Lennon helped me pick it all out. We've got three flavors of ice cream, waffle bowls, whipped cream, hot fudge, caramel, peanut butter sauce, sprinkles, and last but not least, cherries. Brenna looks like she's in five-year-old heaven as she looks at everything sprawled across the counter.
“You're not going to sleep tonight, are you?” Saige asks our daughter.
She giggles and shakes her head. “Can I eat it all?”
A ringing phone catches all our attention, and Saige brings hers to her ear. She holds up a finger to wait and walks away. Lennon goes over to Brenna, and the two of them stare at the makeshift ice cream shop in my kitchen.
“So, what's your favorite flavor?”
“All of it,” the little one answers in a daze.
I'm about to help Brenna make her sundae when it occurs to me—I don't know if she's allergic to anything. Wow, look at me. Dad of the fucking year.
“Watch her for me for a second?” I ask Lennon. “I just have to ask Saige a question.”
She nods, and I head in the same direction Saige disappeared to. When I get just outside the front door, I find her frustratedly running her fingers through her hair. Whoever it is on the other side of the line, it's not a conversation she wants to have right now. We may have lost touch, but I know her well enough to know that at least.
“I said I was sorry. What more do you want from me?” She sighs and then catches sight of me. “Topher, I have to go. We'll talk about this later.”
I wait patiently for her to get off the phone, ignoring the way my stomach churns when I hear her say those little three words we never exchanged.
“I didn't mean to interrupt,” I apologize. “I was just coming to see if Brenna has any allergies before I make her the ice cream mountain she's imagining in her head.”
Saige laughs softly, but it doesn't look genuine. “No, she doesn't.”
“Okay, thanks.” I turn to go back inside when I stop. “You coming?”
She nods. “I'll be there in a minute.”
IT'S TEN-THIRTY BY the time Saige can get Brenna to agree to leave, and it's only because she's passed out cold. I carry Brenna out to the car and buckle her in, then watch as they drive away. It's funny, because the idea of kids used to scare the crap out of me, but spending these last couple weeks getting to know Brenna, I couldn't imagine my life without her anymore. That little girl has dug her way in and formed a permanent home inside my chest.
When I get back inside, I find Lennon cleaning up the mess from earlier, even though I told her not to worry about it. She smiles sweetly at me and continues to wipe down the counter.
“She's adorable,” she tells me.
My grin widens. “She really is.”
“Her mom isn't bad either.”
I don't even need to see the devious look on her face to know what she's insinuating. “Don't go there.”
Lennon laughs. “Why not? You two would be so cute together. And I'm not the only one who thinks so.”
My brows furrow. “What do you mean?”
She shrugs. “When you went outside, Brenna asked me if I was your girlfriend. I think she's hoping you and Saige will end up together.”
It's a topic that haunts my mind late at night, but I never let myself indulge in it. She's engaged, for one, and I'm not about to ruin that for her. I've done enough damage in her life. All I'm focused on right now is Brenna and football. Anything else is simply a cherry on top of the sundae of life.
7
SAIGE
They say that everything happens for a reason, and for the most part, I'm a firm believer in that. Colby coming back into my life was the last thing I thought I wanted, but after seeing the way Brenna lights up when she's around him, I'm grateful he did. The relationship the two of them share is special, and she doesn't even really know who he is yet.
A big part of me is still terrified. I know his first away game is coming up in a few weeks, and I'm so afraid he's going to realize that being held down by a kid isn't what he wants. I can already see Brenna getting attached, and him not wanting to spend time with her would break her little heart.
All I can do is hope he's as invested in this as he