The Sidelined Wife(21)

I'm sorry, is all he texted back. He was the sorriest excuse for a human  being. What had happened to him? Granted, he was never the most  attentive father, but at least he used to try.

I had to get my head in the game for Cody. We had lived without Neil for  months now and we had done okay. And we would do better.

I arrived at the school early. The stadium always filled up quickly and I  wanted to get good seats for me and my family. Who needed Neil?  Unfortunately, Cody did. But not me. I'm not sure I ever needed him,  but, oh, I used to want him.

I was able to snag the third row on the fifty-yard line. Sitting there  by myself made me feel like a big arrow was pointing at me that said  divorcee. The looks from some of our neighbors and couple of friends,  like the Gephardts, didn't help. They gave me forced uncomfortable  smiles and a wave, but didn't stop or utter a hello anymore. It was like  somehow being divorced made me a pariah. For goodness sake, we used to  barbecue on the weekends. Our sons even did a joint Harry Potter themed  birthday party once when they were in middle school. It embarrassed Cody  now to think of it.

I was never happier to see my parents and even Mimsy. She typically  didn't come to games. As spry as she was in her eighties, walking up the  stands and sitting on the bleachers wasn't easy on her little body. Dad  carried the stadium chairs while Ma helped Mimsy make the short climb.

I made sure to mouth to Dad that he better be the one sitting by me. He  chuckled before situating the stadium chairs and plopping down next to  me. Ma didn't like his arrangement, so she moved her seat on the other  side of me and moved Mimsy next to her. I eyed Mimsy's bottle of water.  She better not think of throwing any of that on me.

Dad wrapped his arm around me and let out a meaningful sigh. I wondered  if he and Ma had a blowup. They seemed to be ignoring each other.

I didn't directly address my suspicion. Instead, I reached my hand  across and squeezed each of the matriarchs' hands. "Thanks for coming.  How are you?"

"Eh." Ma shrugged.

Mimsy bounced in her seat like a toddler. "There was a catfight at the prison today."

Mimsy referred to the retirement community she lived in as the prison.  She was still upset Dad and Ma moved her into it a few years ago after  Grandpa died. It wasn't like she couldn't take care of herself, but  she'd fallen once and lay injured for ten hours before we knew about it.  Ma wanted her to live with them, but to Dad's relief, Mimsy refused.  They compromised on the lovely community she lived in now. I mean, I  wouldn't mind living there. You got maid service, and all your meals  were prepared. And who didn't love a rousing game of bingo every day?

"A catfight?" I questioned Mimsy.

Her aged blue eyes were all a-twinkle. "Ethel from two doors down was  caught with her Depends down around her ankles with George from one  floor up, who was seeing Polly from the building next door."                       
       
           



       

Did she say Depends? "Oh." As in oh, I wished I hadn't asked.

"Polly smacked her right in the face at lunch, knocking her dentures out."

"Mom, that's awful," Ma chimed in. Dad laughed, earning him narrowed  eyes from Ma and an I-wish-you-dead look. Something was brewing that I  probably didn't want to know about.

Mimsy swatted her daughter's arm. "It's the best thing that's happened since I've been there."

I leaned more into Dad, trying to forget about what Mimsy just said. Not  sure that was possible. "How was your day, Dad?" I hadn't seen him all  day, since I typically didn't go to the office on Fridays.

Dad cleared his throat. "I bought a boat."

Ma harrumphed next to me. I was pretty sure I knew the cause of their discord now.

"Really? What kind?"

Ma gave Dad a withering glance. "Yes, Joseph, why don't you tell her  what you wasted our money on?" Ma said that loud enough to draw  attention from the innocent bystanders in front of us who did their best  to not openly stare back at us, but managed a peek.

Dad's free arm rubbed the back of his neck. "It's an ice boat."

"An ice boat?"

"Your idiot father thinks he needs to compete in some amateur ice boat  competition in Wisconsin." Ma answered for Dad. "He saw it on some  stupid sports channel. We could have gone to the motherland." Ma threw  her hands up.

She meant Germany, where we descended from.

Dad stiffened and faced forward, not wanting to continue this conversation in public.

I hoped Ma followed suit. But Mimsy had to throw in her two cents. She  took her daughter's hand. "Look at it this way, Sarah, he could die on  the ice and then you can use his life insurance money to travel."

Dad's jaw dropped, but Ma's eyes filled with tears while she crossed  herself. As angry as she got with Dad, I don't think she would know what  to do without him. And more than anything since Hannah's death, Ma  hated talking about anyone dying, except maybe Neil.

"Mom, don't talk like that." Ma was still crossing herself.

Mimsy shrugged. "I was just trying to see the bright side."

It was a wonder I wasn't in therapy.

Grateful didn't even describe how ecstatic I was to see the rest of my family arrive, minus Delanie.

Peter walked past me and kissed my cheek. "Delanie's sorry she couldn't make it. She's buried in work."

"They've really been putting her feet to the coals this week." She'd  complained about it earlier this week when Avery and I had lunch with  her to work on the Sidelined Wife stuff. Poor thing chowed down her  salad, gave a few insights, and headed back home to work.

Peter's stance shifted while he ran his hands through his hair. "She has a big deadline this week."

"Some expose or something?" Delanie never did say at lunch.

"Yeah, something like that." He moved down past Mimsy, who already had  Matt and Jimmy next to her. She was stuffing their hands full of cash. I  wished she would have done that when I was growing up.

Avery and James sat directly behind me.

"No yelling in my ear," I warned James.

He rested his hands on my shoulders and gave me a gentle shake. "Don't  count on it. I'm ready to see number eleven tear it up out there."  Eleven was Cody's number.

"He probably won't get any playing time."

"Peter told Reed if he didn't, he was no longer invited to Sunday dinner."

I wasn't sure if I should believe James or not, especially since Avery laughed at him.

They looked content tonight, holding hands and wearing matching Pomona  High shirts. Jealousy crept in, but it was overcome by gratitude. Their  support of Cody meant the world to me.

Avery leaned in and whispered in my ear, "Is Neil coming?"

I shook my head.

She patted my back, trying to console me.

James must have clued in. He started calling Neil names that had Ma  crossing herself and Mimsy flicking water on him. I bowed my head. Not  to pray, but to miss all the embarrassing glances everyone in the  vicinity was giving us.

The game couldn't have begun any sooner. Who knew what else was going to  come flying out of my family's mouth? The marching band came out and we  all stood for the national anthem. Mimsy and Ma always got choked up  during the song. My great-grandfather had served in World War II and  died during the D-day invasion. A picture of him in uniform rested  proudly on my parents' mantle.

Our team took the field to loud applause and cheers. I had a feeling my  throat would be sore by the end of the night, especially if Cody got any  playing time. Maybe if they were far enough ahead in the last quarter  he would. James had it on good authority that the team we were  playing-Buffalo Grove-wasn't a solid team. James was good to keep up on  those types of things. So hopefully this would be an easy win for the  Panthers, for both Cody's and Reed's sake. I felt nervous for both of  them. Don't ask me why. Admittedly, Reed had taken up a lot of my  thoughts today, remembering the way he smelled, his eyes.                       
       
           



       

"Go Cody," I yelled for no real reason other than I needed something to do besides think about his coach.

My family all laughed at my exuberance. If only they knew what was  lurking in my brain. That was never going to happen, because I wasn't  thinking about Reed anymore. Except I noticed how good he looked out  there in his official Panther polo shirt and khakis. The headset made  him look so official. There was an air of calm surrounding him. I  already liked him better than the last coach, who would have been  yelling at the kids even before they took the field for the first play.  Then I noticed how he said something to Cody. I could tell by the way  Cody stood up straighter it was good. I wondered what he said.