Page 37 of Kickoff

Mrs. Shepard gasped, her attention ping-ponging between her daughter and me, her gaze filled with questions. From where she stood, she couldn’t see my namesake because he was hidden under the covers.

“It’s true. He’s like an elephant, and his trunk is too big for his body. I love him because he’s my gift. For being a good girl. Mason said so.”

“Mason said so?”

“Yes. He tucked me in bed earlier. And I slept on his lap. Why is my stomach so sore?”

I buried my face in my free hand. Mr. Shepard would have kicked me out of his daughter’s room if he had heard just a fragment of what she told his wife.

Mrs. Shepard blinked a few times, looking like she swallowed a sour pill. “Melinda, honey. Let’s forget about elephants and big trunks for now, okay? I’m so relieved you’re all right and out of danger, and this is what matters. The rest, we’ll deal with it later.”

I leaned toward the bed. “Jesus, Mel. You can’t say stuff like that. Not in front of your mom.” I turned to face her mother. “All that she said was only about Mason the elephant. Not the me-Mason. He’s a stuffed animal I gifted her after the surgery. We just happen to have the same name.”

Mrs. Shepard nodded and dropped her shoulders. “Thanks for clarifying, Mason. I appreciate it.”

“It’s hard to keep up with her pain-med brain. She’s quite entertaining. Anyway, I should go.” I stood and neared the bed, her hand still nestled in mine. “Mel, I’ll see you later, okay?”

Sadness took over her features. “No, Mase. You can’t go. You didn’t get your trophy.”

“We have all the time in the world to figure it out once you’re back on your feet. There’s no rush.”

“Oh…okay. You sure?”

“Yeah. Rest for now.” I kissed her forehead and walked away, releasing her fingers. A void opened inside my chest, and I missed the connection of our joined hands.

Dr. Shinde took my spot next to Melinda’s bed.

“Did you make a hole in my body?” she asked him.

“Yes, I did.” He offered her a small, comforting smile. “Let me run you through the procedure, and then I’ll answer all your questions…”

I blocked out the surgeon’s voice and turned to leave when Mr. Shepard stopped my escape. “Thank you, son. For everything.” He held out his hand to shake mine. “You should go home and get some sleep. You did good last night.”

“I did what anyone else would have done in the same situation.”

“No. You saved our daughter’s life.”

“Thanks.” I hung my head low, feeling vulnerable as he watched me with a gleam in his eyes before pulling me into a hug.

“I’m proud of you, son. You should be proud of yourself too.”

He released me, and I coughed to chase the ball of emotions lodged in my throat. “I’ll talk to all of you later and will come back to visit her after practice.” I spun on my heels to watch Melinda one last time.

Her eyes met mine and stayed locked there for a long moment, sending my heart into overdrive.

“Night, Mason not-the-elephant,” she said after a while. It wasn’t the middle of the night anymore, rather early morning, but I didn’t correct her.

“Good night, Mel.” I broke the eye contact and made my exit. The door clicked behind me, and I released a shaky breath.

“I love you,” I murmured, looking at the door. When we’d arrived at the hospital earlier, my stomach had knotted, and my heart had capsized inside my chest because I thought I could lose her. It all made me realize, for the first time, what I felt for her was nothing I’d ever experienced before. It was love, a feeling foreign but all-consuming at the same time. A feeling I hoped she would reciprocate one day.

11

I’m not being cocky, I’m only stating facts

“You’re aware of how she is. She can be intense sometimes. I was about to go nuts. We argued for an hour last night before she even considered it. I know she means well, but she’s just suffocating me,” I heard Melinda tell Paige when they were getting their textbooks from their lockers.

“I’m glad you’re back.” Paige looped her arm through hers. “You tell me if you don’t feel well, okay?”