Jace and I barely make our flight. I am so nervous and excited; I don’t know what to do with myself. By this time tomorrow Brian will know the truth. I won’t be able to sleep a wink tonight. We get checked into our room, Jace is fast asleep, but my mind is racing through my thoughts a thousand miles a minute. I am really going through with this crazy plan. Jace is going to meet his father. I feel Faye is smiling down on me, but I can’t help but feel anxious. What will Brian do? Will he forgive me? Will he understand?
I hope so, I really hope so.
**
I wake the next day after a few hours of restless sleep. I am running on adrenaline and energy drinks. We have a few hours to kill before the game starts, so I decide to take Jace to the zoo.
His face lights up so bright with each new animal we see. I get so tickled as he tries to mimic the different animal sounds. I wish we could st
ay longer, but I don’t want to be late for the game as much as I wish I could avoid what I have to do, I can’t.
We take a cab to the stadium. I am so nervous, I have to fight the bile that keeps climbing its way up my throat. I buy Jace some memorabilia to remember this day by. They are selling small jerseys and how perfect is it that they have one with the name Case on the back of it. I just have to put it on him. He looks adorable and reminds me of the boy who said he loved me so long ago. I only hope he remembers that when I shatter his world again.
The guy who checks our passes tells me we have private box seats. He takes a double look at Jace and me, but he doesn’t comment. I wonder if he notices the resemblance.
As we make our way to our seat, my boy is jumping up and down with excitement. I can’t believe I never thought to take him to a real game before now. This is Jace’s first real game and he is going to be watching his daddy play. I wish he could understand how monumental today truly is. We are seated by an usher next to an older gentleman. He does a double take at Jace. “My goodness he is the spitting image of Brian Case. I didn’t know he had a son.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude, but who are you?” I give the man a sideways glance.
“Marty Walsh, I own the team.”
“Oh, my apologies sir. I had no idea.” I blush. I can’t believe Brian gave me these seats.
“It’s a shame the little fellow won’t get to see his dad play today.”
His words stun me, I didn’t correct his assumption but I can’t help but wonder what he means by his statement. “Oh, why is that?”
He leans over close to me, and whispers. “So, you haven’t heard? It’s all over the news. That jackass went and got himself arrested for a DUI last night. We had to suspend him from playing in today’s game.”
“Oh.” I let the man’s words sink in. Coming here was a mistake, Brian obviously hasn’t changed. In fact, he must be drinking more now than ever. I should have known when he was so eager to down that shot. The way his hands were shaking was a dead giveaway, I was just too blind to see.
“Is he here today, at the game?” He shakes his head. “Please, don’t tell him we were here,” I demand.
“Well, it’s none of my business.” He shrugs and stands up for the anthem, so I tell Jace to stand too.
We are already here, so I guess there is no harm in letting Jace stay and watch the game, well most of it anyways. He is so cute. He points and says, “I want to play ball Ma.”
“Mr. Walsh turns to him and says, if you take after your father, you’ll come play for this team, Lord willing.”
I smile weakly, his saying if Jace takes after Brian makes me worry about him someday becoming addicted to alcohol. My mind flashes to my mother, and I feel depressed all over again.
I wish I could call her. I would call my dad, but I’m sure he’s at work, and we haven’t been talking as much lately..
After the sixth inning, I put a very tired little boy and myself on a plane back to Miami. Tomorrow, life must go on. I don’t have to be at the tanning salon, but I do have to work at Indigo.
I dread seeing Tyler and that whore, Erin. Maybe I will get lucky and neither of them will be there. If only, I could never be so lucky. When I get home Caroline calls to see how things went, but I don’t have the energy to talk about it. I’m spent. All I want to do is curl up in my bed and forget about life for a few hours anyway.
**
When I pull into work the next night Erin’s car is in the garage. “Fantastic!” I yell to no one. At least I don’t see Tyler’s car. My phone beeps telling me I have two unheard voicemails. I listen to the first message, it’s from my dad checking up on me and the second is a few days old, and it’s from Tyler.
“Hey, sugar tits, I was hoping to catch you before my flight. My plans changed. I was stuck in a meeting with a few of the dancers when you left. Hope everything is okay. Call me when you can.”
“End of messages.”
My stomach drops. Only good thing about my weeks is that I missed the visit from that other MC, the Grim Executioners. My chest constricts. Tyler says he was in a meeting. Which means I am an idiot and he was tied up in club business. Was I seeing things when I watched Erin walk out of that room followed by Tyler?
Guess I will have to put my big girl panties on and ask her. Making my way into the club, I am greeted with hugs and condolences. My radar is only set on one person, Erin.