Two days later, while getting ready for work, Emma was about to check on the bathroom's occupied status when she heard Mitch speaking on his side in a deep, hushed tone.

Did he have someone over? If they were over this early in the morning then surely they'd been there the night before. It surprised her because somehow she imagined they had an understanding that bringing guests home would have to wait until they had more privacy, but maybe it was just in her head. He was a free man, and if privacy wasn't a concern for him, why should she feel bad about eavesdropping on this current conversation? It was only Mitch's voice she could hear, though, still low and sounding more and more agitated. She tried to lean in closer to make out the words. Her knee knocked into the cupboard under her sink and made enough noise to blow her cover. "Mitch, are you in there?" she called out quickly.

"Yep. Need me to leave?"

"No, you can stay." She waited a second, listening for whispers she didn't hear. "Is...everything ok in there?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm just telling my friend Howard off."

A man? All this time, he really just wanted to be friends??

"Oh, well, hello Howard," she called out awkwardly.

"He's not in here," Mitch snorted.

"Ohhh, you're on the phone." Phew! Emma thought, laughing at herself.

"No."

Before she could form her follow-up question, Mitch said, "Hey, do you have a second for me to show you something?"

"Sure."

"Let me grab it in my living room and come around to yours, okay? Just be a sec."

Emma pinched her cheeks for colour and fluffed up her curls in her hand mirror before running to her door in time to answer Mitch's knock.

He looked like hell.

He was in sweat pants and a white tee shirt that may or may not have been slept in, holding a laptop in his hands. He leaned with his shoulder on her doorframe in such a way that it seemed to be the only thing keeping him on his feet. She was surprised to see his shadow of stubble grown darker, and didn't know how she felt about it spreading out and obscuring his already rugged, handsome face. His eyes were bloodshot and she could smell stale alcohol on him.

"You're hungover?"

"No," he said, and almost fell asleep behind a long blink.

"Uhh...you are."

"Don't you have to have gone to bed to be? I have not gone to bed, therefore I am simply stumbling out of my inebriation into a new sober day."

"Because that's how it works. What were you doing all night?"

"Writing this." He punched a few keys on his laptop and handed it to her open on a draft email. "Read, please, and let me know what you think."

She read aloud:

Howard,

As I've tried to tell you repeatedly since Friday , I will not be returning to the Umpire State podcast. I know you said the audience you're trying to cultivate will be disappointed, but isn't 'awwww' just something mouth-breathers say a lot anyway?

Emma's eyes widened, which made it easier for them to pop as she read the rest. "I thought you already quit."

"I did, but they won't let me. They've been getting so much attention since Friday's debacle that they don't want to hear it. You should hear what they're offering for me to stay, but I'm no dummy. It's an invitation to the barbeque so they can put me on the spit. Screw that. I am hungry, though. Got any coffee? I do, but I have to grind the beans and I'm afraid it might actually kill me."

"Sure, come on in. Instant coffee okay?"

"Don't rush."

He sat down on her sofa. Well, spread out on it, really, letting his head fall back. Emma decided he needed toast too.

While she was in the kitchen, Gabe came into the living room. Like a Liliputian finding Gulliver on the beach, he jumped in surprise.

"Hey, Mr. Garner."

"Morning, kid."

"I heard you fighting with someone this morning."

"You did? Oh. That was just me and my imaginary friend, Howard. Only practicing."

"Who won?"

"Me, of course! 10-1. He got one good shot in there about me needing an analyst to feed me stats at the grocery store. You off to school?"

"Yeah and I gotta run and catch my ride. If I'm late, Isla and Shazza make me sit in the middle so they can flick my ears."

"Are they bullying you?"

"No, we just made a bet. If I'm on time I get to pick who I want to sit next to and hold her hand."

Mitch lifted his head to see a nonchalant nine year old. "I didn't know you had it in you, kid. Do you like one of them better than the other?"

He shrugged. "No, they're both cool."

"Sounds like you've got yourself a real Betty and Veronica situation."

"Who are they?"

"Haven't you ever read Archie comics? Archie's this kid who can never decide which girl he likes best, Betty or Veronica."

"Why does he have to pick?"

"They want him to."

"Well, I don't have to."

"That's great, but if you ever do, figure out who the Betty is and pick her."

"Why?"

"Veronicas are fun, but..."

"I like fun."

"Then I guess we'll see how it shakes out."

Emma called Gabe to the door and held out his backpack as he put on his coat. She walked him down to the lobby and watched him slide into Reece's car next to Isla. After waving him off, she made it back upstairs just before all the water had evaporated out of the kettle.

"How do you take it, Mitch?" she called out, but got no answer.

He was already snoring, asleep on his side with his arms crossed defiantly.

She couldn't bring herself to wake him, so she continued to get ready for her day, tip-toeing around him. When she left, she locked the door. There weren't any spare keys to leave, but she figured he'd find a way to keep an eye on her place if he went home without locking up. That is, if he didn't get stuck trying to crawl through the bathroom hole instead.

*****

Emma's workday was uneventful, with the exception of her lawyer calling to tell her all her custody papers were ready to file. His suggestion was that she should do it in person at the courthouse with Jackie in tow, in case of any last minute surprise hurdles. Jackie picked Gabe up from school, so as Emma got home from work, she reminded herself to ask her to check her schedule. The last thing she expected to find was Jackie chatting up a storm with Gabe and Mitch, who was still very much on her sofa.

"Hey, everybody. Mitch, you're still here?"

"Sorry," he said. "I slept in real late, and you didn't leave the keys. I didn't want to leave your apartment, and then the next thing I knew, your..." He paused looking at Jackie. "What would your relation be here, Jacks?"

"Mother-in-law once removed?"

"Anyway, we were just hanging out, getting to know one another."

"That's nice,": Emma said, trying not acknowledge that Jackie, turned away from Mitch, mouthed 'Oh my God' while patting her hand over her heart. "Sorry I'm late."

"Late for what?" Mitch asked. "Are you going out again?"

"No."

"Oh, you look nice is all."

This time Jackie's eyes rolled back and her lashes fluttered.

"Mitch made us BLTs!" Gabe said.

"And Gabe was telling me his uncle and aunt are taking him to a Star Wars screening tomorrow with a live orchestra."

"I almost forgot," Emma said. "It's the birthday that keeps on giving."

"It's a pretty cool aunt who lets you out on a school night," Mitch said. "Speaking of which, I've got to get home and get changed to go out too."

"Where are you off to?"

"Just to meet an old friend and continue to drown my sorrows. Jackie, it was lovely meeting you. Have fun at the show, buddy."

After Mitch left, Jackie looked at Emma. "I'm not going to say a word," she said, "but..." She let her wiggling eyebrows finish her thought.

"Stop it," Emma said, before wiggling her own brows. Then in a whisper, she asked about a day Jackie would be free to come to the courthouse.

"Tomorrow would be perfect. Colby and Janet wanted to come for lunch so they can pick Gabe up with me after school. I can leave them with Frank for a bit."

They agreed to meet at eleven and Jackie left. Emma then walked over to Gabe and perched on the sofa arm. "So that was nice of Mitch to make you a snack."

"Uh-uh."

"Did he say where he was going?"

"No."

"Did he say who with?"

"I don't know."

"Well what good are ya?" she teased and bopped his cowlick.

*****

Mitch showered but didn't shave. He wasn't trying to grow a beard or intentionally hide his face. He just couldn't be arsed. If it made him less recognizable for the next little while that was just a good timing. Besides, he was only meeting Burt Summers and a bunch of his buddies at a bar to celebrate Burt's birthday. There was no one to impress.

Burt was already inside, beer in hand, holding down his booth alone. At the 80s-themed sports bar, 19 Eddies, which incidentally had a sister bar uptown called 19 Eddies-Too, staff dressed in the decade's neon, lace and layers, wearing short-shorts, band tees and legwarmers. Seeing that Mitch had arrived, a tall server with rainbow tights and a Rush crop top returned to the table to take his order.

"Hi there, I'm Shanice. What can I get you?"

"Another for me," Burt said.

"A Bud to start," said Mitch.

"We'll get the wings going when some of the other guys get here."

"No problem." The pretty blonde then smiled coyly at Mitch. "You're Mitch Garner, aren't you?"

"I am."

"Just wanted to be sure before I brag to all the girls," Shanice purred, whipping her side-ponytail around as she left.

"I'd say I missed being single," said Burt, "but I could never pull that off."

"She's a kid," Mitch said, even though he guessed she was closer to the end of her twenties than the beginning. He needed another look.

Burt took a swig of beer and belched under his breath."So, what's new?"

"You're kidding right?"

"Why, what now?"

Burt was old school and even less social media savvy than Mitch. Mitch explained the show and the flub and the circus that followed. Burt shook his head. "Everyone gets the shit end of the lollipop at some point. Guess it's your turn to suck it. What are you going to do next?"

"I don't know."

"Got to strike while the iron's still hot. Why don't you write a book? All you guys write books."

"Anything worth putting in a book I couldn't."

"You know what the number one second career is?"

"What?"

"Real estate."

"It is?"

"Feels like it. I got an Aunt, a sister-in-law and a cousin, all lost their jobs, all now selling real estate. They're all trying to get me to sell my house and buy a new one. I don't want to, but if I did, imagine the hell I'd face if I chose one of them over the other. I'm stuck forever now, unless you get your license, but no promises."

"No problem."

"Why don't you open a bar? That's a thing retired sports guys do."

"I've never wanted to run that kind of business. Also, there's just something sad about using my retirement money to buy a job."

Shanice returned and set the beers down in front of them. She winked at Mitch and said, "That's on the house, big guy."

"Well, tell Eddie I said thanks," Mitch said, tipping his bottle in gratitude.

"Not on Eddie. That one's on me."

As soon as she was gone again, Burt said, "You think I'd be bitter 'cause it's my birthday, but if you get us free wings, I'll consider it a win."

"I'll see what I can do."

"Strike while the iron is hot, big guy."