“I can’t thank you enough for letting us crash here on late notice.” I follow Patty into the house after Hawk takes off, Wyatt babbling excitedly about a sleepover with She-Ra.
“It’s really not a problem,” Patty says. “My girls are at their other mom’s house tonight, so Wyatt can have his pick between a gothic princess room or a ballerina paradise.” I laugh as she gestures in the doorways of two very vibrant, very different bedrooms.
“I like the black one,” he says, wriggling out of my arms to go investigate.
“I got some of my girls’ old toys out of the closet for you, Wyatt,” Patty says. “Check them out and come find me if you have any questions.”
Wyatt’s eyes bulge out of his head when he sees the huge box of blocks and play food. As soon as he’s engaged, Patty nods toward the kitchen and says, “Come on. I’ll make a cup of tea and you tell me what’s going on.”
I sink into a stool at her counter and tell her about seeing Nick in the parking lot. She frowns over the sink as she fills the kettle. Patty was subpoenaed to appear in court for Nick’s upcoming trial. I hate that my drama has sucked her in like this and now I’m drawing her further into the web by asking to crash here. “I should get a hotel,” I say. “Gah. Does he have access to your info as a witness?”
Patty frowns as she sets the water to boil. “I can’t imagine it would be very ethical for his lawyer to share my address.” She shrugs. “But who knows how ethical someone is to agree to defend a guy who locks his kid in a hot car while he goes to the bar?”
The kettle starts to boil and Patty pours two mugs of tea, walking around the counter to sit in the stool next to me. She slides me a mug and a plate of different tea bags. “Lucy, it’s no trouble to have you and Wyatt sleep over.” She elbows me. “You’re my teammate! Wouldn’t you say yes if I called looking for a place to crash?” I bite my lip and nod. Patty grins. “Someday you’ll pay it forward. Hell, one of my girls might end up calling you when they decide I’m too humiliating for words.”
I laugh at that. “It must be difficult to raise teen girls.” I dunk my tea bag a few more times and pull it out, blowing on the hot tea before bringing the warm mug to my lips. It feels nice, comforting, just holding the mug and smelling the minty aroma wafting up around my face.
Patty smiles and shrugs. “They’re good kids. And I get along well with my ex.” We sip in silence together for a few minutes before she makes a face at me and raises an eyebrow. “Now tell me about the guy who dropped you off at my house.”
I wave a hand. “Hawk and I are just friends,” I lie. “He’s on the team. The Forge.”
“Hmm,” Patty says. “He didn’t look just friendly toward you…”
I wince. “I don’t have room in my life for anything serious. I mean, look at today. I’m not exactly the best candidate for a fun relationship.” I know I’m babbling, but I haven’t had an opportunity to think through the emotional roller coaster of today’s interactions with Hawk. Making out in my office felt so right, so fun, and so intimate. And then…he didn’t even leave room for argument when he took me home, brought me here.
Patty keeps her brow raised and takes another sip of tea. “I’m not what you’d call an expert on men, but that one looked pretty interested in your welfare, Lucy.”
I laugh at her joke and wave a hand at her insinuation. “He’s just being nice,” I insist. “I’m not in a position for more.”
In the morning I insist on making breakfast for Patty. She teaches art at a nearby university and doesn’t have to be on campus until ten, so she sits while I serve her an omelet and fresh coffee. She and Wyatt are engaged in a cutthroat game of thumb war by the time I get everything plated and sit down with them at the counter.
“So, Patty Haute,” I say. “The professor. That makes you…”
“Professor Hot,” she says, laughing.
I shake my head. “That’s amazing.”
“The ladies love it,” she says, grinning into her coffee mug.
“Well, good for you,” I say, meaning it. “Between saving lives and spreading soccer love, you’re like the most amazing person in my world right now.”
Patty pats my hand. “You’re a terrific person, Lucy. I’m glad to have you as a friend.”
I get all choked up as I gather Wyatt’s and my things to get ready for our day. I was pretty isolated from friends and family by the end of my relationship with Nick. It never seemed problematic at first, the way he only wanted me to spend time with him. By the time he started accusing all my friends of poisoning my mind against him, I was fully dependent on him financially and alone in our apartment with a newborn with no car, no job, and no more friends. I still feel like I can’t offer much to Patty in return for her hospitality, but she insists I bring good energy to the Phe-Moms.
“Soccer is an outlet for all of us,” she says, walking me out to the car. “When you help raise the level of play, you challenge everyone there to be better. That’s not nothing—that’s everything, Lucy.”
I wave a hand at her. “Now I’m going to cry before work.”
“Well, so what? Cry and feel your feelings and have yourself a vulnerable day and we’ll work it out on the field later, right?”
I nod through my tears, buckling Wyatt in his seat. “I’ll see you at the field.”
She pats the roof of my car and waves goodbye to Wyatt. “I’m going to block one of those left-footed goal attempts of yours one of these days, Lucy. You better not go easy on me.”