Point of Retreat

nervous as she hops up and hits eject on the DVD player and puts it back inside the case.
     
    “Hey, Sweetie,” she says to him. She motions for me to stand up, so I do. “This is Will,” she says. “He’s Caulder’s older brother from across the street.”
     
    The man walks through the living room and I reach my hand out to him. As soon as I’m eye to eye with him, Sherry’s sudden nervousness is explained. This isn't Jim. This is a completely different man than whoever it was I just saw propose to Sherry on that DVD.
     
    “I'm David. Nice to meet you. Heard a lot about you.”
     
    “Likewise,” I say. I’m lying.
     
    “I’ve been giving Will relationship advice,” Sherry says.
     
    “Oh yeah?” he says. He smiles at me. “Hopefully you take it with a grain of salt, Will. Sherry thinks she’s a real guru.” He leans in and kisses Sherry on the cheek.
     
    “Well, she is pretty smart,” I say.
     
    “That she is," he says as he takes a seat on the couch. "But take it from me…never accept any of her medicinal concoctions. You’ll regret it.”
     
    Too late for that.
     
    “I better get going,” I say. “Nice meeting you, David.”
     
    “I’ll walk you out,” Sherry says.
     
    Once we’re outside, her smile fades after she shuts the door behind her.
     
    “You need to know that I love my husband, Will. But there are very few people in this world lucky enough to experience love on the same level that I’ve had in the past…on the same level that you and Layken have. I’m not getting into the details of why mine didn’t work out, but take it from someone who’s had it before…you don’t want to let it slip away. Fight for her.”
     
    She steps back inside her house and shuts the door.
     
    “That’s what I’m trying to do,” I whisper.
     
     
     
     
     
    ***
     
     
     
     
     
    "Can we have pizza tonight?" Caulder says as soon as he walks through the front door. "It's Tuesday. Gavin can get us the Tuesday special that comes with the dessert pizza."
     
    "Whatever. I don't feel like cooking, anyway." I text Gavin and offer to buy them pizza if he'll bring it over when he gets off work.
     
    By the time eight o'clock comes around, I've got a houseful. Kiersten and Kel showed up at some point. Gavin and Eddie walk in with the pizza and we all sit down at the table to eat. The only one missing is Lake.
     
    "Should you invite Lake?" I ask Eddie as I toss a pile of paper plates onto the table.
     
    Eddie looks at me and shakes her head. "I just texted her. She said she's not hungry."
     
    I sit down to the table and grab one of the paper plates and toss a slice onto it. I take a bite and drop the pizza back down onto the plate. I'm suddenly not hungry, either.
     
    "Thanks for bringing me a cheese pizza, Gavin," Kiersten says. "At least someone around here respects the fact that I don't eat meat."
     
    I don't have anything to throw at her or I would. I shoot her a dirty look instead.
     
    "What's the plan of attack for Thursday?" Kiersten asks me.
     
    I glance at Eddie and she's looking right at me. "What's Thursday?" Eddie says.
     
    "Nothing," I reply. I don't want Eddie ruining this. I'm afraid she'll go warn Lake.
     
    "Will, if you think I'll tell her whatever it is you're planning to do, you're wrong. No one wants you two to work things out more than I do, believe me." She takes a bite of her pizza. She seems genuinely serious, although I'm not sure why.
     
    "He's doing a slam for her," Kiersten blurts out.
     
    Eddie looks back up at me. "Seriously? How? You aren't gonna be able to talk her into going."
     
    "He didn't have to," Kiersten says. "I talked her into going."
     
    Eddie looks at Kiersten and grins at her. "You're a sly little thing. And just how are you planning to keep her there?" Eddie looks back at me. "As soon as she sees you on that stage she'll get pissed and leave."
     
    "Not if I steal her purse and keys," Kel says.
     
    "Good idea, Kel!" I say. As soon as I say it, the reality of the moment hits me. I'm sitting here praising eleven-year-olds for stealing and lying to my girlfriend. What kind of role model am I?
     
    "And we can sit in that booth we sat in last time," Caulder says. "We'll make sure Lake gets in first, that way we can trap her in. Once you start doing your slam, she won't be able to get up. She'll have to watch you."
     
    "Great idea," I say. I may not be a role-model, but at least I'm raising smart children.
     
    "I want to