“It wasn’t that bad,” she said. “You only missed a few tackles.”
“Addison Bryant,” I exclaimed with a grin on my face, “don’t tell me you’re learning how to follow a football game!”
She snorted. “I kind of have to. You see, there’s this really hot guy I know who plays defense. I figured I needed to know exactly what that meant if I was gonna keep him around for a while.”
“Well, I’m impressed,” I joked. “I think I need to get you a cheerleader costume for Halloween now that you’re such a fan.”
“I am not wearing that tiny little outfit when I take my son trick-or-treating,” she argued. “Halloween is scary enough without me showing off all that skin!”
“Hey now,” I said sternly while watching St. Louis pass by out the window of the bus, “don’t talk about my woman that way. I happen to think she’s kind of hot.”
“You’re sweet,” she said through a smile. “Speaking of Halloween, you’re still coming trick-or-treating with us next week, aren’t you?
“Of course,” I said. “This is the first time in years I get to go begging for candy without people looking at me funny.”
“You are so weird,” she said without missing a beat. “I asked Jax what he wants to dress up as. You’ll never guess what he decided.”
“Ummmmmm, a ninja,” I guessed.
“What? No.”
“Hey, you told me to guess, so I did,” I argued. “Let me try again.”
“Fine. Try again.”
“Ok. A Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.”
“Jason,” she laughed, “that’s still a ninja.”
“It is not! It’s a hero in a half shell!”
“Ohmygod,” she said, belly-laughing now. “You’re such a dork!”
I smiled. “Yeah, but that’s why you love me.”
She stopped laughing abruptly. The silence lasted for quite a few seconds.
“Um, that’s . . . uh . . . ,” I stammered.
“Jason,” she said. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t just make this a very awkward conversation. Because I know what you meant.”
I exhaled. “Thanks. That was . . . sorry about that.”
“Stop worrying about it. Besides, we have more important things to discuss. Jaxon wants to be you for Halloween.”
“Me?” I asked incredulously.
“Did you really forget that you are his hero?” she asked me.
“No, I mean, I knew that,” I answered. “I guess I just assumed he knew me well enough now to kind of be, I don’t know . . . over it, I guess.”
“Oh, Jason,” she laughed, “how many times did you meet Emmett Smith as a kid and how many times did you dress up as him for Halloween?”
“Good point,” I conceded. “But now that I know that he wants to be me, can I please get his costume? I can get little football pants and a little helmet. Oh! And I can get us costumes, too! I know exactly what to do!”
“I’m not wearing a cheerleader outfit,” she reminded me.
“Not even once we get back from trick-or-treating?” I asked playfully. “Just for me?”
“Uh, no,” she said.
I sighed loudly. “Ok fine. But I’ve got another idea. Can you trust me to get us the perfect costumes that will keep me incognito on the street?”
“I suppose,” she agreed hesitantly. “But this is your one chance, Hart. Don’t screw it up.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said. “I promise you’ll love it.”
“Whatever you say.”
As our conversation came to a close, the bus came rumbling to a stop.
“We just rolled up to the airport, baby,” I said. “I’ve gotta go.”
“Ok,” she said with another yawn. “Call me tomorrow. Fly safe.”
“Thanks, babe. Sleep well.”
With that, she was gone. And I had some planning to do.
I had barely finished knocking when the door flew open and Jaxon was hugging me tight.
“Jason! You’re here!” he yelled. “You did so good at the game on Sunday. You hit that ball so hard! And when Deuce knocked that guy down and he got a flag for it I was so mad! He didn’t do anything wrong! I saw the replay! Are you going trick-or-treating with me?”
I looked over at Addison who was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed and a smirk on her face.
“Did you give him a bunch of candy already?” I asked her, wondering how he could be even more hyper than normal.
“I didn’t,” she said. “But I am assuming the school did. He came home like this.”