Page 193 of ClickBack

“At one point I considered putting a bow on my vagina and calling it a day.”

I look at her. She starts laughing before I can answer.

“Why are we acting like the store’s closed?”

“Jarrett.”

“You got ribbon in this house.”

She puts her face against my shoulder, laughing harder. I get my hand under her shirt and feel her laughter there, too.

“I gave you a very thoughtful gift,” she says.

“And I’m being thoughtful about the other one.”

“Watch the program.”

She reaches for the remote without getting off my lap. I let her turn it on. I even look at the screen.

The contractor has replaced the old brick with gray tile.

“See?” she says.

I look past her at the print, my mother’s hand coming through the paint beside the young man I used to be. Then Giselle turns back toward me, still waiting for me to agree about the kitchen.

“Man should’ve left it alone,” I tell her.

She settles against me, and I keep her there.

Chapter 34

Jarrett

Graves and I get the last cooler to the concession shed before a boy in a catcher’s chest protector asks whether I can sign his glove.

“After the game,” I tell him.

“You staying?”

“Came to watch.”

He takes that information back to the fence. By the time I reach the bleachers, I have apparently agreed to sign everybody’s glove, a hat, and something a little girl is holding too tightly for me to identify.

Giselle moves her bag so I can sit beside her.

“You’ve been here two minutes.”

“I said after the game.”

“They’re organizing.”

“So is he.”

Graves sits on my other side. “I said no such thing.”

Zion is taking grounders near short when he sees me. He starts to smile, then remembers the rest of the team and lifts his chin instead. I give him the same nod. He misses the next ball.

“Watch your game,” I call.