Page 46 of The False Start (Off the Bench)

Chapter Thirty-One

LILA

I take a deep breath, straightening my spine as I stare at my childhood home. Cal comes around the car and wraps one strong arm around my waist.

“You okay?”

“Yes.” His eyes narrow a fraction. “Okay, no.” His face softens, his arm tightening around me. “But we’re here, and there’s nothing left to do but get through it.”

“I’ll be right here with you,” he promises. “And we can leave whenever you want.”

“You don’t have an early practice tomorrow or anything do you?” He laughs at the hope in my voice.

“I have some film to watch if you need an excuse.”

I grin up at him, and he presses his mouth to mine softly. “Come on, Lila. Let’s face the music.”

I frown, and open my mouth to respond, but he steps forward up the front path, pulling me with him.

The front door opens to meet us, my mom dressed in her best ‘I didn’t try too hard, but I’m still better than you’ attire.

“Lila,” she croons. “And you must be the boyfriend.” She turns her blinding smile on Cal.

“I’m Cal.” He holds out the red flowers he brought for her. “Thanks for having me today.”

“Oh, you’re too sweet,” she exclaims, taking the flowers and looping her arm through his to pull him into the house, leaving me figuratively and physically out in the cold on the front stoop.

I steel myself for the second time in as many minutes and step inside, closing the door behind me, trying to shake the feeling that I’m locking myself in a den of hungry lions.

“Cal, do you want something to drink?” My mother’s voice floats through the hall from the kitchen, bringing with it the scent of baked ham, sweet potatoes, apple pie. My mouth waters, and I follow them.

“Just one,” he says as I round the corner to find her pressing a glass of white wine into his hand.

“Lila, you know where everything is right?” She nods at the fridge.

“Do you have a red open?” Cal asks, his eyes flicking to me before smiling at my mother with his stupid charming smile.

“Oh, of course.” She takes the glass from him. “Alex, do you want this Chardonnay?” My brother-in-law appears a moment later and takes the glass, now abandoned on the kitchen island. He eyes it for all of a second before shrugging and taking a large gulp.

“Hey, Alex.” I smile at him.

“How’s it going, Lila?” He nods.

“How’s Kayla?”

“She’s good.” He runs a hand through his hair. “She’s just uncomfortable all the time.”

“Well, that’s to be expected.” I laugh.

“I honestly don’t know what’s worse, the idea that once the baby comes I won’t get any sleep or knowing that until the baby comes I won’t get any sleep because my wife can’t get comfortable and constantly reminds me it’s my fault.”

I pat his arm sympathetically. “Well, I’m sure once little Greg gets here, all of it will be worth it.”

He takes another large drink of wine. “Yeah, I’m sure you’re right.”

“Lila.” Cal’s voice gets my attention. “Did you want red?”

I nod and can’t help but smile when I realize he only requested red for me.

My mom rolls her eyes, but grabs a second glass from the cabinet, filling them both before handing one to me.

“I didn’t realize you liked red. I would’ve gotten another bottle.”

I shrug. “I’ve always preferred it.”

She huffs and strides from the room.

“I’m Alex, Kayla’s husband,” Alex says, holding a hand out to Cal.

“Great to meet you.” He shakes his hand. “I’m Cal, Lila’s boyfriend.”

“You look really familiar. Have we met before?” He frowns, looking Cal up and down.

Cal looks to me. “Uh, I don’t think so.”

“I didn’t exactly tell them what you do,” I say sheepishly.

The realization hits him. “Ah, I erm, play for the Avalanche.”

“No fucking way.” Alex’s mouth drops open in shock.

“Yeah, I was just traded from the Cosmos this season.”

“You’re the new tight end.” His voice takes on an excited pitch. “Basset, right?”

“That’s me.”

“Can you sign my hat? I think I have it in the car.”

“Alex,” I scold.

“No, it’s fine. Sure, man. Whatever you want.”

His face lights up like a kid on Christmas.

“This is the best. Thanks, dude.” He hugs Cal, who manages to not look too weirded out by the sudden affection.

“Consider part of your gift playoff tickets in a few weeks.”

“No way.”

“I was going to suggest it later after dinner, but Lila thought it’d be weird.”

I roll my eyes. It’s still weird, but whatever, as long as they’re both happy.

“I can’t wait to tell Kayla. I’m going to an Avalanche playoff game.”

“Let’s maybe just ease into it, okay? I want to get to know Lila’s parents outside of the whole football thing, yeah?”

“Got it.” He nods solemnly.

“Come on, boys.” I nod toward the living room, where my parents and Kayla are waiting.

“It’s so nice of you to come for dinner, Cal.” My mom gushes. “We just couldn’t believe our Lila was bringing someone home, could we, Terry?” Dad just grunts, eyes glued to the mystery novel in his lap. “Even Dennis never made it out to visit us much, but we know how important work is to him.”

Cal stiffens slightly from where he sits next to me on the loveseat in the living room.

“It was important to me to meet Lila’s family.” He smiles at me, his hand squeezing my knee and the physical contact floods me with warmth.

“Well, isn’t that sweet.” Her saccharine smile hurts my teeth.

“You have a lovely home,” he says glancing around the large living area filled with seasonal greenery and splashes of crimson.

“It’s not much, but it’s home. We raised both our girls here. Where is your family from?” Her question is more pointed than it needs to be, but I let it slide.

“I was born in England actually.”

“Oh?” Her eyes narrow. “You don’t have much of an accent.”

“Only on certain words, I’m told.” He grins, winking at me. “I moved to America in primary school. My mother still lives there full time as does most of my extended family.”

“And your father?” My teeth grind together, but Cal’s fingers tap my leg, and I work to release the tension from my jaw.

“He’s back and forth. That’s why I moved to the States actually. He opened a New York branch and brought me with him.”

“It must’ve been difficult going back and forth all the time,” my dad says, finally putting his book down.

Cal shrugs. “I was in boarding school, so I only went home during the breaks anyway.”

“I could never send my child to boarding school.” Kayla sounds horrified as she clutches her belly.

His jaw ticks, and I place my hand over his. “It’s pretty common in our family circles, so whether in New York or Geneva, I was going anyway.”

“Geneva? Switzerland?” Alex asks.

He nods.

“Who are your parents?” Dad asks.

“Uhm—”

“Dad, is that a new book?” I break in, and his eyes light up.

“I think you’d really like this one actually, Lila. It’s about?—”

“Terry, we’re trying to get to know our guest, not start a book club,” Mom interrupts.

He sighs, shooting me an apologetic look from across the room.

“So how did you two meet?” Kayla asks.

“Katie introduced us actually,” I respond. Mom rolls her eyes. She’s never been a fan of my best friend.

“That’s nice. So many of my single friends are stuck on dating apps these days.”

I cringe and smile up at Cal, squeezing his hand. “Yeah, we got lucky.” His face softens and he flips his hand to thread our fingers together.

“So, what is it you do, Cal?” Dad asks, and I frown at him. There’s no need for the macho ‘Can you take care of my daughter’ routine.

“I actually play for the Avalanche.”

Mom’s eyebrows disappear into her bangs.

Dad blinks in surprise. “What? I think I must’ve misheard you.”

“You didn’t,” Alex says excitedly. I roll me eyes. “He’s the new tight end, John Basset.” Dad takes in Cal with his eyes, hungrily, and he shifts with unease next to me.

“It’s really not?—”

“Lila,” my mother interrupts me, her tone sharp.

“What?” I snap.

“Can I speak to you?” she hisses. “In private ?”

I stand slowly, darting a look at Cal before following her back into the kitchen.

“What are you thinking?”

“About what?” I ask, confused.

“You’ve been with Dennis for years, and all of a sudden, you bring by some other guy with only a few days’ notice? And an athlete?”

“I’m sorry for the short notice, Dennis and I broke up weeks ago, and Cal and I—it’s just right, you know?”

“That’s all fine, I’m sure he looks great in a suit, but what are you going to do when he gets bored and some girl throws herself at him after an away game? And how will he take care of you? If he’s even remotely age appropriate, he only has another year or two left of playing.”

“Mom, he cares about me?—”

“You can’t honestly think that a football player is a good fit for the life you want to live.”

“He’s a great fit for my life. Because it’s mine , not yours.”

“What’s his plan after he blows out his knee and can’t play anymore?”

I’m speechless, I didn’t exactly expect her to approve, but this is extreme, even for her.

“Is he saving? Did he even graduate with a real degree? You can’t expect to have a life with someone like that."

"I’m sure he’s fine,” I snap. “And he went to Yale, so I’m sure he’ll be okay after he retires if he wants to get a normal job.”

She snorts. “What was so wrong with Dennis? Even if you didn’t want to settle down with him, don’t you think you overcorrected a bit? You can’t honestly expect an NFL player to be serious about you, can you? What can you even offer him that he can’t get better from someone else?”

Anger rises in my chest, delayed only by my shock. “He respects me. And I care about him. If you can’t accept that, I think we should leave.”

“I just can’t believe you brought your rebound home for Christmas Eve, it’s just so irresponsible. I expected better from you, Lila.” I see her mouth moving but I can’t hear anything else, a buzzing filling my head.

“That’s it. I’m done.”

I hear those words as though through a distant tunnel, but they feel right. The weight off my chest is instantaneous.

“Excuse me, young lady, we are not done here.” Her voice is shrill, cutting through the tunnel of sound, but it doesn’t penetrate the layer of ice that’s solidified around me.

“You might not be.” I stare straight at her. “But I am.”

I stride back through the living room, Cal looking up with concern.

“We’re leaving.” He stands, offering a nod to my dad.

“It was nice meeting you all. Merry Christmas,” he says to my dad, who shakes his hand with a sigh.

Kayla hugs me at the door. “Merry Christmas, Lila.” I give her a sad smile.

“I’ll come visit before the baby comes, I promise.” I whisper, ignoring the stinging behind my eyes.

Cal opens the front door for me, brushing his lips against my temple as his hand comes to rest against my lower back and we walk back to his car.

We reach the passenger side, and he stops to stand behind me as he opens my door for me.

“Not here,” he murmurs into my hair.

“Wh—what?” I chatter, and I realize I’m shaking.

“Don’t let them see you break.” He lifts my chin up, so our eyes meet, the stormy grey filled with emotion. I nod, and slide into the leather seat, keeping my hair pulled forward to hide my face from the window.

We ride in silence except for the passing of cars on the Kennedy Expressway.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

“Not really.” I take a deep, shuddering sigh, my whole chest expanding. “Did you hear it?”

“Some of it,” he says shortly.

“You have to know I don’t think any of those things.”

“I know, Lila.” He drops his hand from the gear shift to my knee and squeezes gently.”

“So, we’re okay?”

“We’re okay.” I smile, feeling lighter than I have all day.