AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yeah. Mom, I have to tell you something. Dad…” I feel my chest getting heavy. I never wanted to break anyone’s heart for any reason; it’s not how I’m made. Whether it was Lettie or my mom, I have to be honest, so I’m starting with Mom. “Dad hasn’t been faithful to you.” My cheeks vibrate as I choke back tears.
“I know,” she strains to say. “He told me, and I don’t want you to worry. I’m a big girl and can handle whatever comes my way. You think you got your strength from your dad, but you didn’t. You got it from me. I forgave him once but not this time. I’ll file for divorce when we get back home. I’m done, but he’s your father, and I hope in time you’ll forgive him for what he did to me.”
“Mom, I have to ask you if you had anything to do with Dad blackmailing me. Did you?”
“Blackmail? What are you talking about?”
“Lettie. He said if I got back together with her, he would pull her sponsorships.”
Mom gasps. “Why?” Her reaction calms the anger deep inside me.
At least Mom wasn’t involved.
“I’m so sorry, Dane. I think he’s going through a midlife crisis, but that doesn’t excuse his behavior. And I need to tell you something.” I hear her inhale and exhale on a harsh breath. Coach Cappitano and I dated in college while your dad and I were on a break. Having him back in our lives has been rough on your dad. I thought I would marry Coach, but he broke it off, and I married your dad.”
“Did you cheat on him?”
“No, but your dad knew that Coach Cappitano and I discussed getting married. Then he got a second chance with his first love and chose her. And I’m glad he did because I have you. My precious baby boy who’s all grown up. Now I think it’s time for you to get your second chance with your first love.”
“I’ll win her back and not because I’m a Greathouse. I’m the son of the strongest, most nurturing mom on the planet. I need to get to the arena.”
Since we’re playing North Carolina, we take the team bus to the arena. It’s only a mile or so from The Stable, but basketball is king at this university. No matter how well the rest of the sports do, basketball wears the crown.
I’ve repaired my relationships with my coaches and teammates. Some of them have been through bad breakups and told me they would do anything to help me through it. What’s odd is Lettie has helped me through it. Singing with her gave me all of the hope I needed that we would be back together sooner rather than later.
We change into our warmups, white pants with a blue stripe down the side. White shooting shirts that say, “Courage. Strength. Vision. Belief.” I half-smile as I put it on. All the things I need to have Lettie back in my life.
It’s two hours before the game. We stretch and shoot around. Then back to our state-of-the-art locker room where we sit in a circle and a video is projected on the floor beneath us. Coach points out reminders of defensive responsibilities, how to switch on our opponents and how to negate our own vulnerabilities. Scoring is not the problem with this team; it’s defense. And defense wins championships and defeats rivals.
“Captain.”
I stand, blow out a breath, and realize my knuckles are red from hitting my dad.
“Guys, I don’t think I truly knew what the word fight meant until the past month or so. This isn’t the time for my personal shit, but we have to fight for each other. We have to be there to back each other up. In a game of such magnitude, we have to be a team. What I’ve learned recently is, sometimes you need to lean on others. I thank each of you for holding me up. If we’re going to beat North Carolina, it will take every single one of us. Whether you’re on the bench or in the game, you need to be present. Looking for little nuances we can exploit.” They nod in agreement. “Stand up.”
We all put our fists in the center. “Stallions on three. One, two, three. Stallions!” we yell in unison, and they jog out of the locker room behind me. And it’s the first time this year, I feel like I’ve earned the honor of being their captain.
While warming up, I look over to my parents’ seats. I already know there will be another family in the seats. Harper asked me if I could get four seats to the game for a family that has been at the Cancer Center for months. Harper is a med student, but she and Logan make weekly visits and try to make wishes come true. This family’s plight hit her especially hard. Twins, a boy and a girl, like Hagan and her, are both suffering from leukemia. They’re currently in remission and are in Lexington for a checkup, so when she asked, it was a no brainer. My parents willingly gave up their seats, even before he cheated on my mom.
Maybe Dad has a few redeeming qualities but in actuality, it’s a publicity stunt.
Jogging over, I take selfies with them and let them know that they’ll be escorted to center court at halftime. What they don’t know is they’ll be receiving my signed jersey framed as well as basketballs for each of them signed by the whole team. And the biggest surprise is a five-thousand-dollar check for a vacation on a kid friendly cruise ship. I donated it anonymously using some of the sponsorship money I’ve saved.
After outing my dad, I’m free, and I can’t wait to see Lettie tonight and start our life together. These last weeks have felt like years. Even though I’ve pulled myself together, the key to my happiness is missing, and I plan on being real fucking happy tonight.
They announce the starting lineup, and the eight-year-old twins jump up and down. The girl waves a white pompom, and the boy has a #11 finger engulfing half of his arm, when they call my name. I run straight to them, giving them fist bumps, and then join my team.
During the first half we are ten points up, and I have eighteen points. During halftime, they do their presentation to the family. Giving to others fills my heart—it always has. Giving Lettie a dandelion when we were six or buying her an ice cream at the fair every year, or giving Lettie an orgasm, fills something inside me—just seeing another person’s eyes light up is worth it.
I need to focus on the game. North Carolina is only ten games behind us in the all-time wins for a university basketball program. We need to win for bragging rights. The second half starts off shaky with them pulling even. It’s back and forth. At the eight-minute time out, I haven’t had a breather, so I ask the coach for an extra thirty seconds.
The team breaks, and JaJuan takes my place on the court. I notice one of the blue coats waving in my direction. I look behind me to see if he’s motioning for someone else. Then Reed appears from behind him with a worried look on his face.
Meeting Reed halfway, I ask, “What’s up?” This is unusual to be flagged down by a friend during a game. He’s the star hockey player, so he understands this better than anyone and as I realize it, a lead rock lands in the pit of my stomach.
“It’s Lettie. She’s in the hospital, something about drugs.”
My eyebrows pinch together, unable to make heads or tails about what he’s saying. It doesn’t make sense.
