“Izzy!” he called from his bedroom door. “Did you brush your teeth?”
“Yes!” a little voice called back.
“Got your homework in your bag?”
“Ye-es!”
“Awesome! Now let’s just get your–” He saw her dancing on the couch. “Where are your pants, kid?” She looked down at her knees and giggled.
“They’re invisible pants.”
“Do invisible pants keep you warm when it’s zero degrees outside?” Izzy stopped and thought.
“Maybe I’ll save my invisible pants for summer.”
“Good idea,” Cole smiled. He jumped a bit when his pocket vibrated.
Sorry about that, Maya had texted back. I couldn’t help myself after you took your shirt off.
Cole clenched his jaw at the memory of her mouth on his neck and felt himself getting erect again. “Goddammit,” he muttered, leaning over and putting his forearms on the dresser.
“Daddy, did you get hurt?” Izzy appeared with her jeans on.
“No, baby girl,” he said in a strained voice, turning slightly away from her. “Daddy just stubbed his toe. Put your lunch in your bag, please.” Hockey game, hockey game, hockey game… scoring… An image of Maya’s perfect, naked breast flickered across his mind and his body responded.
No, nooooo… not scoring. Okay, no more phone. No more texting her during the day or you’re going to get fired before Christmas for walking around hard in front of seven-year-olds.
He was tempted the entire day but didn’t pull out his phone once. After he tucked Isabel in at around 8 p.m., he turned toward his phone sitting on the counter and gingerly picked it up. One message from 11 hours ago.
Uh-oh. Maybe I shouldn’t have brought that up?
No, Cole smiled as he typed. I… I couldn’t walk for a bit after seeing your reply and thought it best not to text you during the day.
LOL, it’s that easy, huh? Maya responded a minute later.
I just didn’t expect what happened between us.
Wait, Maya wrote, you kissed me and you didn’t expect it would go further? Cole winced. He wondered why he couldn’t manage to say the right thing to her.
I… I guess I didn’t think about what would happen after. If I had to guess, I’d think you’d slap me or ask me to leave, maybe.
A few minutes passed without a reply. Just as he was starting to doze off, a ping.
Why would I do that when I was hoping you’d kiss me? Cole’s heart soared. For the first time since he walked in on Janice and Jack a year and a half ago, he felt like life could be good again. He half-considered going over to Maya’s that minute but his train of thought hit a snag the next second. Oh, sorry, one of the boys just crashed something in the kitchen and I gotta go, Maya wrote. Get some rest.
Right. Her boys arrived that day. And Izzy was sleeping in the next room. Think with your head, jackass, not your crotch.
Over the next few weeks he made sure to text her at least a couple of times every day, feeling like she might forget him if he gave it too long a gap. He knew he might have been coming off as desperate but what was the difference, he reasoned. He was desperate. He’d been desperate for her for the better part of a decade, but all that time thought he’d only have a shot at her in some alternate universe. Somehow the stars lined up in his favour, and now this was that universe.
Christmas morning, he glanced at his phone while Izzy played with the presents she’d just opened. I hope you’re having a good morning, he typed.
Merry Christmas, Cole, came the reply a few minutes later with a heart emoji.
I didn’t… I wasn’t sure if I should say that to you, Cole wrote honestly. He’d decided to stop overthinking about whether he was saying the right thing, what with all the times he’d guessed wrong.
Well, it only set my skin on fire that one time, Maya replied, and he did a spit take with his coffee.
“Ew, Daddy,” Isabel said, looking up from her new tablet.
“Sorry, pumpkin,” he said, coughing and laughing. After he grabbed a rag he went into his room to get a fresh shirt. His phone pinged a few more times.
I don’t know what white person started that rumour that people who don’t celebrate Christmas are offended by merely saying ‘Merry Christmas.’ The only reason everyone says happy holidays is because there’s a tonne of celebrations that happen across several cultures between November and January. Does anyone think anyone will get offended if I wished them a happy Divali?
I don’t know, Cole wrote, but I’ll ask at the next white people meeting and find that out for you.
In her living room, Maya burst out laughing. Manav and Tejas threw each other a look.
“Oh, it… it was a funny meme,” she said weakly, still giggling.
“Oh, lemme see,” Tejas said, reaching for her phone.
“No!” Maya shrieked, clinging to her phone and running into the den.
“Mom, I’m 14!” Tejas shouted after her. “I guarantee I’ve already seen worse.”
Ohhhh, you got me into trouble with my kids, she typed after shutting the door.
You made me spit out my coffee in front of my daughter, so no sympathy, was Cole’s reply. Maya paused.
So what are you wearing? She smiled wickedly to herself.
Do not do this to me, Maya, Cole responded. I am white-knuckling the next 10 days until I can see you again. Do you mind if I come over on a weekday, or should I wait until the first weekend after school starts up again?
Up to you. I’ll be here every night that week, and I’m dropping the boys off on the Sunday before, Maya typed, curled up in her office chair. She thought about the way he’d effortlessly lifted her onto his lap after undoing her shirt buttons, and the mere image made her shiver.
Do you like Indian food? If not, be honest and I’ll plan something else. I won’t be shocked and offended the way I was the last time someone told me Merry Christmas.
Lol, Cole wrote. Look, I’m always learning with you. And yes, I love Indian food.
And you’re okay with no meat?
I’m not a T-Rex, Maya, Cole wrote. I’ll eat anything you make. It’s sweet enough that you want to get dinner ready for us. I’ll show up hungry. Maya looked down at her toe rings, thinking about the times she planned dinner ahead of time with Ram, only for him to call at the last minute and say he grabbed something at the office.
Okay, nice, she replied. Whenever it is you decide to come over, just let me know the day before. She closed her phone and slipped up to her room, hoping the kids would immerse themselves in video games and forget to ask her for the meme.
***********
“Hey, I’m just getting in the truck,” Cole said, calling Maya from the school parking lot through the vehicle’s Bluetooth. “Can I swing by the store and pick up a bottle of wine?” It was the Wednesday of the first week after the winter break. Janice was to pick Isabel up from school today and keep her until the following weekend, and Cole had made sure to even out his beard and get a haircut last night.
“Uhhhh, if it’s only for you, sure,” Maya said cheerily. Cole could hear the range hood whooshing in the background.
“You don’t drink either?” He felt even more embarrassed at how smashed he was the first night they met. “Why were you even at the pub that night?”