m not really sure I care.
We drop Matthew off in front of the door. He gets out, opening the trunk, and grabbing his gear.
“Skate hard, Matthew. Win or lose, it’s just a game!” I always tell him that, but let’s be honest, losing sucks monkey balls.
We take our time parking and then walk in. I look at us walking and you would think it’s always been like this. I’m walking holding on to Allison’s hand, while she holds on to Cooper’s, where she is going on and on about something called rainbow looms. I have no idea what she is talking about, making a mental note to Google that shit when I get home.
We are almost inside when I hear someone call Cooper’s name, making us stop walking. Looking back, we see an older gentleman I’ve never seen before. He is dressed in khakis, a button-down shirt, with a baseball cap.
“Hey, Cooper, I had no idea you were going to be here.” He reaches out to shake his hand.