putting the burgers in the house to keep warm. Everything will hold except his excitement."
"Here! Here it is!" Gage flew around the corner and slid to a stop in front of him. The boy pushed the ball at him and took off into the backyard. Brody smiled and waited for Gage to turn around, lobbing a perfect spiral straight at the boy. Gage tried to catch it, but it went through his grasp and dropped to the grass.
"Dang it!"
Brody trotted to where Gage was picking up the ball. "Hey, let's try something, okay? Catching it with your hands is a skill that you develop. Until you get there, and believe me, you will get there, you can use your body to trap it, your arms to hold it, and your hands to secure it. So, if it comes at you like this––" He held the ball and slowly pushed it toward Gage, folding the boy’s arms with his free arm, as he instructed, "––what are you going to do?"
Gage made a perfect basket for the ball to fall into and then grasped it to his chest.
"Perfect. We're going to do that over and over until we can move further and further away. It's all about getting comfortable with the form of the ball and how it's thrown. Once you get that, you'll be able to catch it without a problem. Okay?"
"Yeah." Gage's smile split his face. "Thanks."
"You got it." Brody stepped back about six feet and threw the ball.
Amber sat at the table and watched her son and his father. They'd played ball all afternoon, talking between themselves as the ball went back and forth. Gage was catching everything Brody threw to him, and his return throws were getting better. They'd taken twenty minutes for lunch and were right back at it.
"It seems to be going well." Dawn slipped into a chair beside her with two glasses of wine, handing one to her. "Damn, Brody filled out, didn't he?"
"Yeah, he's like double the size he was when we were together, and they are doing really well. They've been talking all afternoon."
"About what?"
"Everything. Favorite colors, television shows, athletes, sports, food, his family, Gage's friends, his school, what he likes to do when he's not at school." Amber reached for her glass and took a sip.
"So, things are a go for the trip to Woodbloom tomorrow?" Dawn's question pierced her happy bubble.
"Yeah. I'm really not looking forward to that."
"Want me to come with?" Dawn took a sip of her wine and sighed contentedly.
Yes, she would love the moral support, but... "No. This is something I need to do. I'm not that girl anymore."
Dawn chuckled as Gage ran forward and tackled Brody. "You're right, you're not. You've got this." She stood and looked down at Amber. "You could have all of this."
Amber shook her head. "I don't know if Brody can ever forgive me."
"You don't know that. You could tell him what you still feel. Be vulnerable to him for once. You might be surprised what happens. I'm going to go inside and let you have the rest of your family time." She sauntered into the house and turned on the back porch lights, illuminating the yard.
Gage ran up to her. "Mom, can we go to Brody's house sometime? It's an old warehouse. He fixed it up, and his brother has video games."
"Sure, we can do that. Boy, you are a sweaty mess."
"Yeah, it was great." He turned and high-fived Brody.
"It looked like a blast, but I have to be the party pooper. You need to take a shower and clean up before dinner."
"Awww, Mom."
"Hey, do what your mom says. We'll have more opportunities to work on your skills."
"Tomorrow?" Gage's excitement poured off him.
Brody glanced at her and cocked an eyebrow. She gave him the slightest nod. He smiled at her and then winked at Gage. "How about tomorrow we have a football game with my brothers and sisters. It's only touch, but if the neighbors are around, it’s a good time."
Gage spun around, "Can we, Mom?" His eyes were glowing with happiness and excitement.
"Sure."
He grabbed her around the neck. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
"Gah! Stinky boy pits! Go shower now!"
"Kay! See yah, Brody! Thanks!" He raced into the house.
Brody dropped into the chair and opened his mouth to speak, but Gage ran back to the porch. He grabbed his football and the photo album. "See yah!" He raced back into the house.
"My God, he is the energizer bunny." Brody dropped his