went into the living room and she soon heard the sounds of his Wii game powering up. She turned on the radio and looked around the kitchen. It was a nice area with a butcher-block island, stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. She’d moved in here when she’d first come back to Miami after being kicked off the competitive dancing tour.
Marcia had invited her to make this her home and together they had shaped this house up nicely. There was a photo of the three of them in Little Italy eating at Ferrara’s bakery when they had visited New York last summer so Riley could see where his grandmother had grown up. The refrigerator was decorated with Riley’s latest art projects and in the corner was a glass door that led out into the Florida room.
Beyond that was the backyard with a soccer net and a water feature that Jen had done herself after taking a Saturday morning class at the local hardware store.
She liked this place, but she’d never really intended it to be her home. She’d always assumed she’d be going back on tour and this place would be a base of operations.
But now, this might be it. And if it wasn’t, she’d have to find her own place. Maybe something close by so she could still see Riley and her sister and help them out when they needed it.
She sat down at the breakfast bar realizing she had no idea what she wanted. This was a major crisis. The future was wide open and as of this moment, she had no idea what to fill it with.
She reached for the phone to call Nate and cancel, realizing that she didn’t want him to come to this home. She didn’t want to show him her life and see in his eyes that this wasn’t what he wanted. Did she really need further proof that they weren’t after the same things?
No, she knew she didn’t need more evidence of that, but what she did need was to figure out what she wanted. And in the meantime, Nate was fun and a distraction.
As long as she remembered that she’d be okay and they could enjoy each other.
The radio started playing Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine’s “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You” and she stood up to dance to it.
“Auntie! It’s our song,” Riley said, running into the kitchen. She laughed as he danced around her just as she’d taught him. They raised their hands over their heads and clapped to the beat as they both swiveled their hips to the music. They were laughing and clapping and dancing when the doorbell rang and she realized that dancing was still her life, just in a different way now.
Riley greeted Nate when the door opened. The sound of music floated down the hall and Jen stood behind her nephew laughing and swaying to the music. Nate paused there for a minute, seeing something that contradicted his personal experience of how women and sons got along. He knew that Jen wasn’t the boy’s mother but they were enjoying each other. He could see that from the expression on both of their faces.
“Hello, Mr. Nate,” Riley said, holding out his hand for Nate to shake it.
Jen came up behind her nephew and put her arm around him as Nate shook his hand.
“Nice to meet you, Riley.”
“Auntie and I were just dancing to ‘our’ song.”
“What’s your song?” Nate asked.
“‘Rhythm Is Gonna Get You,’” Jen said. “Do you know it?”
“I do. It’s a fun song,” Nate said.
“Yes, it is. We danced all over the kitchen,” Riley said. “Do you want to play the Wii while Auntie Jen finishes making lunch?” He glanced up at Jen.
“I know I enticed you over with grilled cheese. Is that still okay?”
Nate nodded. “Do you need my help?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I’ll be about fifteen minutes.”
She walked into the kitchen, which was off the main hall, as Riley led Nate into the living room. They had a plasma screen TV and a very comfy Italian leather sofa. Riley sat on the floor on a big pillow and offered Nate one that was tucked in the corner.
“I haven’t played video games in a long time.” This wasn’t what Nate had expected. It was a little too domesticated for his tastes, and his instincts were screaming for him to run. Leave this house and go back to his real life.
“It’s okay. I will go easy on you,” Riley said.
Nate took the controller and played with the boy but his attention wasn’t on the racetrack or the game. He glanced around the room.
This place was homier than his house. There were touches that showed a child lived there but you really got a sense of the women who called it home. On one wall were photos of Jen and her sister Marcia as girls and through their entire lives. He saw Jen in a skimpy Latin dancing costume holding a trophy. He saw Marcia standing on the steps of the courthouse holding her briefcase and grinning at the camera. And there was a photo of Jen holding her nephew in the hospital standing next to her sister’s bed.
The two women were all each other had and their bond was just as deep and strong as the one he had with his brothers.
He knew women were caring so that didn’t surprise him, it was just this was the first time he’d been involved with a woman who was like that. Even his own mother hadn’t been a nurturer.
He sank deeper into the comfy couch and realized he could let himself get comfortable here. Not just in the house but in this life. But it wasn’t his. He knew better than to try to pretend to be someone he wasn’t.
“You lost,” Riley said.
“I guess I did. Jen said you have a yellow-fin tuna in your room.”
“Yes, I do,” he said, hopping up. “We have to clean up before I show you. If I leave the controllers out I won’t be able to play again for a week.”
Nate nodded and helped Riley put the pillows back in a basket next to the entertainment center and the controllers away in the cabinet. Then Riley led the way to the stairs and up to his room.
The tuna was the dominant feature in the room. The bed was covered in a light blue comforter and there was a desk in one corner. Three toy boxes were lined up under the large plate-glass window. The walls were painted a sunny yellow color.
“I couldn’t believe it when I caught that fish. I wasn’t strong enough to land it by myself,” Riley said. “Do you like fishing?”
“I do. I don’t go often,” Nate said. The last time he’d been was more than three months ago when Cam had insisted they all take a trip to St. Lucia.
“Why not?”
“Busy working.”
Riley shook his head. “I don’t understand why grownups work all the time. You finally don’t have to go to school and instead of enjoying it … well, Mommy likes her job so that’s why she does it. Is that how it is for you?”
“I guess it is. Do you think you’d enjoy working?”
“I know I’m going to,” Riley said. “I’m going to be a fishing boat captain and spend all my time fishing.”
“Sounds like a good plan,” Nate said. When he’d been Riley’s age he’d declared he was going to play baseball for a living so he knew that kids could make their dreams happen.
“Did you always want to be in business?” Riley asked.
“Nah, I used to play baseball.” “Really? I didn’t know that. How come you don’t play anymore?”
Nate wondered at kids and how they had no filter or fear. Riley wanted to know something so the kid just asked. “Let’s head back downstairs and I’ll tell you.”
“Okay. Do you still play sometimes?”
“I don’t play anymore, Riley. I