Page 21 of Over the Line
After we’d placed our orders, I folded my hands on the table and faced my son and his girlfriend. “So, how did the two of you meet?”
The little smiles they exchanged were incredibly cute. Chris took her hand and said, “Her friend had a date with one of my teammates, but she wanted to do a double date. So he asked if I’d tag along.”
I chuckled. “Worked out great, didn’t it?” I picked up my water for a sip. “How did it work out for them?”
“Oh, pretty good.” Jasmine smiled. “I was her maid of honor and Chris was his best man, so…”
“Oh, wow! Everybody won, then.”
She elbowed Chris playfully. “I still tell her it’s her fault I’m stuck with this one.”
Chris tsked, wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and kissed her temple. “Rude.”
She just snickered.
I was honestly awestruck. Chris had struggled to connect with girls when he was a teenager. He’d been laser-focused on hockey, but he’d also just been super shy. To see him this at ease with a girlfriend who clearly adored him was amazing.
We continued talking and catching up when our dinner came. They showed me photos of the nursery he’d started putting together, and I got to see some ultrasounds of my grandson.
Holy shit. My grandson. I was still getting my head around being back in the same space as my younger son. Now he was about to become a father. Wow.
About halfway through dinner, Jasmine got up to use the restroom. As soon as we were alone, Chris turned a concerned and sheepish look on me.
“So, um.” He cleared his throat. “You’re not mad, are you? About…?” He gestured at Jasmine’s empty seat.
“Mad? Why would I be mad?” I laughed softly. “You’re an adult, Chris. And you two are obviously happy together. You’ve got the means to take care of your family.” I shrugged. “I have no reason to be mad.”
He relaxed a little. “But I didn’t tell you. When you were here before.”
I considered that. “We were on some weird ground. We hadn’t seen each other in years, and I’d just dropped the bomb on you that I wanted to move to Pittsburgh.” I paused. “I kind of thought at the time you didn’t want me to meet your girlfriend for some reason, but I guess now I know why.” I smiled, hoping he caught that I wasn’t upset or making an accusation.
He chuckled, dropping his gaze. “Yeah, I, uh… I wasn’t sure how to be like, ‘hey Dad, good to see you after all this time, and by the way, you’re about to be a grandfather.’”
I laughed. “Uh, it’s a little bit of a shock, not gonna lie. But you two are obviously happy about it, and you’re in a good place financially and professionally.” I smiled as I speared a piece of broccoli on my fork. “Honestly, I’m thrilled. It’s great!”
“Yeah?” His smile was cautious but genuine. “I guess I keep expecting people to react like we’re sixteen, you know?”
“I believe it.” I hesitated, chewing my lip. “Are, um… Are you two planning to…”
Chris cocked a brow. “Are we getting married?”
I nodded uncertainly. “I’m just curious. You don’t have to—”
“It’s fine,” he said. “And yeah, we are. But Jasmine wanted to wait until she’s recovered. So she can wear the dress she wants and all.” He cringed a little as if he expected me to disapprove.
“Makes sense.” I inclined my head. “You don’t need to worry about my approval or my permission, okay? You’re an adult. I trust you to make the right decisions about your own life.” I paused, then sighed. “It isn’t like I have much of a leg to stand on to criticize.”
Chris seemed to think about that, but before he could say anything, Jasmine returned.
“Sorry about that.” She made a face as she eased herself down beside Chris. “This pregnancy thing is bullshit.” As soon as she said it, she looked horrified, as if she hadn’t meant to curse in front of me.
I just laughed. “Oh, I know. I didn’t envy Chris’s mom a single second of it, believe me.”
That made her laugh, and fortunately he did too. He seemed to relax a bit, which was a relief. I was sure we’d still discuss our past at some point, but tonight was a good time to focus on the present.
The present, and the near future.
“So, when is baby Asher due?” I asked.
