Page 18 of Cade

“My dad and pops both act that way with my mom after they go shopping. I think they complain exactly the same way every Christmas, and they only have to go out like once since Mom discovered online shopping!”

Cara rolls her eyes as she nods.

“Mike does that too! I try to go by myself, and he gets all butt-hurt. I mean, I go grocery shopping usually without him, but other shopping? He says he’s my bag sherpa and I need him with me. Frankly, I think he likes it enough but thinks he’ll lose his man card or something if he ever admits that.”

I completely agree because I know Pops and Dad would complain for days and act all butt-hurt if Mom went on those shopping trips without them. Silly guys. Cara sips her coffee and looks at me as if she’s either studying me or trying to figure out what she wants to say.

“I’ll be honest, I was a little nervous to meet you.” I let her continue because even if I couldn’t see her, I would know that wasn’t the end of her train of thought. “It probably wasn’t for an obvious reason. It wasn’t because I thought you’d be awful or anything like that. I know Cade’s got better judgment than that, and even if it had slipped, you having Emma’s seal of approval and that goes a long way. No, it was because the only couple ofgirls before you that Cade ever brought around…they were nice enough girls, but the moment they first saw me without my leg, all I saw was pity. That I was a burden they’d have to take on at some point if they stayed with Cade. He never said anything, but I’m pretty sure that was a factor in things ending with his college girlfriend. You haven’t looked at me like that once.”

I would never, but I also know that look all too well. “I don’t think of you as a burden and definitely don’t pity you. Do you have something that can make your life not as easy at times? Yes. Will you one day, when you’re much, much older, need help? Maybe, but that’s not because you’re an amputee. That’s just a fact of life. I mean, my parents will probably need help when they’re that age too. Most people do. Pity? Life is too short to pity anyone. I figure everyone has their own challenges in life to deal with. Yours and mine are visible, whereas most people deal with theirs internally. I figure that the gods give those of us with the best support the challenges that are out there for the world to see.”

Cara looks at me as if I just spoke another language or something. I don’t feel the need to say more. Plus, my coffee needs consuming. I lean back in my chair and take a couple of sips before Cara leans in and points toward me.

“Hanna, that was the most intelligent explanation I’ve ever heard. I’m gonna have to beat my boy senseless if he doesn’tkeep you. Holy shit. I knew I liked you. Your mom must be somethin’ special to raise a woman like you. I’m excited to meet her later. I understand Cade requested her to bring her lasagna?”

I nod. “Yeah, he did, but I don’t want you to think it’s traditional or anything. I know coming from your part of the country, you’re exposed to a lot better home-cooked Italian food. I’m pretty sure there are someNonasrolling over in their graves every time she makes it.”

Cara shakes her head. “Darlin, I ain’t one percent Italian, but I had anonalive next door to me while I was growing up. She taught me a lot of things, but two were at the top of the list. The first was to use fresh ingredients whenever possible, even if that just means grating your own cheese, but take that extra step. She also said that the best Italian food doesn’t follow a recipe. That’s why every family has its own version of each dish. She said the only thing that they all have in common is that they were made with love.” She rolls her eyes as she scoots her chair back from the table to stand up. “I loved that woman something fierce, but her ability to take things beyond cheesy was greater than anyone I’ve ever met. Now, I don’t know about you, but that conversation was about enough of being in our feelings than I can handle for the day. What do you say to us prepping thesalads and making dessert so we can just hang out when your parents get here?”

Yeah, she’s gonna get along with my mom just fine. “You lead the way, and I’m happy to help with whatever you need.” I get up and follow Cara, sending up a silent thanks to the gods for her. Cade really did come from some awesome people.

Cade

I just finished my last time up and down the stadium stairs, and I stop at the bottom where Dad’s been sitting since his third run up. He’s slouched down in the seat and looks up at me. “Son, I love ya, but fuck if I’m doing that shit again. I’m too old for that. My knees tried to give out at least three times going upandcoming down.” I reach out to the assistant on the field and grab two water bottles. I hand one to Dad before I sit on the railing at the bottom of the stands. He takes a few sips as I chug mine down. I finish and tell him my thoughts.

“You kept up with the whole workout a lot better than I thought. Do we need to have Mom make sure there are ice packs in the freezer for later tonight?” The look he gives me would make a weak man piss his pants, but it’s not anything new to me.

“Son, all you need to make sure is that there’s enough beer to go around. I know you won’t partake, but that girlof yours hasnot one but two fathers that I need to get to know, and as we all know, beer helps with that.”

“I know you picked some up yesterday, but we can stop on the way home and get some more.” Dad nods and leans forward without taking his eyes off me. “You seem pretty serious about this girl. You’ve introduced us to her, and you made it through the introductory dinner with her family. She someone you see yourself with long-term?”

I nod. “Yeah, I do. I know it’s fast, but I can’t imagine a future without her in it. In fact, I was gonna talk to you about Grandma’s ring…” Dad’s eyebrows go up in surprise.

“You thinking of proposing soon?”

I shrug my shoulders and answer him. “I don’t have anything planned out just yet, but I’ve started thinking about it. I love her…it’s not like anything I’ve felt before.” I look at Dad, who’s waiting me out. “How did you know for sure, like one hundred percent certain, that Mom was the one for you?”

Dad shakes his head. “When it comes to love and matters of the heart, there’s no such thing as one hundred percent certain—at least not when you’re deciding whether you want to marry someone. Now that we’ve been together for decades? Yeah, I can be certain. That comes with time. You have to trust your heart and your gut. You both have been raised by parents who loveeach other. You’ve been able to witness that, and I can’t help but think that would help your picker be more accurate.”

I think he makes a good point, but before I can ask him another question, he continues speaking. “Marriage isn’t just about sexual attraction and the other person making your heart pitter-patter. They should be the person you most want to spend your time with, the one you want to laugh with. The greatest result of marrying the right person is that at the end of your life you can look at her and say, you helped me become the most authentic version of myself, and you’re still my favorite person. That’s the best marker in a marriage.” He pauses to take the last drink of his water.

“Am I still in love with your mom after all these years? Absolutely. Is it the same love as when I proposed, or when you or your sister were born? No. It evolves just as everything does in time, just like we as people do. But one thing that hasn’t changed since the moment I realized she was the one for me. She’s still my favorite person. She’s the one I want to spend most of my free time with. Do I like hanging out with the guys or you and your sister? Absolutely, I do. Would I spend the time doing something I hated to spend time with the guys? Fuck no. Would I spend all day yesterday with your mom shopping just so we could be together? Yes. Did I hate the shopping part? You know I did, but I will do it again and again to spend time with her andsee that smile on her face. That makes everything worth it. Do I still complain to her about it so we don’t do it every week? Yes, because your grandma didn’t raise no fool. We all gotta have our limits.”

He stands up and walks down the couple of steps to the bottom. He taps his empty water bottle against my arm. “Let’s go grab your stuff and get going. Then you can tell me why your teammate over there has been staring daggers at you the entire time he’s been out here and the girls standing next to him both look like they want to end up in your shower with you.” I look over to where he’s pointing and see Zack standing next to Katie and Tina, who are both glaring in this direction. I don’t know what any of their problems are other than Zack almost never works out when the team doesn’t tell him he needs to. Those girls both look like they haven’t had the surgery yet to remove the sticks from their asses. One can hope they won’t be sitting next to the WAGs tomorrow. It might save their lives if they don’t come to this one.

A few hours later, I push back from the dinner table, even fuller than I was the last time I ate Anna’s lasagna. It really is that good. Dad, Wyatt, and Jackson seemed to have hit it off right away, and Mom and Anna did too. They’re all laughing, talking,and carrying on as if they’ve been friends forever and hadn’t just met for the first time a couple of hours ago.

Hanna leans over to me as we’re both watching this all pan out. “You know we could sneak out and they wouldn’t even notice.” She’s not wrong, but we miss our moment to escape when Mom looks toward us and doles out responsibilities. “Cade, you go out and get that gas fire thing you’ve got in the backyard going. I think it’d be nice to sit out there soon. Hanna, why don’t you help me serve dessert since you helped make all of it?” Just like that, we’re back to being kids and doing what our parents tell us to do. Some things really do never change.

I make quick work of starting the gas firepit. I would love a real one that uses real wood, but this tiny spit of a backyard I have right now, makes that an impossibility at the moment. I go back inside and help finish clearing the table as Mom and Hanna slice up dessert. I know better than to just sit down and wait, so I ask, “Does anyone want coffee or need another beer?” I get everyone’s orders and make quick work of getting the beers out of the fridge.

Mom looks over at me with a smile—see, I knew better than to just sit down! “Once you pass out those beers, do you want to come get the coffee tray for me? Hanna’s got dessert handled beautifully.”

I watch that compliment hit my girl. Her smile is so honest and beautiful, it shows that the little things, like praise from my mom, mean the most to her. She couldn’t care less about the big gestures, but loves that I already know her coffee order and that she always gets her Mexican food with no beans and extra rice. Well, except for one place where she’ll get their ranch beans. I also know that she’s a sucker for anything lemon. It’s the little things like that. I look at the table and see our parents all getting along. I watch Dad look up and see Mom come back into the room. The love in his eyes is all for her. That’s what everything is about. I could make it to the World Cup, and that would be a dream come true. I could be on a team that wins it all one season, and that would be a great achievement. I could coach the high school team to the state championships, and that would be great for the entire school and community, but none of it compares to getting to choose to love Hanna for the rest of my life. I think about what Dad said earlier, and it strikes me. Hanna’s my favorite person. She’s the one I think about first when I want to tell someone something—whether good, bad, or indifferent—it all comes back to her. Yeah. I’m gonna need to get the ring from Dad.

Hanna

I look over at Cade, and he’s got a slight smile on his face that’s been there since I served dessert. He’s definitely got something on his mind, but it doesn’t look to be bad. Mike speaks up and suggests that the guys all go out back and enjoy the evening’s fresh air.