Tara and Mick’s parents followed Mick and Nathan down the stairs. Tara listened intently to the conversation, determined to let Mick do all the talking.
“No.”
“More than you think. A lot more than you think. You need to put all you effort into your grades and into using your head first, because you’ll use up your body fast. And when that’s done, you’ll have to have something to do after. If you blow out a knee your second season, you’ll be what? Twenty something years old with your whole life ahead of you. You don’t want to be a dumb-a— you don’t want to be dumb and stupid with no education and no money, right?”
Nathan looked up at him. “Huh. I never thought about that.”
Mick slapped him on the back. “A lot of guys don’t. Always use your head, not just your muscle. The smart guys always do.”
Nathan tilted his head back to look at Mick, and Tara’s breath caught at the abject hero worship.
She hoped he listened to what Mick said about using his brain. Because Nathan was a smart kid. And his grades were good. She hoped and prayed they stayed that way and he didn’t count on football to see him through life.
“So where’s your brother?” Nathan asked.
“He has a game tonight,” Mick answered. “He’ll be by later, I imagine. Or at the bar.” Mick lifted his gaze to his mother.
“I talked to him this morning. He’ll come by for the party at the bar tomorrow night. He’s busy tonight.”
“Got a hot date?” Mick asked.
Kathleen laughed. “I have no idea. Neither of you are very forthcoming about your love lives. Though I’m very pleased you brought Tara and Nathan with you this weekend. A step in the right direction.”
Kathleen took a seat on the sofa next to Tara. “So tell me about yourself, Tara. Are you from San Francisco?”
She swallowed, sensing the inquisition forthcoming.
“Hey kid, let me show you the workshop out back,” Jimmy said. “Mick, you can come along. Nathan and I might even kick your butt in a game of hoops.”
“In your dreams, old man.” He turned to Tara and winked.
Tara knew it was get-to-know-his-mother time. She returned her gaze to Kathleen. “I grew up in the East Bay, outside San Francisco. Never lived in the city. Too expensive there.”
“And your ex-husband?”
“I was never married. Nathan’s father isn’t in our lives.”
“Oh, I see. Well, I’m sorry about that. So what do you do for a living?”
That was it? No probing or disapproval for being a single mother? Huh. Not what she expected. “I’m an event planner. That’s actually how I met your son. I planned a party for the team.”
Kathleen clapped her hands together. “How delightful. And what a fun career for you. You must enjoy that very much.”
“I do, actually. I’ve only had the business for a couple years, so we’re still growing, but it’s going very well so far. I have high hopes for it.”
“It takes time to grow a business. And perseverance.”
“I have both. It took me a while to get to the point where I could afford to start up a company, but this is something I’ve always wanted to do. I’ll do whatever it takes to make it succeed.”
Kathleen took her hand and squeezed it. “Years ago, women couldn’t do what you’re doing. I admire you, being a single mother, juggling your own business, and raising that fine son of yours. It’s not easy.”
“Nathan’s worth the sacrifices I’ve had to make.”
“Can I ask you a personal question?”
“Sure.”
“And you can feel free to tell me it’s none of my business. It won’t hurt my feelings at all. What about Nathan’s father? Did he just not want to be part of his life?”
She could tell Kathleen she didn’t want to talk about it, but surprisingly, she didn’t mind. “I didn’t want him in Nathan’s life. I was only fifteen when I got pregnant, which was stupid, but I knew I wanted to have my baby. And the guy who got me pregnant wasn’t someone I wanted in my life or in my baby’s life. Drugs, theft, time in jail—he was a total loser. I made him sign away rights to my child before he got sent off to prison. He can never make a claim to Nathan now.”
Kathleen nodded. “Even then you did what was necessary to protect your child. You were smart.”
“I was dumb. I shouldn’t have gotten pregnant. But Nathan didn’t need to suffer for my stupidity. And how could I regret having him? He’s everything to me.”
Kathleen’s eyes watered. “A good mother is willing to lay down her life for her child. You’re a good mother.”
Tara blinked back tears. “Thank you. I don’t think anyone’s ever told me that.”
“Your mother?”
Tara laughed. “That’s a topic for another day and another conversation. I think I’ve burdened you enough for our first meeting. Any more, and you’ll tell your son to run as far away from me as he possibly can.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that, Tara. My son, like me, is a very good judge of character. I don’t need to tell him what to do. If he chose you to be in his life, it’s because he thinks you’re good for him.”
“Thank you, Kathleen. I like Mick very much. I like being with him. I like the way he makes me feel when I’m around him.”
“That’s all I needed to know about you. You never once said you like the things he gives you. It was all about feelings. I’m so glad you’re here this weekend,.”
Her heart swelled with the feeling of family, something she hadn’t felt in—ever. “Me, too, Kathleen.”
MICK LEANED AGAINST THE WALL OF THE HALLWAY, feeling all kinds of guilt for listening in on the conversation Tara was having with his mother.
But he couldn’t help it. He liked hearing her talk to his mom, liked how freely she opened up, talked about the guy who’d gotten her pregnant. One of the things he admired about Tara was how she’d done so much on her own from such a young age. He didn’t know everything about her past, but he was getting glimpses into it little by little. And from what he was getting, he understood that it had been shitty from the start, from her parents to the guy who knocked her up. And she’d gotten where she was today all on her own.