Page 33 of Coach’s Son (Twin Cities #2)

Austin

My biggest decision of the day? Tapioca or chocolate pudding.

Definitely tapioca. They say it’s for old people with dentures, but I say it’s fucking delicious. The way those little pearls smash between my teeth and slide down my throat. It’s quite pleasurable. A pleasant distraction from the bigger question that life has been begging for me to answer.

And the best part of this hospital stay? Round-the-clock control of who comes and goes from my room. It’s never been so sweet to reject a visitor.

Drew tried to barge into the unit the moment I was admitted.

Then again the next morning, lunch, and dinner.

But I said no each time with utter delight.

I bet he was absolutely seething and cursing at the gatekeeper.

Maybe plotting my murder out of spite. But I don’t have to worry about that until my discharge tomorrow.

The specialists insisted that I stay nearly a full week for observation.

They were stunned to find out that my brain had been starved of oxygen for almost five minutes with no signs of damage afterward.

They say it’s a miracle, and when they said I could stay, I wasn’t going to question it.

I was actually aiming for another day so I could skip the wedding entirely.

Okay, maybe… it was more like begging; they insist that I should be cleared by tomorrow morning.

I feel like a prisoner who doesn’t want to leave the safety of their jail cell. A baby bird that's not ready to fly.

It’s safer to be in a cage sometimes, protected from the predators of the world.

The worst part of this stay though?

Charlie. Or more so the lack of appearance. He hasn’t tried to visit. Hasn’t tried even once.

I guess that’s a clear sign that he’s leaving me for his viper of a brother to constrict around my throat. Perhaps he’ll finish the job this time around.

The glass door slides open. “Mr. Schmidt, you have a visitor. Your mother. Would you like to see her?”

My heart warms like a furnace on a December morning with a negative ten wind chill. I had no idea she was coming. All the way from New Hampshire to see me.

“Yes—of course!”

I perk myself up in the bed, fumbling with the paper-thin hospital sheet that they call a 'blanket', as if it’ll make me more presentable. I haven’t had a shower in two days.

My scruff is starting to build the foundations of a faint beard.

It’s just been me and an endless cascade of daytime soap operas.

Once you get past the first eight episodes they really aren’t that bad…

She glides past the threshold, donning a smile bright enough to compete with the sun.

Her dark hair is wrapped up in a messy bun.

“Honey! Oh you poor thing,” she exclaims, before embracing me with a hug, her infinity scarf plopping against my chest. “I came as soon as I could. But I didn’t hear until yesterday…

The cellphone tower went down for maintenance. I’m so sorry baby.”

“It’s okay mom, it was just anaphylaxis,” I mutter. “Not exactly my first rodeo with the peanuts.”

“Your father told me how close you were…” she sniffles trying to battle the drops pooling in her eyes.

“It’s okay mom… I’m here. Everything worked out.” I squeeze her tight, whiffing in the laundry detergent that reminds me of home. Of what home used to be. What it used to smell like before the divorce.

“It was that wretched man, wasn’t it?” she asks.

“Oh Drew? Yeah let's not get into that.” I murmur, feeling my heart skip a beat.

“But honey, what happened to Charlie? Your golden knight…”

“Let’s just say that things got complicated…

I made some stupid decisions. Of course I want him back.

But I don’t think that he wants me back.

And I can’t blame him. I fucked him over…

” The tears start to flood down my cheeks as reality hits me.

That Charlie is over my bullshit, my immature shenanigans.

“Oh baby. Don’t cry… everything is all right,” she whispers into my ear, soothing my creaking heart. “You can never give up… show him that you deserve another chance.”

“How can you say that? You and Dad gave up…” I stutter, wiping away the tears from my cheeks.

“Well honey, I think our marriage was dead in the water for quite a few years. It all made a lot more sense when I found out he’s not exactly into the female anatomy like I thought he was.

I blamed myself for the distance that I felt grow between us.

I thought it was all my fault that our marriage fell apart.

That we failed you kids. That all three of you deserved better parents. ” She sighs.

I look her dead in the eyes. “Mom you didn’t fail us. You loved us with everything you could. You can’t blame yourself for what you couldn’t fix.”

“I know, honey, but sometimes you can’t help but wonder if things could have turned out differently. Now I’m going to be attending my ex’s wedding to a man half his age.

“You are going tomorrow?” I ask, my mouth hanging open.

“Might as well, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” she laughs. “Not too many of my friends can say they’ve been to their gay husband’s wedding.”

“Yeah, it might definitely be up there with unique experiences,” I jest, allowing myself to indulge in this moment of rare satisfaction.

I hadn’t seen my mother in years since she retreated to the Northeast. I didn’t resent her for leaving—I applauded her.

It was solely my father that carried the responsibility of her departure.

He could have said: Hey, I’m sorry. I’m not fantasizing about fucking the cheerleaders. Surprise! It’s actually the players you have to watch out for.

He should have had the balls to be frank with my mom, not send her in a deluge of paranoia and mid-life panic.

But whatever, I digress. Now he gets to carry out his new life with his golden quarterback, while my mom lives in the remote northern New Hampshire woods where cell phone service isn’t a guarantee.

“How’s the writing going?” I ask, nearly forgetting that she has a life of her own.

“Oh you know, not too bad. When I’m not helping your grandparents with their own errands, I can usually knock out a few chapters every week. Your dad usually sends me a check every month, so it’s more of a passion project than out of necessity.”

“Well, I’m glad he does one thing right. You deserve every cent, Mom. You raised three incredible kids. I bet the girls are going to be thrilled to see you!”

“Hah. If they still remember what I look like. From the photos I’ve seen they’ve grown like weeds.” She smiles.

“They are both still addicted to their Switches,” I mutter. “There could be tornado sirens going off and they wouldn’t glance up from the couch.”

“Yeah… some things never change,” she laughs, taking a seat in the leather chair.

“You aren’t going to go visit dad today?” I ask, curious as she settles her bag on the hook protruding from the wall.

“Nope, I think I’d rather sit here with my son watching cheesy re-runs of the worst daytime dramas ever filmed,” she snickers, plopping her feet up and sinking into the leather.

“These were your favorite!” I tease.

“Please don’t remind me.” She says, as her eyes become one with the screen, lost in the melodramatic plot.

I smile, allowing myself to relax. Forgetting about the Evans twins for one day. Letting my body settle from fight or flight, entirely exhausted from being torn in two directions.

We pull up to the Lake Minnetonka House, almost entirely unrecognizable with the layers of wedding prep.

White, pink, and scarlet red roses drape the driveway, their petals reflecting the striking October sun, the reflection enhancing their beautiful hues.

Lanterns and lights occupy the green space, adding a formal, yet casual vibe to the atmosphere.

A few yellow and red leaves are scattered across the lawn to match the bitter chill that loiters in the autumn breeze.

I have to admit—Martha did a wonderful job, not that I’ll say that to my father or Jackson’s delight.

They are lucky that I’m here at all, but I’m waiting until my father catches sight of mom. He might burst a forehead vein. It would be kind of awkward to be on a first name basis with the local paramedics, but I wouldn’t mind a good laugh or the distraction from my own drama.

Might teach him a valuable life lesson.

“Wow your dad, really broke the bank with place didn’t he?” My mom asks, her eyes strikingly wide, taking in the size of the estate along with the views of the lake.

“Yeah, Wayzata isn’t cheap. Just wait until you see the collection of cars in the garage. He has four… or maybe five German imports.”

“Oh lord, of course,” she mutters, shaking her head. “Your father finally has free will to spend his millions on whatever he wants. He never was the best saver.”

“You are telling me. Let’s pray that he doesn’t lose his job.

” I chuckle, momentarily fantasizing about him suffering from the consequences of his actions, but my stomach gurgles as I dabble back to the present.

I don’t want anything terrible to happen to him, I just wish the world didn’t stroke his ego twenty-four hours a day.

And don't even get me started on Jackson…

“Well, after that scandal with his groom-to-be, I don’t think anything would get him fired.” My mother adjusts the strap of her devil-red satin dress, a color that complements her pale complexion.

We hand the keys to the valet and step inside, the door is open and the massive house is swooning with activity.

Catering staff running back and forth, offering gin and tonics and a variety of appetizers.

The churn of conversation echoes against the vaulted ceiling.

From the fullness of the room it appears that most of the guests have already arrived.