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What’s wrong with the way we live?
My heart squeezes in my chest to see Langston going through this. He’s seeing his son in front of him, one he never knew existed before, and he has no parental rights. If he wants any, he’ll have to get a lawyer and a paternity test.
I curl my hands into fists. The entire thing is infuriating. I want to stand up for Langston and fight for him. Which isn’t normal for me. And for the first time ever, he’s not my rival, but my teammate.
10
LANGSTON
As we’re wrapping up our conversation, I lean over to Jenni. “Where’s Hayden?” She smells comforting, like lavender.
She leans over to me too, so close I can feel her breath hitting my cheek. “He went upstairs to play video games.”
“Do you think he’d be okay with it if I went up there to talk to him?” My heart quickens to think about having a son and having a relationship with him.
A tingle runs down my spine, having her so near to me. The emotions of Hayden coming into my life, and having Jenni being so supportive by my side are intertwining, and I’m working to stuff all these feelings down so they don’t overwhelm me.
“I think you might want to take it slow. But I’ll go with you. I’ve had the chance to build a bit of a relationship with him in the few moments I’ve spent with him.” She stands, and I follow.
To say I’m nervous about talking with him is a massive understatement. But he’s my boy, something I can barely wrap my head around. I still can’t deny the fact that he looks like me. How bizarre is that?
Jenni loops her arm through mine, her body moving against my side as we talk toward the back staircase. When we get to the stairs, she slides her arm down and reaches for my hand instead. Her small hand is warm in my larger one, and we climb the stairs together.
Hayden is on the couch with a controller in his hands. He’s got a video game on the TV, and his character is jumping from platform to platform.
“Good choice,” I say. “I’ve beaten that game three times now.”
Hayden keeps his eyes on the screen. “Cool.” His little cartoon guy bounces across a pit of lava. “Do you like video games too?”
“I have an entire room in my house dedicated to gaming with all the comfy chairs and controllers and a cabinet full of all the best snacks.”
Hayden’s eyes grow huge. “Can I come over and see what games you have?”
I smile. “Whenever you want.”
“How about tomorrow?” His little face is eager. He looks away from the screen to me, and his character runs off a cliff.
“I’m pretty sure I have tomorrow available.” I wink at him.
I’m supposed to be having a work meeting tomorrow, but I’ll have to text Maggie to clear the entire day for Hayden now.
“Cool. Is your house as big as this one? It’s gigantic!”
I chuckle. “Not quite as big.”
“You haven’t even seen all the rooms here,” I say. “Did you know my mom and dad have a swimming pool here?”
Hayden frowns, scrunching his nose in frustration. “My mom won’t let me swim when it’s this cold. I’ve tried asking, but she always says no.”
“Well, I bet she’ll let you swim in this one.” Jenni grins at him. “Because it’s an indoor pool.”
This seems to perk him right up. “Really?” He bounces up and down on the couch cushion. But then he stops. “But I didn’t bring a swimsuit.” Another item to add to Maggie’s shopping list.
“Don’t you worry about that,” I tell him. “I’ll make sure you get one.”
The smile returns to Hayden’s face. It’s good to see him getting excited about something simple like video games and swimming. At least it’s distracting him from the fact that he has a new father in his life and a sick mom.
Or maybe making it into a positive experience for him.