Rise Up (A Coach's Love Book 3)

by Alison Mello

  Judge Mackey has been to visit with his daughter thanks to the strings he’s pulled, and he wants to give us an update. She’s only been in rehab for a couple days, so I’m sure there hasn’t been too much progress, but hopefully she’s in the frame of mind to fight this.

  “Good morning,” Stella says as she, DJ, and Trystan walk into the school.

  “Good morning, guys. Ready for another game, DJ?” Vincent asks him.

  “Yeah, hoping we win this one.”

  “I know, but remember, as long as you go out there and give it your all, nothing else matters.” He looks at me like I’m crazy. I chuckle because at this age winning means a lot to them.

  “Sup, DJ?” Ethan and he shake.

  “How’s he doing?” Stella asks, lowering her voice.

  “He’s doing well. We’re having Judge Mackey over for dinner tonight so he can give us an update.”

  She nods. “I feel bad for him. He’s been through a lot. He went from being this punk troublemaker to a well behaved, well-mannered child, to having to deal with more crap from his mother.” She shakes her head. “How much more does he have to endure?”

  “Vincent is going to make sure he doesn’t have to endure much more,” I tell her.

  Misty, Briggs, and Mason walk in with more of our team. It’s almost game time, and we’re still missing players. We have what we need to play, but we’ll only have one sub, and that’s a lot of game time for these kids.

  Misty bids us good morning and gives us each a hug. “How is everyone?” We all reply we’re good.

  The buzzer for the game before ours sounds, and that means we need to take the court. Vincent calls the boys over, and we all head in to get warmed up. They grab a ball and start taking shots at the net. Stella and Misty are standing with me while Briggs saves them seats. “Girl, watch out for number four on the other team. I hear he should be on the drama club,” Misty says.

  “Oh yeah?”

  She nods. “He likes to fake fouls so he can get to the line.”

  “Good to know. I’ll talk to the boys. Thanks.” I wink at her.

  “Kick their ass,” she whispers and then walks over to take her seat.

  I chuckle and shake my head. I’m trying to teach these boys it’s not about winning, and we have parents who are encouraging winning. Don’t get me wrong, I’d like to see us win too, but they need to understand a win is about more than the score.

  The game starts, and our team instantly goes up by two. The boys are going back and forth missing shots on the net. Sure enough, Mason jumps up to block a shot and number four drops. The ref blows the whistle and calls a foul on Mason. Mason tries to argue that he never touched him, but the ref warns him about arguing calls.

  They give the other team the ball and they score two. The first quarter is a lot of back and forth. The score is only eight to six when we go into the second. The other team is in the lead, but just as Misty said, every time this kid has a chance to drop he does. I can see from across the court we’re not touching him and I’m getting mad, but coaches aren’t allowed to argue either.

  “Oh come on, ref! He never touched him!” Misty shouts. I laugh. Briggs is trying to calm her down, but she’s mad. The kid misses one of his two shots from the line. We recover the ball and hurry up the court. Ethan passes it to DJ who scores on a layup. Now we’re down by one.

  The boys are running down the court on defense, and number four has the ball. I’ve noticed he doesn’t pass much. He likes to dribble, go for the layup, and then drop the second he has a defender jumping with him, but this time, Jack steals the ball before he can even jump. He passes it off to DJ who passes it off to Ethan. He runs it up the court and scores just as time is running out on the half.

  The boys come over and huddle up. “Mason, you need to stay away from number four. If you foul him two more times, you’re out of the game.”

  He shakes his head. “That’s messed up. I’m not even touching him!”

  “I know, but he’s getting away with it, so be careful with him.” He nods.

  “That was amazing team work you guys used to get the ball up the court. We’re now winning by one!” I encourage them, but I fear it’s not working. They’re very frustrated over that boy and his cheating.

  The ref blows the whistle and the boys take the court. They’re getting tired. We’re missing boys this week and can only sub one kid. Right off the bat the other team gets the ball and number four goes up for a layup, once again dropping to the floor. “Enough. He was nowhere near you.” The ref holds his hand out to help the boy up.

  Mason chuckles and shakes his head, tossing the ball in to DJ who passes it off as well. Ethan goes to take the shot, and the same kid fouls him. Ethan gets up, shaking it off. The ref gives him the ball and he takes his two shots, getting them both in.

  The game continues on in a very tight scoring game, but there are a lot of fouls being called. The ref blows the whistle, stops the clock, and calls both teams onto the court along with the coaches. “Enough,” he demands in a hushed tone. “The fouls are getting out of control.”

  Number four nods toward our team. “Tell them! They’re the ones constantly fouling us!”

  The ref shoots him a look. “Yeah, and I’m quite positive you got away with a few you shouldn’t have. Not to mention that doesn’t mean you foul back. That’s not very sportsmanlike.” He bows his head embarrassed that the ref didn’t defend him. “Now, I’m going to blow this whistle, and I want the last six minutes of this game to be played clean. Am I clear?”

  “Yes, sir.” Our team shouts while the other team grumbles.

  The whistle is blown, and the game starts back up. Miraculously number four doesn’t fall at all during the last six minutes of the game. They win by two and the boys are not happy about it.

  Vincent calls the boys to meet in the hall, so the others can get started. We ended late due to the fouls and the meeting the ref had to call. “I know this isn’t going to help much, but you all played amazing today.” They’re all pouting. “But I’m incredibly disappointed.” He now has their attention. “You let that boy get to you today. Some of you have been playing sports together for a while now. You should know better because we’re better than that. What do we do when someone isn’t playing fair?”

  “Rise up,” Ethan mumbles.

  “I didn’t hear you!” he says.

  “Rise up,” they all say, but it still lacks conviction.

  “I still can’t hear you!”

  “Rise up!” they shout.

  “Yes! That’s what I’m talking about. You all improved dramatically this week. To me, that’s a far bigger win than you can get from any scoreboard. Now, go enjoy the rest of your weekend, and I’ll see you on Tuesday.”

  “Later, coach.” The boys fist bump him one by one as they leave. It’s nice to see them coming around.

  Ethan and I are in the kitchen cooking our feast when the doorbell rings. It’s got to be his grandfather. Vincent calls out that he has it and hurries over to answer the door.

  “It smells delicious in here,” Judge Mackey says, coming into the kitchen.

  “I helped cook, Grandpa.”

  “That’s great, my boy. How are you?” His grandfather beams with pride.

  “I’m good.”

  Ethan continues cutting cucumbers for our salad while I say hello. “Judge Mackey, it’s good to see you again.”

  “Pleasure is all mine, Amber.” He hugs me. “Now, please call me Phillip.”

  I smile. “Okay, Phillip.”

  “What are you making? It smells wonderful?” His smile is warm and caring.

  “We made baked ziti with salad and garlic bread,” Ethan states proudly.

  “That sounds delicious.” He rubs his stomach.

  Ethan takes the salad bowl to the dining room table while I grab the baked ziti and garlic bread from the oven.

  “How can I help?” Vincent asks.

  “You can grab drinks and the sal
ad dressing from the fridge,” I instruct him.

  “What? I don’t get to help cook?” he jokes.

  “After your mishap during our cooking class? No, you are banned from cooking.” I shake my head. “You can leave the cooking to Ethan and me.”

  “What did he do?” Phillip asks with a slight laughter.

  Ethan comes into the kitchen. “He stabbed himself with a knife and then burned his hand on a hot pan. Then, to top it off, he burned his dinner checking messages on his phone.”

  Phillip’s jaw drops. “You’re seriously a mess.” He laughs.

  “I am. I can’t even grill.”

  “That’s it ... hand over your man card,” Phillip jokes. Vincent pulls out his wallet, pretending to hand him a card.

  “I don’t need it anyway. I have a beautiful girlfriend who enjoys cooking, and a son who’s getting pretty good at it as well.” He puts his arm around me and kisses me on the temple.

  “Dinner is ready, and it’s a good thing because from the sound of your stomach you’d starve.” I poke his belly.

  “Not true. We just wouldn’t eat as healthy as we do now. I’ve already dropped some weight since you’ve been cooking for me.”

  “Yeah, well, with all the carbs your son cooked, you’re sure to put some of it back.”

  Everyone gets busy making their plates. Phillip digs right in, telling his grandson he did a great job with dinner and that he’s proud of him, but then the table gets quiet. We had him over to visit but also because he said he had news. He hasn’t brought up Laney once, and Ethan’s eyes keep scanning the table waiting for someone to say something.

  “Grandpa, are you going to give us an update like you promised?” The only soul at the table brave enough to bring up the topic.

  “I can. I was trying to think of a way to bring it up.”

  Ethan shrugs. “Now you don’t have to.”

  “Fair enough.” He wipes his mouth with a napkin and places it on his lap. This is one man who will forever be a gentleman. “She is struggling. She’s upset at herself and her situation. Not to mention she’s a shivering mess now that her body is detoxifying from all the alcohol.” We’re stunned into silence over his blunt honesty.

  “Will she be okay?” Ethan asks.

  “If she does as she’s supposed to, yes. She told me she wants to get better and that she is upset she did what she did to you. She wants to be a mom again, but right now she feels weak and embarrassed.”

  “Did she say how she got to this point?” Vincent asks.

  He nods. “Her career. She got out to New York and expected to make it big immediately. Her ego got in her way.” He sighs. “She shot her mouth off that she could handle this huge case up there. They told her if she won, she had a spot on the firm but if she lost, they were going with some other attorney. Unfortunately, that’s how a lot of these bigger name firms work. Especially in the city. They want lawyers who can figure out how to win.

  She started drinking from the get-go, trying to deal with the stress of the case. Well, she lost, and they didn’t go easy on her for it, so it got worse.”

  “Can I see her?” Ethan asks bashfully.

  “That’s partially up to your father. If he allows it, then I can make arrangements for you to see her when the time is right. She needs time to detox and get herself together.”

  Ethan looks at his father. “Can I, Dad?”

  “I don’t know, son. Let me think about it. Okay?” Ethan nods. “I … I just don’t want her to hurt you anymore.” Vincent closes his eyes, taking this all in. “She was changing long before she left.”

  “I agree,” Phillip adds. “But it could help her pull her life together if she doesn’t feel abandoned.”

  “I’ll think about it,” Vincent says, taking his now empty plate from the table. He’s clearly struggling with the idea of Ethan visiting his mother, and I can understand why. It has to be hard for him to forgive her and allow her the opportunity to spend time with her son with all she’s said and done to him, but she was ill. Once she’s healthy, she may be a different person. Then again, in the times I saw her come into the office before they divorced, she was rarely kind. She always walked and spoke with a sense of entitlement.

  Ethan plays with his food, defeat written all over his face. “Give your father some time. He has concerns and rightfully so.” I rest my hand on his arm.

  He looks at me with pure sorrow. “She’s my mom.”

  “I know.” I give his arm a gentle squeeze in support.

  “It’s different now. It’s not me saying I’m not ready to see her. I’m not allowed to.”

  “She broke the law. She has to pay the consequences of that action,” I explain.

  “Listen, Ethan.” Phillip moves closer to him. “You know what I do for a living. I put people like your mother into jails and institutions like this all the time.” He pauses. “It’s not an easy job, but sometimes people need to be pushed into situations like your mom so she can get better. It wasn’t easy for me to let her be taken, but I did it because it was what was best for everyone. Do you understand?”

  He nods. “Can I be excused?”

  “Of course, you can.” He leaves the table.

  “That is one unhappy boy,” Phillip says.

  “He’s right. It was easier for him to say he didn’t want to see his mother. His reasons in his mind are valid, but you take away his right to decide and what was once easy now feels like guilt and anger.”

  Vincent comes back in. “I’ll give him some time to process this, and then I’ll go talk to him. He’s going through a lot. Between this and all the teenage crap he has to deal with, it’s been an emotional roller coaster.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t think he would react the way he did. He was so angry at her,” Phillip says sympathetically.

  “I know, I didn’t think he would either.” Vincent stares off for a second. “I’ll let him see her if I can be there too.”

  “I’ll arrange it, but I want to be there as well. I want to know what she’s doing and how she’s behaving,” Phillip demands.

  “That’s fine.” Vincent continues to stare off.

  “Amber, I’m sorry, but I’m going to suggest you don’t go. That will only upset her further,” Phillip says.

  “I understand. It wouldn’t be my place to be there.” I stand from the table. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to start cleaning up.” As much as I know my place, it’s hard to not be there to protect them. I want to heal any pain she inflicts on them. Instead, all I can do is pray that she is good to them.

  I’m deep in thought, cleaning up the kitchen from our meal when Vincent walks up behind me and wraps his arms around me, causing me to jump. “Sorry,” he whispers in my ear.

  “For what?” I ask, looking over my shoulder.

  “Scaring you. For not taking you with us.” He rests his chin on my shoulder. His eyes are full of fear and hurt.

  “You don’t need to be sorry. I understand, but I also want to be supportive if and when she hurts either of you.” I continue washing the pan.

  He reaches over and shuts the water off. “You are an amazing woman and trust me, we will lean on you when we need you. You need to know I have no intention of letting her hurt Ethan any further and neither does his grandfather. He is going to talk with her, and if he feels there’s any chance she will hurt him, we will not let him go.” He kisses me.

  “I love you both. I just don’t want to see him put through anymore grief because of her.”

  “I know. Ethan and his grandfather are chatting now, and then he’s going to head out.”

  “He’s a good man,” I tell him.

  “He is. I’m not sure how Laney ended up going so astray, but I guess I can’t worry myself with that right now.”

  “No, you can’t.” Phillip walks in. “Sorry. I overheard as I was coming to say goodbye.” He comes into the kitchen. “Ethan is fine. I told him the plan and that I would be in touch in another week wi
th the arrangements. I took the pressure off of you. I told him that I won’t allow him to see her if she is not in a good frame of mind. That I won’t allow her to hurt him.”

  “Thank you.” Vincent holds out his hand.

  “It’s my pleasure.” Phillip lowers his voice. “I know how stubborn he is, and you have to live with him.” He winks. “Thank you for dinner.” He raises his voice to normal.

  “You’re welcome.” I give him a hug. Vincent shakes his hand once more and walks him out.

  That was an intense evening, but I’m glad it’s all working out. Hopefully, Laney will pull herself together, and she can work things out with her son. He’s a brave boy for even wanting to see her. Hopefully, she doesn’t crush him beyond the point of being able to rise up. Vincent and I will always be there for him, but there’s only so much a young man can handle.

  Another week and another loss for our team. They keep coming so close to a win and then lose at the last minute. I feel bad because they’re losing excitement for the game. However, they have a winter tournament coming in two weeks, and it would be awesome for them to squeeze in a win before then. The tournament is the final game of the season. It’s played in a typical, win and you move on fashion.

  “Dad, I’m ready!” Ethan shouts, pulling me from my thoughts.

  “Okay, buddy.”

  Today we’re going to see Laney at the rehab. Saturdays are family days for those who have earned it. Phillip had to pull some strings with the rehab to get us visitation, seeing she hasn’t been there long, but she has made such good progress they agreed to let us in. We’ll only have an hour max with her but at least it’s something. As she continues to progress, she’ll be allowed to have visitors on Saturdays for longer periods of time. For now, we’ll take what we can get.

  My father-in-law pulls up to the house, parking in the street. We say goodbye to Amber and head out to meet him. We agreed to take my SUV, so we climb in and head for the rehab. It’s a little bit of a drive. At first the car is in silence, and there’s a bit of tension, but it’s finally broken when Phillip speaks. “How are you feeling, Ethan?”