Jeremy:I love Christmas Hallmark movies. They need to turn more of them into musicals.
Gordon:I didn’t even know you were seeing someone.
Me:We’re not dating exactly. She knows I’m bringing her something but has no idea what.
Connor:BRO! That’s not a gift that’s a grand fucking gesture.
Jeremy:That’s foreplay with paperwork.
Me:Please stop.
Sean:In the arena, I think there’s a bow from when they had the All-Star games. It’s blue and the size of a toddler.
Me:Do you know exactly where in the arena?
Sergei:I’ve seen it. It’s at the arena garage where the ice resurfacer is parked.
Me:Thanks guys I owe you.
Lance:You owe us a picture.
Jeremy:Of the car and the girl.
Me:I’m muting this chat.
Gordon:You say that but you’ll be back.
Lance:See you guys tonight. You’re welcome to swing by to bring your girl and her new car if you change your mind, Tristan.
Sean:The empanadas are to die for.
Lance:And what’s my ham? Chopped liver?
I cackle out loud at the chaos. My phone is still buzzing in my hand, the screen lighting up with “Oh my god” surprise GIFs and horrific memes featuring bow ribbons. Not sure what I thoughtwould happen when I lobbed a last-minute request into the players’ group chat, but this wasn’t it.
This team? They’re a little unhinged. Loud. Ridiculous. They weaponize emojis. But they show up and rally for each other. Even when the request is unexpected and vaguely weird, they don’t let it drop. It’s not the kind of team dynamic I’m used to being on the inside of. And somehow, even though I only asked for a bow, I end up feeling like I’m part of the group.
Which, honestly, is its own unexpected gift.
Not sure what comes over me. I drop one last text.
Me:I’m going to be a father. The mother of my twins needs a new ride. Thanks for helping out today. Merry Christmas, guys.
It doesn’t take a genius to know that the thread is about to blow up. I mute it after checking the time. It’s ten thirty in the morning, which means I’ve got to hustle to wash the SUV, grab the gift ribbon, and drive to Centerstone.
Ligaya said she’d refuse anything new, which is why I’m giving her the SUV I bought last summer. After all, we’re having twin babies in June. This vehicle is the very least I can give them.
I go through a car wash, zip by the arena, and drive to Ligaya’s townhouse with a bow that takes up the entire back seat.
CHAPTER 26
LIGAYA
Standing sideways in front of the full-length mirror, I pull at the dress I wore to church. It’s a simple black shift dress with red flowers embroidered on the hem. The bodice is a little lower than my usual outfits, but I wore a scarf over it while at church.
Without the scarf, I’m getting a kick out of seeing my boobs. Is it me, or did they get fuller? Sideways, my little bump is unnoticeable unless I pull at the fabric. These are the first external signs of the twins growing inside me, and I can’t get enough.
The doorbell rings. I check my watch and am surprised to find it’s nearly two. That must be Tristan. Turning my attention to my hair and makeup in the mirror, I try to tamp down my galloping pulse.
