She turned around and graced me with one of those smiles that I haven’t seen in quite some time as she said, “Looks like he might be coming home next week.”
Dad’s been gone for months, and while he called often, it wasn’t the same. We all missed having him around, and it was clear from her expression that my mother was tickled with the news. “Really? That’s awesome!”
“Don’t say anything to Kaden. I don’t want to get his hopes up in case something comes up. You know how things don’t always go the way we think they will.”
“I know. I won’t say anything.”
“Thanks for taking him to practice. I can’t remember when I’ve seen him so excited about anything.”
“I know, and wouldn’t it be great if Dad could be here for his first game?” I asked enthusiastically.
“It would be wonderful. Keep your fingers crossed!” She got in her car, and before she shut her door, she said, “I should be home around five, but Nana will be here.”
“Okay.” When I moved out, Nana, my mother’s mom, moved in. Mom was worried about her health and thought it would help to have her close by. Personally, I always thought it had more to do with Kaden than her health, but they all seemed to be adjusting to the change. I just hoped that Dad would feel the same way when he arrived home. “Have a good day at work.”
“I will. Love you, sweetheart.”
“Love you, too.” Once she pulled out of the driveway, I went inside the house and shouted, “Kaden! Let’s roll, dude!”
“Kaci,” my grandmother called from the kitchen. “I was just about to fix him some lunch.”
“That’s okay, Nana. There’s no need for you to go to any trouble.” I walked over and wrapped my arms around her. Like always, she smelled like fresh lemons as I gave her a tight squeeze. “I’ll grab us something on the way.”
“Are you sure?”
I loved my grandmother, but I wasn’t a big fan of her cooking. Even her peanut butter and jelly sandwiches seemed to taste a little strange. “Yeah, I’m sure. It’ll be faster if we just grab something.”
“Well, okay. Come on, Kaden. Let’s get your stuff together.”
“I got it, Nana.” He ran past her and grabbed his bag on the way out the door. “Bye.”
Shaking my head, I told her, “We shouldn’t be long. Let me know if you need anything while we’re out.”
“I’m fine, sweetie. You two have fun.”
“We will. Love you, Nana.”
When I got to the car, Kaden was already inside with his bag in the backseat and his seatbelt buckled. “Let’s go! I don’t wanna be late.”
I knew he was eager, so I decided to ignore his rude behavior and started my car. After I bought us both a quick sandwich for lunch, we headed over to the field. Before I got out, I took a quick look in my rearview mirror and fixed my mascara. Normally, I wasn’t one to care about those kinds of things, so it was no surprise when Kaden asked, “What are you doing?”
“Nothing.”
“Looks like something, and what’s up with your hair?”
I looked back at the mirror as I asked, “What’s wrong with my hair?”
“Nothing. Just looks like you actually brushed it today.” He mocked.
“Shut up and get your stuff, Kaden,” I scolded as I reached for my book. Following him over to the field, I was surprised to find that the bleachers, which were practically empty the day before, were now full of parents, mainly moms. I could only assume that the sudden rush of parental support had something to do with Tucker, especially since the mothers were dressed in their cutesy little outfits with perfect hair and flawless make-up. I looked down at my black tank and khaki shorts; suddenly, my perfect outfit didn’t seem so perfect. To make matter’s worse, just as I was getting settled in the bleachers, I noticed Jess walking towards me. The dirty, rotten little slut was dressed like she was about to hit the club with her short mini-skirt and skimpy halter top.
Acting like her presence was nothing out of the norm, she plopped down next to me with a big, innocent smile. “Hey. How’s it going?”
“Really?”
“What?”
“What are you doing here?” I growled.
“I thought I’d keep you company for a bit.” She turned her attention to the field; after several seconds, she took in a deep breath. “Oh, my. He’s even hotter in person.”
“Does Zach know you’re here?”
“Not exactly.”
“Umm-hmm.”
“I’m just here to look, Kaci. Now hush, and let me enjoy the view.”
Tucker
I woke up with a strange feeling that today was going to be a good day, and for half a second, I actually thought I might be right. As I lay there, I realized that I’d slept a full eight hours without any burning pain or cramping in my leg, which was a huge improvement. After I got dressed, I went downstairs and found that Dad had cooked us a big breakfast. He made all my favorites: bacon, eggs, biscuits, and gravy—and it smelled incredible. It had been a long time since we’d spent a morning together, and I couldn’t think of a better way to start the day. I was feeling pretty damn good as he drove me over to the rehab center for my physical therapy. It was then that everything started to go to shit. My PT was a fucking prick on a good day, but on this particular morning, he was even more of a douchebag than usual. I know he was just doing his job, but he was on my ass the entire session, pushing me to my limits at every turn. By the time he was done, I could barely walk. Every muscle in my body ached, and I just wanted to go home and take a long, hot shower. Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to happen. I’d promised Colton and the kids that I’d be at the park early to help set up drills for practice, so throbbing pain or not, I had to get my ass over to the field.
While Dad drove me over to the park, I took some pain relievers and tightened my leg brace. I thought it would help turn things around, but as soon as he dropped me off, my day went from bad to worse. I was late. The kids were already warming up while Colton was in the dugout unloading all the gear from his duffle bag. Oblivious to the crowd of parents sitting in the bleachers, I hobbled over to help him out. When I opened the gate, he looked up at me with a pissed-off face. Assuming that he was ticked because I was running behind, I said, “I’m sorry, man. Therapy took a little longer than expected.”
“Well, I hope you’re all warmed up and ready to go,” he glared over at the bleachers and growled, “because it looks like they’re expecting a dog and pony show today.”
I glanced over at all the parents and grumbled, “Well, fuck me sideways.”
“Guess I’ll have to tell them that practices are closed from here on out.”
“Can you do that?”
He stood up and grabbed a couple of bats. “It’s not like they’re leaving me much choice. Whether you’re here or not, I’m not putting up with this kind of bullshit.”
“I can just go, Colt. I don’t want to make things harder for you and the team.”
“No!” he barked. “I need you and those kids do, too. I can deal with a few horn-dog mothers for a couple of hours.”