Page 43 of Secret Love (The Single Dad Playbook #2)

THE FULL GAMUT

HENLEY

We lost the game yesterday. We’re at Luminary in our private room, the mood somber. The Single Dad Playbook sits in the middle of the table.

“You’re looking good these days, man,” Rhodes tells me.

“Thanks. I’m feeling good,” I tell him.

“Are you really?” Bowie asks. “Your leg’s feeling better?”

I pause. Because the truth of the matter is, my leg is still giving me fits every damn day.

Bowie’s face clouds. “You don’t have to answer that.”

“No, it’s okay. I wanted to talk to you guys about all of this,” I say.

Weston leans in and so does Penn.

“Are you asking Tru to marry you?” Penn asks.

I lift my shoulder, grinning. “We’re getting there. She’s almost completely moved in.”

“That’s great,” Weston says.

“What did you want to talk to us about?” Penn asks.

“Coach asked me to start working with Cal, and I’ll be coming to the games. I don’t know if it’ll help, but we’re going to try. I feel like my injury broke the flow, and I hope I can do something to get you to trust yourselves again. We all know your skills are the best out there, we just have to get you believing it again.”

“I love everything about this,” Rhodes says after a long pause. “I hate being out on that field without you. Honestly, just seeing your face out there feels like it will boost all of us.”

“Agreed,” Bowie says.

“This is great,” Weston says. “And I love that you’ll be working with Cal too. He’s good, but he’s not you.”

“What is the doctor saying about you?” Penn asks, looking down at the table. I’m surprised by the emotion in his eyes when he looks up at me.

“Dr. Grinstead wants me to be hopeful about a full recovery, but guys…we know it’s a long shot, right? And I’m slowly making my peace with that. I wasn’t at first…but the longer I have to sit with it…and the more my leg continues to be an issue, the more I think I need to let it go. I had a great run, and if it’s really over for me, I’m so glad I got to finish out my career with the four of you.”

They stare down at the table. Rhodes wipes his eyes and there’s sniffling from Penn too.

“Fuck, guys, you’re gonna make me lose my shit.” My voice cracks and I groan. “Open the fucking playbook. I need to read something encouraging. Or funny. Or anything to not weep like a baby.” I let out a choked laugh and they join me with their own sappy ones.

Bowie passes me the playbook and I open it to the last few entries.

When Caleb realized I couldn’t magically

turn his bedroom into a forest the way he saw on his favorite movie,

he looked at me with different eyes.

And I thought, wow, if he’s looking at me like this already,

he’s in for a world of disappointment.

I had to tell him dads don’t have magical powers.

I’ll love him and take care of him and our love will be magical,

but only because it’s real and true and unconditional.

Of course, he doesn’t fully understand this yet.

But I hope I can keep convincing him.

~Weston

I look at Weston and smile. “You’ll convince him. The way he looks at you, he fully trusts your love.”

“Last night, he asked if he was marrying Sadie too.” Weston snorts. “I think he believes we’re all getting married.”

We all crack up at that.

“February will be here before you know it,” Penn says. “I can’t believe you’re getting married.” He shakes his head. “The end of an era.”

We laugh again and I keep reading the book.

Sam gave me a card at Friendsgiving.

He told me to read it when I got home, so I did.

And I’m glad I did.

He said I’ve changed his life.

I cried like a fucking baby.

I get it now, you guys.

I get why you torture yourselves with having kids.

~Penn

Penn’s sheepish when I look at him.

“It was a moment of weakness,” he says, smirking. “I take it all back. He texted me today asking what I could tell him about Vaseline. The kid is not old enough for all this, I swear. One of the boys in his foster home keeps it by the bed and Sam wants me to tell him why. I’m not cut out for this.”

“You are totally cut out for this,” Weston says, laughing. “But I’m glad it’s you and not me.”

Henley’s knee injury has inspired a lot of talks with Becca.

She doesn’t understand why this happened and gets so sad

when she doesn’t see Henley in the games anymore.

When I told her sometimes good things come to an end,

I didn’t know it would start a whole tangent of questions:

Would I stop loving her?

Would Lucky Charms stop having the marshmallows?

Will her bed break in the middle of the night when she’s sleeping?

It’s been endless.

So I’ve started to tell her that an ending

always makes room for a new beginning,

and I’m sticking with that.

~Bowie

I don’t even realize I’m crying until a napkin is shoved my way.

“Thank you,” I mumble, wiping my eyes and nose. “I think I’m making room for a new beginning.”

“Dammit. I didn’t know this was going to be the week we all bawl our eyes out,” Rhodes says. “Here. Read mine.”

Levi has an obsession with booties.

Last week at the grocery store,

he saw Mrs. Lyson in leggings,

and he went over and told her that her booty had a baby.

I don’t know what to do with this.

~Rhodes

I laugh until I cry.

“How do you guys know what I need?” I wipe my face again. “Every damn time.”

“You guys are good for the soul,” Rhodes says.

We all pipe in our agreement.

“Well, I’m gonna get home to my girl.” I get up and they do too.

We hug each other and walk out together, feeling a thousand times better than when we came.