When Dreams Change, page 13
“Hey, Bish,” Lennox said when she walked in. His glasses were askew as he fiddled with something at the dinner table.
“Lennox, if I’d known you were coming, I wouldn’t have done anything different. Hello.” His voice fell flat, and if Lennox didn’t know Bishop, she would think he was put out or unhappy at the fact she was there. Luckily, she did know him and laughed at the joke it was meant to be.
“I’m in town for the tournament. You have a few girls here, right? Are they behaving?” Lennox looked around, not seeing Brooke, Addison, or Wren.
“They are all downstairs in the basement. Tash wanted to show the new movie projector they installed down there. Tash did it by themself.” Lennox heard the unmistakable pride in Bishop’s voice from across the room. And everyone thought he was a robot. Most people didn’t take the time to get to know him and how he ticked. Penny had and was reaping the benefits of finding her life mate.
Lennox nodded, noticing the pronoun change for Tash, and made a mental note of it. She had a non-binary player a few years back who wanted to play on the baseball team, but the school wouldn’t allow it. Lennox was still fighting the battle because even though they were no longer in school didn’t mean it wouldn’t come up again. If she could fight for her players so they didn’t have to, she absolutely would. They’d have enough of a battle throughout their lives.
Penny caught her up on the latest in her life while Bishop sprinkled anecdotes through the stories. Each time he threw in something relevant, Lennox was surprised because she didn’t think he was paying attention.
“Excuse me, can I have a glass of water?” Wren tentatively asked from the doorway of the basement.
“You don’t have to ask. Come on. I’ll show you where the cups are. I’m going to make some popcorn for everyone.”
Another person had walked up behind Wren, and Lennox had to do a double take. Tash had grown what looked like a foot and seemed to be well acquainted with the inside of a gym.
“Tash, hi. Long time no see.” Lennox waved from the table.
“Coach, what are you doing here?” Wren took a step closer, putting out her fist for Lennox to dab.
“She and my mom are friends,” Tash responded, walking to the kitchen.
Cabinets slammed, the water turned on and off a half dozen times, and the microwave dinged twice. The air filled with a slightly sweet scent. Penny got up for refills, passing bottles around the adult table while Tash and Wren continued to move around the kitchen.
Bishop took a sip of the bottle Penny had handed him and slid it back to her. “It’s the wrong brand.” He didn’t even look at the bottle.
Penny studied the label before switching the bottle with hers. “Sorry, they look similar. Taste exactly the same too,” she joked. It was a long-running tease since he could always tell after a sip that it wasn’t his drink preference and had difficulty branching out from his known brands.
Tash passed by with a bowl of popcorn heaped so high that Lennox could barely see the top of their head.
“Hey, bring that here for a second,” Penny called. Tash sighed but switched directions and put the bowl down between them. “Have you tried this? It’s heavenly.” Penny spread out a napkin and grabbed a couple handfuls of the treat.
Tash frowned at the dip in the mound but said nothing as they picked up the bowl. Wren had three water glasses balanced in her hands, waiting.
“Try this.” Penny slid part of the napkin over to Lennox, whose attention had turned to the pile of kernels tumbling toward the table.
Reaching out, she plucked a few morsels and popped them in her mouth. The sweet and salty taste rolled over her tongue. “That’s amazingly decadent.” Lennox grabbed a larger handful.
“Don’t stay up too late,” Penny called to the retreating backs before turning to Lennox and reaching for her hand. “Can I ask you a question?”
Stiffening, she wondered briefly if she should say no. Penny didn’t usually ask permission to ask anything. Her usual M.O. was to blurt out anything that came to mind. The fact she was somewhat trying to sensor herself had alarms shouting in Lennox’s head.
“Depends on what you want to ask. I require the right to pass on answering if I deem the question unworthy or too uncomfortable to talk about,” Lennox said before taking a fortifying gulp of beer. The liquid and popcorn swirled in her stomach as she anxiously awaited her fate.
“I was just wondering if you’ve completely written off dating? It’s been foreverrrr,” Penny said dramatically as she spread her body across the table in a mock faint.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. No need to be so dramatic.” Lennox sat back, crossing her arms over her chest.
“You have to admit, it’s been a long time,” Bishop remarked point blank without looking up from his project.
Lennox fidgeted in her chair. So even Bishop had noticed. She honestly hadn’t put much thought in her lack of a love life. But it was hard not to think about it now.
“You have so much to give, and I hate seeing you alone all these years.” Penny trailed off, taking a break with a drink. “Are you seeing anyone? Or is there anyone you have your eye on?” she asked with a hopeful tinge to her voice.
Lennox tried not to think of Jenna, but the whisper of a hug they shared in the busy airport still burned her skin. Jenna, who was a parent of one of her players. Unsure of how much time passed as she thought of her unsustainable crush on her boss, she hurried to respond. “I—um, no. Why would you even ask that?”
“Uh-huh, that was very convincing. Who is she?” Penny threw a piece of popcorn at her.
“Nobody. None of your business. I don’t want to talk about it,” Lennox shot off.
“Those are three different answers, just to let you know, Lennox,” Bishop added, which Penny agreed with by tapping her finger in his direction.
“Exactly. Great point, love of my life.” Penny practically vibrated in her seat, sniffing out juicy gossip.
“It’s nothing. Just a crush I need to get over,” Lennox responded, knowing she wouldn’t get out of not saying anything.
“I just want you to be happy, Lennox.” The wisp of a sentence hung thick in the air.
Unaccustomed to Penny’s bout of quiet sincerity, Lennox stared at the table as a silence shrouded the room. “I’m fine. I’m pretty sure when I find love again, it will fall into my lap without me realizing it. Love will find me, and I’m content waiting.”
Penny stared briefly before shrugging. “It worked for me, so I don’t see why it couldn’t for you either.” Penny leaned in for a hug, slipping off her chair and landing in a heap on the ground. Laughing, she reached her hand up.
“You’re a mess,” Lennox teased as she grabbed Penny’s arm. Once she was back upright, they found a bout of giggles that couldn’t be stopped. Bishop sat, wincing at their loud shenanigans.
Time slipped, and before Lennox knew it, she was looking at her watch in horror. “I see your plan. Keep me fed and laughing so I oversleep the first game tomorrow,” she joked, standing from the table and stretching her arms over her head.
Penny snapped her fingers. “So close. We almost had you. I should check on everyone, see if they are doing all right down there.” Standing, she opened her arms wide for Lennox to step into.
“It’s always good to catch up. See you tomorrow at the game.” Lennox kissed Penny’s cheek and provided a fist for Bishop to bump.
She’d switched to water a few hours back and was okay to drive. Back at the hotel, Lennox curled up on the bed. Her dreams consisted of a jumbled mess of images between reaching for a hug in a room full of mirrors, to a laughing jack in the box with Penny’s face popping up. Waking in a sweat at four in the morning, she headed to the hotel gym, which held four weights, a stationary bike, and one treadmill where Lennox tried to outrun her thoughts.
Jenna pulled up to the car wash the softball team was holding to help raise money for equipment and plane tickets. Lifting her hand, she embarrassed her blushing daughter by acknowledging her presence.
It had been a week since Wren returned from the trip to Ketchikan. A whole week since Jenna had spent any time with Lennox. Here she was gate crashing her car wash, just because she missed her.
Her eyes sought out Lennox on their own accord. Sorting through the group to hone in on her tall frame, soaking in the image as if she hadn’t seen her peripherally at work. She was currently bent over, directing Ava to an area that was missed on a rusty truck. Jenna took in the wet shirt that clung to her torso and the ever-present ponytail stuck to her neck. It wasn’t until a car horn blasted behind her that Jenna shook into action and ended her staring session.
Pulling the car forward, she handed two twenty-dollar bills to Navy, who hesitantly looked towards Wren but took the money with a wide smile. Jenna was close to locking Wren and Navy in the closet so they could talk. She was convinced that it would clear up ninety percent of their problems.
Pulling the car forward, she parked and observed the group inconspicuously. The strong friend group seemed fractured, and Jenna had had about enough of it. Maybe it was time to take matters into her own hands. Stepping out of the car, she walked up to Lennox, who was now standing to the side, ensuring the girls didn’t hurt themselves with the sponges and soap.
“Hey, long time no see,” Jenna said, tapping her shoulder against Lennox.
“Yeah, it wasn’t like we didn’t have a meeting”—Lennox held up her wrist, which was covered in bubbles—“twenty hours ago.”
Jenna leaned in to blow the bubbles and laughed when they flew toward Wren’s mouth. “Sorry, hun.” She turned back to Lennox. “Are you free tonight for dinner? Maybe we can grill and whale watch off my back porch?”
Lennox started nodding her consent before Jenna even finished her sentence. “I’d love to. Want me to bring anything?”
“Just whatever you want to drink, and I wouldn’t say no to the famous brownies you usually bring to the work potlucks.”
“Ah, I’ll have to see if I can hit my supplier. The secret is they are store bought.” Lennox started wiping her arms with a wet rag to rid herself of bubbles.
“Coach! Addison slipped and might have hurt her wrist.” Ava approached them and pointed with a sponge to a group gathered around a car. Addison was hidden behind a wall of bodies.
Jenna rushed into action, running stride for stride, keeping even with Lennox’s longer legs. “Let us through,” Jenna said, tapping her daughter on the back to have her move to the side.
The wall parted for them. Jenna gently took Addison’s wrist, glad nothing appeared to be broken. Addison tried to pull it towards her body, but Jenna held steady, her fingers probing the area. Nothing felt out of place. “I’m going to check the range of motion.”
She manipulated the wrist in a few directions, paying close attention to Addison’s non-verbal cues. In the background, she heard Lennox call for the first aid kit she always had in her car. Wren slid beside her, holding out the first aid kit, as Jenna finished her assessment.
“Are you allergic to any medication?” Jenna asked, flipping through the medicine packets until she landed on ibuprofen.
“No, and it doesn’t hurt that bad,” Addison replied, tentatively twisting her wrist. Like poking a bruise or swallowing when you had a sore throat, she was testing to see if things still hurt.
“Okay, great. Try to keep it elevated as much as possible, and ice it as soon as you can. If the pain gets to be too much go ahead and take a couple ibuprofen. Once the swelling goes down, if you have a brace to help compress, then use it tomorrow. You should be okay.”
“I’ll be fine, thank you.” She grimaced when trying to twist it around.
Navy and Ava helped Addison up while Lennox offered her hand for Jenna to take. “Here you go.” Jenna returned the kit to Lennox, who dangled it from her finger. “How about coming over around six, or is that too early?”
“No, that works. Hazel’s relieving me at two. See you tonight.” Lennox left in a jog back to her car.
Jenna caught herself staring again, turning on her heels back to her car, which the girls had just finished. She watched the hive of activity from the players as they worked together to wash the line of vehicles that pulled into the parking lot.
“Wren, come here for a moment,” Jenna called to her daughter, who was standing to the side looking lost. When she skidded to a halt in front of her Jenna put her hands on her hips. “I’m inviting Lennox over for a barbecue. I think you should invite Navy and Ava.”
“I don’t know, Mom. I can’t stand Navy right now. Look at them.”
They both glanced to where Navy was standing and telling a story to Ava and Zayla. To Jenna it looked like friends hanging out, but clearly Wren saw something else because her face darkened and she turned away.
“Wren, they’re your best friends. You’ve known them since you all were in diapers. Just talk to them. If I had to bet, it’s worse in your head than you’re making it out to be.”
Sighing, Wren blew out a frustrated breath. “I’ll ask, but I’m not sure they would want to.”
“Just ask. That’s all I’m asking.” Jenna covered her hand over her mouth to hide a smile. “I’ll see you at home.”
Once in the driver’s seat, Jenna observed the bubbles floating in the air. Shouts mixed with laughter could be heard over the light instrumental music projecting from her speakers. Her eyes drifted back to Lennox, who was trying to restore order, but the girls were having none of it and started flinging bubbles in her direction.
The carefree fun was something that Jenna had missed out on a lot, and she didn’t want Wren to feel that way. Growing up, Jenna had felt like an outsider looking in, unsure how to break the barrier and let loose.
Shaking off her thoughts, she pulled out of the lot to run a few errands before Lennox came over.
It was two minutes to six when Jenna heard the slider to her back door open. Lennox tentatively popped her head out. Jenna turned from the grill, waving the tongs in the air for her to come outside.
“Hey, I saw your note on the front door to meet you back here.” Lennox stepped onto the deck, looking around. Her hands carried a covered dish and a six-pack of beer dangled from her fingertips. There also appeared to be a bottle of wine tucked under her arm.
“Dinner’s just about finished. You can put the stuff there.” Jenna indicated towards the table at the corner of the deck. “Can I get you anything to drink?”
Lennox walked to the table, the brownie dish clanging when she put it on the table. “I’ll grab one of these.” She slid a bottle out of the cardboard container. “Can I help with anything?” Her nose twitched. “Smells amazing.”
“I’ll take one of those beers. And thanks, it’s nothing fancy. Just burgers. Although they’re a comfort food for me, since it was something my mom only made on special occasions.” Jenna turned when the door opened, smiling when she saw two familiar faces. “Hi girls, Wren’s in her room. Why don’t you go say hi, and I’ll call you when dinner’s ready.” Navy and Ava waved before popping back inside. Jenna looked at Lennox. “Sorry, I invited them too. They’re having some problems and I want them to talk about it.”
“I know how important communication is to you,” Lennox remarked with a smirk, pulling another bottle out and handing it to Jenna.
Jenna flipped the buns onto a plate and pointed to the cheese in silent question. Lennox nodded excitedly, her whole face lighting up at the dairy delight. “I noticed the distance between them at the airport last week. Is Wren okay?”
Jenna took the beer can Lennox had placed next to the grill and took a gulp, enjoying the hoppy bubbles that coated her tongue. “She will be as soon as they talk it out.”
Lennox settled in a chair that overlooked the ocean. She began pulling condiments closer as she built her burger. “I remember things being catastrophic at that age. Walking down the hall with blood on my pants, or being ignored by my best friend when she got a boyfriend for a month. It seemed like the end of the world. There are so many feelings to have to adjust to. It’s overwhelming.”
“True, all those hormones and nobody knew what to do with them.” Jenna nodded sagely.
“You couldn’t pay me enough to go back to high school.” Lennox brought her plate with the doctored up bun to the grill.
Jenna’s hips swayed to the soft music that was playing outside. She bit the inside of her cheek as she watched Lennox’s tongue dart out as she licked her lips. There was something in her eyes when she walked up. Their eyes held, and it seemed as if Lennox was going to say something but shook it off. The reaction was fleeting and yet still, Jenna felt a sense of loss at the censorship.
Sliding a burger onto the bun on Lennox’s plate, she used the time to regroup. “Would you do me a favor and go get the girls? I’ll finish getting things ready.” Jenna reached out to pick off a piece of lettuce that clung to Lennox’s shirt.
Lennox didn’t move. They stayed in each other’s orbit until Lennox said, her tone husky, “Thanks.”
“Mom, is dinner ready?” Wren took in their stances at the door. “Or should we come back after you and Lennox stare at each other for longer?”
“Smart aleck,” Jenna responded, sad to see the moment had shattered. “Just finished. As always, you have impeccable timing when it comes to food.” She gestured for the girls to come outside.
Wren patted her stomach while the trio stumbled outside. Jenna observed Navy throwing her arm over the shoulders of her friends. Whatever the issue was seemed to have been resolved because they were all laughing and talking about some video.
As everyone settled down around the outdoor table, Jenna opened a container of potato salad. Scrapes of dishes clanged around them as they finished serving up. Jenna looked up when Lennox moaned from across the table.
“This is divine.” Lennox mumbled around another mouthful. Jenna tried not to notice the way her lips slid over the bite. She focused on her food as the table went quiet, everyone enjoying their meals.
