Chapter Nineteen
Joy sat on the highest row of the bleachers with Lily, wearing matching wide brimmed sunhats, and Niblet in between, dressed in a pale pink leotard and tutu. Three lovely ladies waved with wild arms like they were sending out an S.O.S. to Tristan across the field in the dugout. As the assistant coach of the Little League, his job was to praise and evenly distribute a generous amount of high-fives while Chief Maresca, the head coach, did the hard work.
After announcing the lineup of players on the Fire Balls’ roster, including two additional members—Mason and Owen—Tristan checked the first batter’s helmet ensuring it was on correctly before sending him to the plate. Even though Joy’s boys seemed to adapt quickly to their new life, making friends in a team environment during the summer vacation would help ease the transition into an unfamiliar school in September.
For two hours of fun in the sun on the last day of June, the Fire Balls played a good game against the Crushers. The youth level was a No-Score division but Tristan still tallied the runs and errors in his head, impressed by the skillsets of all these young players, especially his two little buddies. If it weren’t for Mason and Owen, he wouldn’t be coaching. He’d probably be a dancing school dad, which wouldn’t be bad, but Joy seemed more excited than Nicole when they signed up the toddler for her first ballet class.
When the game ended, the ice cream truck pulled up on cue, blasting the happy jingle that made the kids come running in a beeline.
“I hope you brought your wallet,” Chief Maresca said to Tristan.
His wallet was in the Green Machine about a quarter mile away in the lot somewhere so it was a good thing Nick whipped out a wad of cash from his front pocket. “I’ve got it covered.” Since he’d come into money, Nick was the Pied Piper at the park and the neighborhood referred to him as “The Fireman Who Bought Everyone Ice Cream.”
“Get a load of this guy.” The chief nodded toward Nick. “Are you running for mayor or something? ’Cause if you are, these kids can’t vote.”
“Can’t vote yet,” Tristan added.
Nick cut a dirty look at the chief and Tristan as he handed each child a napkin to go with their treat, exchanging thank-yous and you’re-welcomes. “Just tell the ice cream man what flavor you want and don’t start any rumors.”
Once the children and parents finished their ice creams, the crowd thinned fast as the full moon competed with the setting sun for space in the clear blue sky.
Three remaining tykes—Nicole, Owen, and Mason—burnt off the last of their energy on the jungle gym under Joy and Lily’s watchful eyes, while Tristan and Nick loaded the equipment into the Green Machine.
“That’s everything.” Tristan slammed the doors of the van before heading back to claim his framily—his new favorite word Mason cleverly dubbed their little circle of inseparable family and friends.
The only way this perfect Monday evening at the baseball park could get better was if his cell phone rang with the important call he’d been expecting all day about Joy’s furniture. It was supposed to be delivered between nine a.m. and five p.m., which was quite a big window of time considering it was already seven thirty and there was still no call from Sophia, who agreed to wait for it at his place. Once the house was furnished, he would unveil the great surprise he’d been suffering to keep.
Since the night Joy skipped out on Father’s Day neither of them mentioned a word about his untimely marriage proposal, or their spat—as if it never happened. Maybe they both overreacted but Tristan still took ownership of the error. He never should have pressed her, especially when he didn’t have the diamond ring to back up his offer.
But now that he had it, and spoke to her parents, and took the trip to Star Harbor to turn in his shield, service pistol, and sign all the necessary retirement paperwork, there was no reason for Joy to refuse unless she really didn’t want to get married. He wasn’t even setting the wedding date unless she wanted to, only making a promise for a future together.
For the past two weeks, they tweaked their new framily-time routine, splitting the days between Tristan’s house and Joy’s temporary set-up at Lorraine’s. When they went to work during the day, Joy’s mother watched the boys and Lily watched Nicole, but more often than not Sophia and Lily teamed up so the kids were always together. It was a crazy schedule to juggle and well worth it. Almost too good to be true but Tristan wasn’t about to question it.
Lily sucked down the last of her milk shake and chucked the paper cup in the trashcan. “That was goood.” She covered a tiny girlie burp with the tips of her fingers. “Excuse me. At this rate I’ll double my weight by the time I give birth.”
“Oh, pleeease.” Joy waved the words away. “I doubt it with all that power walking you do each day. You’ve barely gained a pound.”
“I like my woman with curves.” Nick wrapped his arms around his wife from behind, cradling her still-flat belly in his hands.
“One day your tummy’s really gonna pop. But after you have the baby we’ll get you back in shape.” Joy flexed her biceps.
“I hope so.” Lily frowned. “How’d you do it?”
“Oh, a little bit of this, a little bit of that, and a helluva lotta stress and semi-starvation. And when that didn’t work I went the good old-fashioned route of eating whole foods and cranking up the exercise. Cut back on carbs and doubled up on veggies instead. Mind over matter.” Joy tapped her finger to her temple. “It wasn’t easy, but it’s worth it.”
“I don’t think I can be a vegetarian.” Lily shook her head. “I like meat too much.”
“You don’t have to be a vegan,” Joy said, “or vegetarian, or a pescetarian. Just eat smart. Good fats. Lean meats. Food is fuel.”
“Maybe you should write a book,” Lily suggested.
“Hmmm… Maybe I could.” Joy rambled on about her years of experience in all the facets of life Lily was just catching up to.
With the kids in tow, Tristan followed behind listening to the two women chat it up, glad his best friend’s wife and Joy were already so close. It made spending time with Nick that much better. The only way to complete this picture was if Joy said yes.
“So…?” Nick dropped back in line with Tristan. “Ya gonna do it or what?” The men slowed their pace, while the kids sped up to walk with the women.
“Do what?” Tristan played dumb.
“Come on, guy.” Nick smirked. “I know what you’re thinking.”
“Then you’d know I was waiting for a special occasion.”
“Her birthday?”
“You’re kidding, right?” Tristan knitted his brows. “There ain’t no way I can wait ’til August to propose again.”
“Whoa.” Nick’s head snapped. “How soon are we talkin’?”
“I’m gonna see how she reacts to the house. If it goes well I’ll pop the question the right way this time, down on one knee with a ring.”
“Where ya planning to live after the wedding? Your place or hers?”
“Hers most likely since she’s emotionally attached to it. But for all I know she could hate the renovations.”
Nick slugged Tristan in the biceps. “I doubt it, man.” He smacked the muscle again for added measure and chuckled. “Hey—have you been working out?”
“Get off me, will ya?” Tristan yanked his arm from Nick’s big-handed gorilla grip. “Yeah, I’ve been hitting the home gym thanks to Joy.”
“I’m glad you two calamities straightened up your act. She got you back in shape and you fixed up the shape of her old house—sounds like a perfect match if you ask me.”
Tristan sighed. “She hasn’t seen the inside, so I’m praying she likes it.”
“You put your whole heart and soul into that place. I can’t imagine her not loving it.”
Tristan couldn’t contain his secret smile. “I can’t imagine it either but ya never know. And just ’cause she loves the house doesn’t mean she’ll be willing to marry me.”
“And you’re gonna ask again anyway, you sappy sonofabitch. You’re a glutton for punishment, aren’t ya? If she still doesn’t say yes, what then?”
The painful probability made Tristan snicker. “In a couple of months, after I recuperate, I’ll give her another try. It’s not like I’m skipping town now that we’re business partners.”
“That’s right. You signed a contract. Death do us part.” Nick balled his hand into a fist and pumped it in the air like this was a rock concert rather than a heart-to-heart talk. “If Joy says no to you this time around, she must be crazy. Then again, if she says yes after knowing you for a season she must be even crazier.”
“What are you talking about?” Tristan shoved Nick’s shoulder. “Lily married you after just a few months of dating. She’s the crazy one if you ask me.”
“I must be crazy too, going down this road again with another woman after being married to your psycho sister.”
“Leave Claudine out of it—she’s a whole different breed of crazy.”
“Yeah, well, I guess we’re all a little crazy here.” Nick slapped Tristan between the shoulder blades. “Happy and crazy.”
****
Before they piled into the Green Machine, Nicole tugged Joy’s hand. “I gotta make.”
“Come to think of it, I have to go too.” Lily detoured, following the restroom sign. “Did you find you had to pee a lot when you were pregnant?”
“Always.” Joy took the risk and lifted Nicole to speed up the process. “Hold it, Niblet. Hold it.” Even though the toddler was potty-trained in the house, she still wore a diaper at night and on the road, except for today’s dance class because the child begged to wear panties like the bigger girls in class.
While Joy peeled off the child’s leotard, Lily draped the toilet seat with strips of paper.
“Do you have to go number one? Or do you have to go number two?” Joy held up her fingers for clarification.
“If you ladies would excuse me, I have to go number one.” Lily slipped out of the family-sized stall for some privacy next door.
“I think I have to go one, two, three, four, five, six, seven.” Silly Niblet showed off her counting skills.
“Then I guess we’re gonna be here a while.” Joy folded a nice wad of toilet tissue for the final moment. “Let me know when you’re done.”
“Can I call you Mommy?” The girl’s question came out of nowhere.
Stumped, Joy continued to wind paper endlessly around her hand. “Umm…You have a mommy, Niblet.”
“I know. But she’s not here.”
“Just because she’s not here doesn’t mean she’s not thinking of you. I think this is a question for your daddy.”
“Daddy already asked me.”
Lily pulled the door open and poked her nose in. “Asked you what?”
“Asked me if I’d like Joy to be a stair mommy.”
“You mean a step mommy?” Lily elbowed Joy. “When did daddy say this?”
“He probably said it a couple of weeks ago. Not recently, right?” Not after I turned him down, twice in one day.
Nicole shrugged, hanging onto the toilet. “He says it all da time when we say our puh’wayers at bedtime. God bless mommy and daddy and da whole framily. And eggspecially Joy and her boys, and that maybe, someday, if daddy is a lucky sonofabeekeeper, she’ll marry him so she can be my stair mommy.”
“The guy’s consistent if not persistent. You better say yes next time he asks or I’ll never let you live it down,” Lily mumbled to Joy, wagging a scolding finger at her friend,
“Gee, thanks.” Although Lily’s support was appreciated, if Joy didn’t say yes to Tristan’s next offer, there might never be another one, and then what? How could she live with herself if she let him go?
“Daddy says if Joy doesn’t say yes this time, he’s gonna get his head checked,” Niblet blurted out as if she knew what she was talking about. “’Cause he must have loose screws for asking again. Whatever dat means.”
“Little girl, you sure you’re only three and not going on thirty?” Joy shook her head in disbelief of this young mind at work, wondering what secrets she may have spit out in front of the child that could have been translated to Tristan.
“I’m one, two, three, four, five, six, seven. All done!”