Page 92 of Puck Love

My mouth fell open. “I…”

“It’s true. There’s no such thing as perfect, Jake,” he rasped. “Nothing is perfect, but good things are worth fighting for. Trust me, I know that lesson well. I used to think that if I worked hard, you wouldn’t have to, but that’s wrong. Your path is different. It’s filled with bright lights and adulation. It’s your name on jerseys and screaming fans in packed arenas. It’s stat sheets,practices, games, and travel. But you aren’t your sport, Jake. You’re so much more. You’re a man who’s worked hard and fought for a dream. A big dream. I’d call that brave.”

I sniffed and wiped my nose on my forearm like Nathan would. “Thanks.”

“Look, I understand that your situation is complicated and I wish that I could make it easier. I can’t. It’s part of your journey. Just…don’t stop dreaming now, Jake.”

I swallowed hard. “I won’t.”

Dad slung his an arm around my shoulders. “Good. Hey, if I haven’t told you lately, I’m proud of you and I love you.”

I flashed a watery smile his way. “Have I ever told you that I think I’m pretty lucky you’re my dad?”

He grinned, tugging me into an awkward side hug.

I felt buoyed and grateful, but the hole in the heart was an open wound that left me feeling unsteady.

Damn it, Trinsky.

This wasn’t supposed to end this way. I wasn’t supposed to want more and I wasn’t supposed to care that I couldn’t have it all.

So now what?

What could I possibly do? How could I make loss into gain when all I wanted was to crawl under a rock and wish time away? What was the dream supposed to look like without him?

It wasn’t like me to give up. I stubbornly wanted to believe there was a chance for us, but from where I sat, it seemed pretty fucking hopeless.

29

TRINSKY

Shades of reds and orange danced across the horizon on sweeping feathery clouds. I sat next to Eddie in the sand while our mom lounged in a chair a few feet away, scrolling on her cell.

“The sunset is pretty,” Eddie commented, shoveling sand into a bucket and patting it down.

I inclined my head. “Yeah, it is.”

“Do you think our castle will be here in the morning?”

“I dunno. We can put up a ‘Do not disturb’ sign. That might work.”

Eddie shook his head gravely. “P-people don’t read signs.”

I chuckled at that. “All signs or just important ones about sandcastles?”

“All signs. Too lazy.”

I ruffled his hair, much to his annoyance, but once again, Eddie was spot on. “You’re right. Laziness is an epidemic and?—”

“Oh, my God!” Mom gasped, her hand covering her mouth.

“What’s wrong?”

“Jake Milligan just came out.”

The words didn’t compute. My brain got stuck on his name before the rest of the sentence registered. He…came out?

“What?”