you think when your daddy died, your momma looked at you and your brother and said I didn’t sign up to be a single mom? This isn’t fair? No, she went to work, got a second job, and busted her ass. And you know what else?—if your pouting and being ridiculous ruins the one real thing in your life over some bullshit sport, you are not the man I assumed you were.” She ends the call and Brady scowls at me.
“Dude, why?”
“Because you needed a real talk and Bev’s good at hitting hard below the waist, and her accent makes all those insults hurt more.” I whack him in the nuts as I open the bathroom door. “Now, buck up, Nancy, and go apologize for being a bitch.” I walk from the bathroom and take my seat with Jenny.
“You okay?” she asks.
“Yeah.” I lean in and kiss her. The guilt of my response has been highlighted by Brady’s shitty reaction to the news.
Between him, me, and Matt, we’re zero for three in acting like a gentleman as far as these babies are concerned.
But Bev’s right.
There’s no way Sami, Nat, or Jenny got the results of their tests in the moments they did and were excited. Sami was going through the worst experience of her life. Nat was days away from getting married. And Jenny’s whole life was in the toilet.
I slip my fingers into Jenny’s and lift her hand, kissing the back of it.
Using the white reflective wall, I watch for Brady in the back of the plane until I see him leave the bathroom. He takes his seat next to Nat. I perk up my ears and listen as he begins his journey into redemption.
“Banks,” he whispers. “Banks, I’m sorry. You caught me off guard and for a minute I forgot that we’re a team and this isn’t a one-man show. I’m so sorry. I should have been excited.”
“No, Brady, I never expected you to be excited. I wasn’t excited. You can ask Lori. I cried in the bathroom for like an hour. I just expected you to shoulder part of the problem with me, not snivel on about how your life’s going to change as if mine isn’t.”
She is angry and it doesn’t end there.
“I’m not like you. I’m not selfish and inconsiderate. Do you honestly think I’d expect you to ruin your career over a baby? Loads of players have kids.” She gets up abruptly and walks to the back of the plane.
I turn and point at him to follow her as Matt says, “And that was your cue to get up and follow her so the fight can be more private.”
“Fuck me,” Brady grumbles as he stands and heads back to the bathroom, forcing himself in the door.
There’s yelling we can’t quite understand through the doorway. Her voice is the dominant one and it goes on for a while.
The yelling slowly quiets and there’s a bang, followed by more bumping and thumping.
I turn back, getting a smirk from Carson and Matt at the same moment.
“Are they banging on my plane? I haven’t even—” I start and stop, not sure talking about sex with other people is a smart move.
But Jenny laughs.
I turn back to her as we listen to the bathroom banging become louder and more aggressive.
“Oh my God, you need thicker walls in there!” Sami says, also laughing.
The mood lightens and everyone starts giggling, everyone but me.
All I can think is how I’ll explain to the cleaners that I need special attention paid in the bathroom while not looking like a pervert.
There’s no world in which they won’t think it’s me.
21
The end of summer camp
Jenny
Leaving Martha’s was depressing. I loved being so close to the beach. It was like stepping out of time and reality. A vacation from this situation.
Landing back in New York makes everything real again.
That feeling is intensified by all the guys being upset. Brady and Lori hug for a weird amount of time. Matt joins it. Eventually, Carson is in there and the four of them say goodbye as if this is the end of summer camp. The end of something magical and juvenile that they will never get back. And I don’t know why, but it breaks my heart to see. Maybe because I feel partly responsible.
They smoosh kisses into each other’s cheeks and hit one another. Nat offers me an eye roll as Sami barks, “Matt! My mom has Eli down for a nap, if we hurry we can