Page 12 of A Place to Call Home
Jack carried the conversation as they walked to get lunch. Ada heard all about his friends, his pet fish Francisco, his new swim trunks, and his new home. Though she was thoroughly familiar with the townhouse, she let Jack tell her everything he knew and thought about it. The boy was a charmer, for sure. He didn’t stop talking until he took the first bite of his hot dog.
“I should have warned you that he likes to talk,” Craig said under his breath.
She waved off the unspoken apology. “I’m used to it. My brothers were all the same way, and their kids are too.”
“Our new house has a pool,” Jack tossed out between bites.
“That’s great,” Ada said. “Sounds like you’re a swimmer.”
Jack shrugged. He spoke, though he was still chewing. “I usually swim at my mom’s house. It’s the only thing she likes to do with me.”
It’s the only thing she likes to do with me.Ada’s heart broke at the very matter-of-fact declaration. She glanced at Craig. Tension tugged at his eyes and mouth, though he did a good job of hiding it.
“Your dad tells me you play basketball.”
Jack lit up again. “I’m good.”
Ada leaned a little closer to him. “So am I.”
Jack’s eyes grew wide. “Really?”
“Really. I played in college.”
“No way,” the two Adamson men said in unison.
“Way.”
“What position do you play?” Jack asked.
Craig hazarded a guess before she could answer. “Point guard.”
“How’d you know?”
“It fits you.” He wiped a bit of mustard off the corner of his mouth. “You’re not super tall— no offense— but more than that, you’re a strategist. You approach real estate the way a point guard approaches a game. It’s all about taking stock of the situation, figuring out what people need even if they don’t see it.”
Ada was pretty sure she was blushing. That was the kind of compliment women wanted to get but seldom did: an acknowledgment of her strengths and abilities. Most of the time, all women heard about was their looks, as if that was their defining characteristic.
She looked at Jack. “What position do you like best?”
He sat up straighter. “I’m a power forward.”
Ada loved the confidence and enthusiasm in that declaration. “Up top, dude.” She held her hand up for a high-five and received an enthusiastic one. “What’s your favorite shot?”
“Layup, but I’m not very good at it yet. Dad said I just have to keep practicing.”
“I was never good at layups.”
Jack gave her aduhlook. “You’rea point guard.”
She and Craig laughed at that. She liked Jack. What a great kid.
“Do you play on a team?”
He finished off his hot dog. “The Gorillas.”
“City league,” Craig filled in.
“We have a game on Tuesday. You could come if you want.” Jack sounded so hopeful. Did his mom ever come to his games? Maybe she lived too far away.
