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Twenty-Two

Henry

On the morning of Bodhi’s birthday party, it’s clear I’m not cut out for this class party thing.

“You’re doing it all wrong,” Mack says, snatching away the goodie bag in my hand. “Just let me do it.” He shoos me away with his hand. “Go get the cake or something.”

“The cake is being delivered to the trampoline place.”

“Then find something else to do that’s not right here.” He has a whole system laid out in front of him, getting five done to my one.

“You know I’m your boss, right?”

He glances at me from the kitchen table. “And?”

I throw my hands in the air and head into the bedroom to change.

A trampoline party with over twenty kids. What was I thinking? I definitely bit off more than I can chew.

My phone rings, and I pick it up off the bed and see it’s a number I don’t have programmed into my phone. These aren’t my favorite calls to answer, but I figure it’s a local number, so I will.

I slide my thumb across the screen. “Hello?”

“Henry?” I don’t recognize the woman’s voice.

“Yes, this is Henry.”

“This is Trina, Micha’s mom.”

“Oh, hi, Trina.”

Bodhi’s taken to Micha, and the two of them like to compete to see who can get into the classroom first. Come to think of it, Bodhi hasn’t even tried to get to school early the last couple of weeks. Which is fine because it gives me an excuse to send him inside with a huddle of kids without me having to interact with Jade.

I’m still thinking about how to handle the Jade situation. She hasn’t reached out, but why would she? I pretty much told her she couldn’t be a part of my life. Which I’m now thinking I may have worded wrong. I don’t know. I’m so fucking confused right now.

“I heard Bodhi was having a birthday party today, and I’m wondering why Micha was the only one not invited?”

I tilt my head, thinking I had to have heard her wrong. “We invited everyone in the class.”

“Well, I talked to a bunch of the other moms, and they all got invitations. I’ve searched Micha’s backpack three times, and there’s no invitation in there.” I can tell by her tone that she’s the type of person I really hate to deal with.

“Maybe he misplaced it?”

She huffs. “Um, no, Micha is very organized. We have rules for when he gets home. We have designated boxes where he needs to put the things he’s brought home from school that I need to see. So, I’m pretty sure Bodhi didn’t invite him just because Micha beats him to school in the morning.”

My hand squeezes the phone tighter. “Bodhi isn’t like that.”

She lets out a sarcastic laugh. “Oh, you’re one of those.”

My forehead wrinkles. “Excuse me?”

“You know, the ‘my kid is perfect’ parent.”

Didn’t she just say her kid was perfect?

After taking a deep breath to curb my frustration, I say, “I have to get ready for the party. Micha is invited?—”

“Now that I called,” she interrupts.

This woman is really something.

“Do you need the address?” I decide not to make a big deal of this and talk to Bodhi when I hang up.

“No, I’m not even sure he can make it. We made plans since I knew nothing about this party. And now I’ll have to go into a toy store on a Saturday. This is a big inconvenience.”

My head rocks back. How do teachers deal with these parents?

“Bodhi doesn’t need a gift. I apologize for whatever the mix-up was, and I hope Micha can still make the party.” I think my reply is more than nice.

“I’ll have to make sure he’s there, won’t I? I’ll be a monster of a parent to him if his entire class goes, and he doesn’t. You really put me in a bind here, Henry. I understand that you’re a single dad, but it’s bad enough that because you play hockey, you use that to bribe the teachers into accommodating your schedule. Now this? We aren’t all impressed that you play for the Falcons, you know.”

I run my hand down my face before winding it around and cupping the back of my neck, squeezing. I’m ready to tell this woman off, but then she’ll probably think I didn’t invite Micha in the first place. Rumors and gossip are not my thing, especially when it affects Bodhi.

“I’m sorry for the confusion. I have to go get ready. I hope you can make it.”

She’s talking still when I click End on the call.

I walk out to the kitchen again. “Mack, you made enough invites for every kid in Bodhi’s class, right?”

He’s working on the last goodie bag. Seriously, this guy has skills I’ll never possess.

“Yeah, and I put them in Bodhi’s bag. He told me he handed them out to everyone.” He stands from the table and places the goodie bags into a bin he brought over. “We need to go soon so I can blow up the balloons there with the helium tank I… well… you bought.”

I gave Mack a credit card to use when I hired him, so I assume he used that for the decorations. Although I think he’s keeping the Starbucks points for himself.

“You bought a helium tank?”

“You only turn seven once.” He picks up the box and walks toward the door. “I parked in the alley, and Ruby said she’ll tow me if she finds me there again, so we gotta go. Bodhi!”

“She’s not going to tow you.” I grab my jacket and wallet. “Bod?—”

“I’m right here,” he says, coming out of his room. He’s dressed in the outfit I gave him, but he’s not wearing the T-shirt I bought him that says, “This is what an awesome seven-year-old looks like.”

“Where’s the shirt I got you?”

“Dad…”

When did I become Dad? I was Daddy just yesterday.

“I’ll be outside while you two figure this out.” Mack waves his finger back and forth. “And if I have a boot on my tire, you’re paying.”

I roll my eyes, let the door shut, and crouch down to Bodhi’s level. “You don’t like the shirt?”

He shakes his head.

Bodhi doesn’t like to disappoint people, which I imagine comes from before I met him, when he learned that if he did something wrong, bad things happen. It’s a work in progress, but it hurts my heart to even think about.

“Tell me,” I say.

He hems and haws, and his shoulders slouch, and he kicks out his feet.

“Bodhi,” I try again.

“It’s kiddish. My friends will make fun of me. No one wears those shirts with sayings on them.” His eyes never meet mine but remain fixated on the floor.

“Okay.” I nod and stand, taking his jacket off the hook and handing it to him.

He looks up at me. “Really?”

“Yeah. I understand. I was a kid once, and I had your great grandma dressing me.”

He laughs. “Was it bad?”

“I love her, but let’s just say I was never wearing what everyone else was.” I pick up the postcard my grandparents sent from Arizona. “This came today for you.”

He looks at the picture, turns it around, and reads the simple message they wrote for him on the back. “Can I?”

Mack might kill me, but I nod anyway. “Make it quick.”

He barrels down the hall and into his room. Then I hear his drawer open, and he slides out his chair, no doubt climbing up on the desk to pin the postcard up with the others. He comes back out. “One day I want to travel to all those places. Miss Jade showed us pictures she took in Zimbabwe. Can we go there this summer after you win the Cup?”

I ruffle his hair. “We’ll talk about it.”

We walk out of the condo while Bodhi tells me about all the pictures Miss Jade shows the class and the stories she’s told about where she’s been. Apparently, all the kids want to be her when they grow up now. Lucky me, I get to hear about how amazing she is the entire way to the trampoline park.

When we arrive, Mack busies himself decorating and tells me to just do whatever I have to in order to stay out of his way. Guess I’m not needed anywhere today.

Of course, Kyleigh, Rowan, Conor, and Tweetie all show up together with way too many presents for Bodhi stacked in their arms. It warms my heart that they care, but at the same time, they’re spoiling him. But yeah, he’s a great kid, and he deserves it.

“Bodhi!” Kyleigh calls, but all she gets is a wave and a hi before he jets off in another direction. “Okay, that was hard. You’re gonna have to adopt another kid. He’s already over me.” She sits next to me, sipping her iced coffee while the guys place the presents on the table.

“Why don’t you work on having your own?” I eye Rowan.

I know he would be game, but they’re taking it slow after such a quick start together. At least that’s what they say, but I bet they’re married and have a kid on the way in the next two years max.

“Anyway,” she says dramatically, rolling her eyes at me, “the decorations look great, Mack.”

Mack turns from the step stool he made the workers spend ten minutes looking for. Not that he didn’t have the time, what with the fifty balloons he had to fill with helium.

“Why do you think it was all Mack?”

Kyleigh and Mack share a look and laugh. Whatever.

“So, this is birthday parties now, huh?” Conor looks around.

“This is how Mack throws a birthday party, yeah.”

Mack sticks out his tongue at me before going back to putting together a balloon arch. Why do we need one? I have no clue.

“Who wants to jump?” Tweetie says, toeing out of his shoes.

“I’m pretty sure our contracts states that we can’t?—”

He’s already out of the designated room for the party.

“I got a call from a mom about her son not being invited. You’re gonna deal with her when she comes.” I look at Kyleigh. “Pretend you’re my girlfriend, go crazy on her when she starts up with her attitude, then I can say that I broke up with you because you were so mean.”

Rowan comes over and pats Kyleigh on the shoulder. “Get your own girlfriend.”

She stands, then she sits back down on his lap.

Conor groans and looks around. “Am I the only one who sees all the empty seats?” He toes off his shoes and places them next to Tweetie’s size fourteen ones. “I’m heading out there.”

Slowly, the kids arrive, and I make small talk with the parents, informing them when they should return for pickup. So far, Micha and his mom are no-shows.

I decide to hang out in the party room until all the kids have arrived, and Rowan stays with me, eating the snacks. For some reason, Mack asks Kyleigh for help, so the two of them are perfecting the custom-made banner.

“How much did I spend on this birthday party?” I ask Mack.

He and Kyleigh laugh. “You can’t put a price on happiness,” Mack says.

“A.K.A. a lot.” Rowan eats a handful of Goldfish.

“The snacks are for the kids.”

“I’m sure Mack bought extra snacks. He’s a planner.” Rowan turns to look at him.

Mack turns around and nods. God help me, how much is this charge going to be on my credit card bill?

Tweetie and Conor come in, sharing a look I don’t trust. Please tell me they haven’t hurt a kid in the dodgeball trampoline section.

“I’m thinking about taking up guitar. Take some lessons,” Conor says when they walk in.

“You know what song has a killer guitar solo?” Tweetie asks. It’s clear whatever they’re talking about has a purpose to it. It sounds as if they’ve been rehearsing it. “Van Halen’s ‘Hot for Teacher.’”

“Oh, I love that song,” Conor says and stares right at me. “What about you, Daddy?”

“Ah shit,” Rowan mumbles.

“I think he’s got it bad,” Tweetie says.

“Definitely hot for teacher,” Conor chimes in.

I grind my teeth together.

“I bet the teacher wants to see him after school.” Tweetie crosses his arms and looks at Conor. Their acting is getting worse with every line.

“Do you think he brought his pencil?” Conor asks.

“You guys are dumbasses.” Rowan takes another handful of the Goldfish crackers. Did he not eat today or what?

“We gotta get a good seat for this one.” Tweetie and Conor walk over to the far wall and lean against it, crossing their arms.

“You don’t have any popcorn, do you, Mack?” Conor asks. “Because we’re about to see a show.”

“What are you idiots talking about?” Kyleigh asks.

I’m trying to figure out what the hell they’re up to, then the door opens. My back goes ramrod straight, expecting it to be Micha and Trina, but it’s not them. It’s Jade. With a gift bag hanging from her fingers for Bodhi.

“Yeah, he’s hot for teacher all right,” Tweetie mumbles.

Conor laughs until I cut them a look before standing up to go see what she’s doing here.