The Other Side: Growing Pains

8. Bombs Over Dinner

Spencer's POV

Why is this so hard to do? I shouldn't be struggling to talk to my son. I raised him. I taught him everything he knows. Well, most of it.

"Your mom sure knows how to throw a party, huh?" I say and he looks unimpressed by my words.

"My fault for breaking the glass," he tells me and attempts to walk around where I'm standing, but my left palm to the center of his chest stops him.

"I know— I know. This ain't about the glass, son!" I admit as he looks at me pitifully.

"Okay, cool. Then can I go back over there with my friends while I still can?" He asks and the lump in my throat goes away when I finally swallow my pride.

"Not before I say I was wrong. And I'm sorry."

SJ looks surprised by my words, but I can tell he's trying to play it cool.

"Did mom tell you to say that?" He asks and I take a deep breath because his attitude may test every last bit of my patience by the end of this conversation. And for some odd reason, I feel like I need to just take it.

"Nah, that's probably why it took me so long to actually say it," I admit. "She didn't tell me what to say. But she knew you and I needed to talk. And I knew it too."

"I got it. You're sorry for not telling me we're moving." He says unenthusiastically.

I shake my head because that's not what I mean. But turns out, having a heart-to-heart with my teenage son is way harder than ever before.

"SJ, I know none of this feels right to you right now. But in a month or two, you'll be wondering why you were ever tripped about moving in the first place. Trust me, I know." I say and he nods his head.

"Right. I'm just tripping," he says and I can hear the slight sarcasm in his tone.

"When we get out to California, I'll set you up with some trainers and get you ready for spring training."

"Right," he says as he looks back at his friends, who are laughing and joking around.

"And you'll meet new friends," I add, and his body shifts in discomfort. "And there's always the beach. You love the beach when we go to California."

His face is blank and I can tell nothing I say is making this situation better.

"I like to visit the beach. I don't want to live there." He says and I nod. "And I like the friends that I have here too."

I admire the fact that he's able to tell me that, but it doesn't change the fact that we leave in a week.

"I'll fly them out to visit you during the summer or you can come to see them," I respond.

"Right," he mumbles.

"What else do you want from me SJ? I'm trying here." I say and he just looks at me.

"Can I go back over there with my friends now?" He asks and my patience runs thin.

"Whatever, son!" I say dismissively and he turns to walk away but stops before reaching his destination.

"Oh yeah, it is something..." he says and I wait curiously for him to finish. "Can I spend the night at Austin's house?"

I look at him before glancing over at his goofy friend, and I nod. "Yeah, that's fine."

I watch as he walks away and I can't help but believe that went horribly.

"You good?" Darnell asks as he walks over and hands me a glass.

"I'm going to need like two more of these to be good," I tell him.

"Guess the convo didn't go too well, huh?"

I nod my head. "Since when did it get so hard to talk to my kid?"

"Man, did you forget you were once that kid?" Darnell asks and I laugh.

"Yeah, but it's like yesterday he's jumping into my arms and today he's looking at me eye to eye in disapproval."

"Didn't you disapprove when your mom told you she wanted you to go to Beverly?" He asks and I can always count on him to tell me the truth I don't want to hear.

"Yeah, but that's because I was the man of the house and—-," I start to say and Darnell's look stops me. "Well, turns out my mom had shit under control. But still!"

"But still you didn't like it, right?" He asks, rhetorically. "Imagine if she told you had to go across the country."

The room starts to clap as my wife walks out of the kitchen area with a two-tiered cake, covered in chocolate-covered strawberries.

The top reads Happy Kinda Retirement. And the room full of partygoers, laugh.

"Thank you, baby!" I say before kissing her.

The crowd claps before Owen walks over with Skyler holding his hand.

"Yay, we finally get to eat chocolate-covered strawberries now," she yells and Liv and I look over at one another.

"Nah, no chocolate-covered strawberries," Owen says back and she looks sad.

"But why? Why not?" Skyler asks and he kneels down to her eye level.

"It's just—- it's just nasty," he says in disgust, and Liv and I burst into laughter.

I look over at SJ, Omari and Summer. They all giggle as I shake my head.

"Please get your kids," Liv whispers and I smile.

I don't know what I'm going to do with any of them.

"The food is ready," Jayda says over the microphone and we all start to sit around the main table.

We begin to eat and share laughs before Travis asks me about my new position as Crenshaw's head coach.

"You gon' have them boys ready or what, Spence?"

I nod my head yes before Darnell chimes in. "Well, you know Asher's been bragging about Beverly all over Instagram."

"I can't believe Beverly even allowed Asher Adams to be responsible for a bunch of teenagers," Jordan adds and Liv and I laugh,

"Whoever that is, they ain't going to have shit on you," Travis tells me. "And with your SJ coming, you ain't got a thing to worry about. I know yall are winning states."

SJ smirks and I'm sure he loved it because it came from Travis Scott, himself.

"Yeah, but I was thinking about playing basketball," he says and I drop my fork against the plate.

"You okay?" Travis asks me and Liv cuts her eyes as I pick up my fork again.

"You mean like intramural?" Darnell asks.

"I mean, I just want to play basketball," he answers and I never heard him mention competitively playing anything other than football before today.

"When did this happen?" I ask and he looks at me and shrugs before turning back to his friends.

"Plenty of people play two sports," Darnell tells me and I know they do. But SJ is a top recruit in football. He could get hurt and ruin everything he's worked for playing basketball.

"I know, Unc," SJ responds. "But I ain't trying to play both. I just want to play basketball."

"SJ," I say lowly but he can't hear me over all of the conversations going on around the table. "SJ."

"Spencer, it's not the time or the place," my wife whispers and I take in a deep breath before taking a sip of my drink.

At this point, I believe SJ will do anything he knows I won't be happy about and I guess I have to take some of the blame for that.