"Gross!" She called over her shoulder as she headed to her room. She didn't mind fish sticks, but the boy would eat them every night if she'd allow it.
"Is not!" he called back.
"Ask Aunt Dawn, when we pass her, she's cooking dinner."
"Score!" His laugh followed his shout. Dawn was a sucker for an easy way out when it came to dinner.
Brody's phone rang as the talking head for the nightly news droned on. He muted the television and glanced at the caller ID. Amber. He drew a deep breath and answered with a question, "How did it go tonight?"
"Your son is really inquisitive." She chuckled and then sighed. "He wanted to know if we loved each other when we were together and why I left."
"What did you tell him?" Brody turned off the TV and leaned his recliner back.
"Honestly?"
"No, Amber, after all this time, I want you to lie to me." He rolled his eyes.
"Smart ass. Fine, I told him I loved you with all my heart, and I screwed up bad by running away."
Brody let her words settle around him. Her admission she'd overreacted in the truck last night wasn't much of a salve to the wounds he bore. But her words just now and telling their son she loved him? That numbed some of the lingering pain. He had to know. "Did you? Love me? I've asked myself that question a million times since that day."
She was quiet for several moments. "With all my heart. I will always regret the way I responded. I was so afraid I'd broken us, especially when I found out about your accident. I was standing outside your room at the hospital when I heard you tell Brock you never wanted to see me again. Then after I found out I was pregnant, I contacted your mom... You didn't call."
"I was wounded, physically and emotionally. I put myself out there. I confessed how much I loved you and asked you to spend your life with me. I wanted to take you on those adventures you dreamed of having. I wanted to be a part of your life. When you shook your head and said no, then literally ran away, you killed a part of me."
The young man he used to be had indeed died that day. His outlook on life had changed. He’d closed off, and yes, he'd become bitter. He trusted very few people now. His family and his team comprised the extent of those few. Learning about Gage and even about Amber's rationale for her actions wouldn't change the circumstances. Gage was family, enough said. As parents, he hoped they would be able to communicate, but on a personal level, she was his kryptonite.
"I know. How do I make amends for a bad choice I made ten years ago?" She whispered the emotion-filled words.
He had a very thin layer of scar tissue over that particular wound. He wasn't willing to open it again. He’d bleed out. "I don't think you can. Instead, tell me about Gage."
"He's amazing. Where do I start? He’s pretty tight with his best friends, Johnny, Nick, Simon and Finn. They do a lot of weekend sleepovers, and we parents rotate the duty. Johnny's father is a stay at home dad, and he holds two sleepovers a month. The rest of us divy out the remainder.”
"Good people?"
"Yes, and before you ask, I did check them out, very carefully. All the salt-of-the-earth-type folks. Let's see, what else... Oh, Gage loves to play baseball, lacrosse and soccer. Football, not so much, but that's because the pee-wee coach saw how much bigger he is than the other kids his age and made him do the tackle thing. He wants to run and catch the ball, but I can't throw a football to save my soul, so he doesn't get much practice at that."
"I can help with that. I was quarterback in high school."
"I remember. You were a popular jock who was nice to everyone. I'm still surprised you didn't play in college."
Her voice had mellowed out. It reminded him of all the late night talks they used to have. He sighed and pushed those thoughts from his mind.
"If you remember, I'm not the greatest student, and had I played in college, my grades would have suffered. Is Gage a good student?" He rerouted the conversation back to his son.
"Oh, yes. He's so smart. I had him tested for advance placement in English and