Page 43 of Between the Boards
“Damn, Fin,” I murmur. “I’m sorry.”
I remember when he first told me about their diagnoses, and how hard he took it. Something inside him had cracked that day.
Losing them once was bad enough, but this? This is like losing them for a second time.
Griffin exhales slowly. “Honestly…I think it’s hitting Eli even harder.”
Koa frowns. “Yeah?”
She doesn’t have her parents,” he says. “She was the one pushing for mine to be there because she wanted those memories and pictures to look back on.”
My chest tightens. I can’t imagine how hard it must be to deal with all of this when it’s supposed to be the most exciting and happiest time of their lives.
“She looked upset this morning,” Zale says. “Gabriel was comforting her during practice.”
Griffin’s head snaps up. “Tell your brother-in-law to keep his hands to himself.”
Zale rolls his eyes. “Relax. He’s perfectly happy with my sister, and way too busy raising their two kids.”
Koa leans forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “How is your sister doing, by the way? I saw her at the cemetery the other day.”
Zale leans back, tapping his thumbs against his can.
“She’s okay…most days.” He shrugs. “But there are days where everything hits her at once. The loss, the pregnancy, the twins labour…it’s a lot for anyone to come to terms with.”
Last year, we found out about Gabriella—Zalea and Gabriel’s angel baby. It came to a shock for all of us, especially considering how shit Zale is at keeping secrets, but it was helped us finally understand why everything blew up between those two.
“And how’s uncle life?” Griffin asks.
Zale cracks a smile, and I realize this might be the first time I’ve seen a real one from him in years.
“They’re little goofballs,” he says with a chuckle. “Fighting each other over toys, drooling all over themselves, and putting their sticky fingers on everything they possibly can.”
“Sounds chaotic,” Griffin says, smiling faintly.
“Yeah,” Zale nods. “But the best part is after a day playing with them, I get to hand them back to their parents when they start screaming. That life isn’t not for me.”
They all laugh, except for me. “You don’t want kids?” I ask, breaking my silence.
“Nope.”
“What about a wife?”
He shoots me an annoyed look. “I’m perfectly happy being a single uncle for the rest of my life, and spoiling my sister's kids.”
I nod slowly, but my mind is racing. Kids and a spouse are two things Kairi has always talked about having one day, and if those aren’t part of Zale’s life plan then surely Kairi should know.
Someone should tell her.
Ishould tell her.
“Alright,” Griffin says suddenly, pushing to his feet. “Now for the real reason you’re all here.”
He places his beer can on the bench and disappears below deck for a minute before coming back up with three black boxes.
He hands one to each of us, dropping back into his seat with a grin that actually reaches his eyes this time. “Open them.”
Koa goes first, lifting the lid of his box and letting out a laugh. “No way.”
