off him. You’re damn lucky that he’s so well behaved. Been trying to get Benny to a doc who can tell me if he’s got ADHD, but his mother said he’s never this hyperactive when he’s with her. I call bullshit on that. This kid never stops, and she’s just trying to avoid therapy sessions with us.”
I was no doctor, but even a blind person could tell that Benny had too much energy for his age.
“Don’t give up, man. Besides, I don’t think a kid like mine would fit you. You’re too rough, too annoyed with life to have one like Ira. He’d bore the shit outta you,” I said with a grin, not meaning it in a rude way toward Ira.
I loved how calm and sweet he was, and I didn’t think I could ever deal with a kid like Benny.
We were both lucky in different ways, he just had to realize that.
When we got upstairs, I made Ira sit at the table while Benny was already playing with his toys.
“That’s my favorite Hulk, Benny. You can play with him until I can play too, okay?”
“Eat up, bud. But don’t hurry or else your belly will hurt later,” I told him, putting his dinner on a plate and handing him a fork.
I sat down next to him and started to eat as well while Grant sat down on the couch to keep an eye on Benny.
“So? Any more dates with your neighbor?” Grant asked as he leaned back and turned his head to look at me.
“Uh, no. None in sight,” I replied, trying not to mention her name so Ira wouldn’t ask about her. “We spent the weekend together, but things didn’t end very well.”
“Jesus, already? What’s the problem?” he asked.
“We need to figure some things out before deciding what we want.”
“She not okay with your kid? I thought she liked him, and she seemed like a girl who likes kids.”
God, no.
Her love for Ira and vice-versa was not the problem.
“She does, and that’s not the issue. She’s still young, and although she knows what she wants, she’s struggling to open up and commit. But I struggle with the same shit,” I said.
“Bad word, Daddy!” Ira frowned at me.
“I’m sorry, buddy. I won’t say it again,” I promised him.
“You’re kidding, right? You two already looked like a couple, and all of a sudden you’re both unsure about what you are or wanna be? Jesus, man. If it were up to me, I’d already marry her.”
Sure he would, after all the time he spent staring at her while we were at the indoor playground.
“I’m telling you, man. If you don’t want her, I’ll gladly ask her out. She’s upstairs, right?”
That got Ira’s attention. “Is Rooney home?”
I sighed and nodded. “Yes, probably. But she’s got a lot to do for college, you know? We’ll see her soon though.”
“So I can paint and play with her again,” Ira added.
“That’s right,” I said with a smile, then glared at Grant.
“Don’t you dare go talk to her. I know I want her, I just have to man up and get my sh—” I stopped myself before Ira heard another bad word come out of my mouth.
“I need to assure myself that being in a relationship isn’t a bad thing.”
Grant studied me for a while before nodding. “If you feel like she’s the right one, don’t make her wait for too long. Girls are crazy, and their minds can change in a split second. So be sure not to play with her head too much.”
Rooney wasn’t the crazy type, but he was right about one thing.
I couldn’t mess with her head the way I messed with her heart.
But then, my heart was messed with the same way, and quite frankly, we did it to ourselves.
“All done!” Ira called out, already getting out of his chair to tell me that he was ready to go play.
I looked at his plate and decided he ate enough, but I pointed at his water to make him drink a little more before he’d enjoy a nice little playdate with Benny.
“A few more sips and you’re good to go,” I told him, and he didn’t hesitate to drink his water.
Once he was done, I got up and helped him up to the sink to wash his hands, and after that, he was free to go play.
“How about a night at the bar? It’s been a while, and it might help you clear your head before you make your final decision.”