Page 102 of Playing for Keeps

“So what do you think of the selection of Daniels as the openside flanker?” Dad asked me.

I flicked my attention to him. “I think it’s going to make the scrum interesting.”

Dad’s eyes lit up. “Do you think they’ll start Fuimaono or Henare at blindside?”

Some of my uneasiness settled as my father and I chatted about rugby. I might be in my mid-twenties, but a part of me would forever be a kid who wanted my parents’ approval. And his disapproval did sting, given I could count on one hand the number of times I’d felt it before in my life.

But it didn’t mean I was about to stop being with Ethan. Nothing would make me give him up.

As Mum served the pavlova for dessert, Char disappeared into the kitchen and reemerged with another bottle of wine.

“Well, we’re celebrating,” she said in response to the look Mum gave her.

I joined Char in having another glass, although partly it was to prevent her from drinking too much, because she was starting to look a bit wobbly.

Sure enough, at the end of dessert, she looked at my parents and said, “I think Theo and I might have to crash here tonight. I’m not sure I’m safe to drive.”

Mum’s mouth pinched into a tight line, but her voice was placid when she answered. “Of course. The bedrooms are all made up. I’ll need to check where I’ve put Theo’s spare pajamas.”

Theo grinned happily. “Grandad can make us French toast in the morning.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Dad said, his voice cheerful.

“It’s past your bedtime already,” Char said to Theo.

Mum bustled off with Theo to find pajamas and Char muttered something about going to the bathroom, leaving just my father and me sitting at the table. Dad fiddled with his spoon, then set it down in his plate.

“So, you and Ethan…” he said in a low voice.

I instantly felt my hackles rise. “What about it?”

“Is it just mates messing around…?” There was a hopeful lilt to my father’s voice. I gave him a look and his shoulders deflated. “It’s never going to be just messing around, is it?”

“No, it’s not.”

Although I couldn’t speak for Ethan. Who knew what was going on in that beautiful blond head?

“You just need to think everything through,” Dad said finally.

Fuck. When wasn’t I thinking things through? A constant, whirring cycle of thinking about everything, that always boiled down to one simple truth.

Now that I had Ethan, I was going to do everything I could possibly do to keep him. As long as he wanted me, I was his.

I picked up the plates and carried them through to the kitchen.

Char had taken the unfinished bottle of wine out onto the patio and was sitting on a chair, staring out into the blackness of the backyard.

For a moment I thought about joining her. But something about her posture made me think she wanted to be alone.

Mum was scraping the remains of dessert into the waste disposal unit. I started to help with the cleanup, and Theo came out in flannel pajamas with puppies printed on them. They were slightly too small for him, leaving his wrists and ankles exposed.

“Nan, is my Spiderman toothbrush in your bathroom?”

“Yes, dear, it’s still there. Do you want me to help you brush your teeth?”

Theo shook his head earnestly. “Daddy showed me how to brush for twenty seconds in each part of my mouth. And I have to count slowly, not fast.”

Mum met my eyes over Theo’s head, her eyes crinkling in a grin. “That’s good advice from your dad,” she said.