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I hug her, breathing her in for another moment before letting go and reaching into my pocket for the plastic bag.
She laughs as I hand it to her. “Peanut butter cups! Thank you.” She looks at me, her smile slipping as she realizes why I brought them.
It’s just what I do when I hurt her and need to make amends.
“I’m sorry,” I say.
Dana shakes her head. “It wasn’t your fault, Connor.”
“Did you have to use your inhaler?” I ask.
“No. I stubbornly refused. My chest hurt for a few hours, but it wasn’t bad.” She grins. “Nothing compared to running the football field. And I survived that.”
I smile, admiring her courage. “Good.”
“You know, you could have come through the front door,” she says. “Everyone’s at the game.”
“Why aren’t you?” I ask, curious. Playful, too. “Where’s your Bearhawk pride?”
She props herself on her desk. “I figured it’d be better if I just… kept out of sight for a while.”
“King Kirby have you locked in the tower, your highness?” I joke.
Dana pauses, her eyes suddenly focused somewhere far away. “Hm,” she hums.
“What?”
A blink and she’s back. “Nothing,” she says. “Just a little creative inspiration.” She tears open the bag of candy and offers it to me. “Want one?”
I reach inside, taking two. She takes one and sets the bag on the desk.
“I haven’t heard from you,” she says before sticking a piece of chocolate in her mouth.
“I’m sorry, I just…” I sit down on the edge of her bed. “I needed to be alone.”
“I understand. You don’t have to feel guilty about it.”
I nod, thanking her for that.
“How’s your mom?” she asks.
“She’s… my mom,” I say. “Taking it well enough, I think.”
“I talked to Courtney earlier. She’s devastated. Uncomfortably giddy about us,” she adds. “But sad about Coach.”
My thoughts return to our last dinner together as a family. Coach was so excited to be there for her opening night. Front row center.
And my first game as starting quarterback.
It’s what you want, isn’t it?
Take it.
But what if the thing I want most causes me to lose everything else?
“Connor?”
Dana’s hands caress my back. I realize I’ve bent forward with my head in my hands, the weight of the last twenty-four hours still so heavy. I touch my head to her thigh and she runs her fingers softly through my hair, sending warmth and comfort down my spine.
