At Home in Last Chance

by Cathleen Armstrong

  He slumped down in his seat and watched Kaitlyn, who hadn’t even glanced his way. Really smooth, sitting in back like this. He felt ridiculous and completely out of sorts. What was even keeping him here in Last Chance, anyway? He was getting nowhere with Kaitlyn, and he might as well admit it. Why not just take off till he had to show up for the academy in April? There were still a lot of places he wanted to see. About the only one who’d miss him would be Gran, but she was used to him taking off, and she had to know he’d come back. Didn’t he always?

  By the time he finished his lunch, Steven was feeling pretty good. He was practically on his way. There was still the after-school basketball program, but maybe he could get Manny Baca to take that over. Manny was a pretty good player when they were in high school, not tall, but really fast. And if not, well, Mrs. Martinez ought to be able to find somebody.

  Kaitlyn finally looked his way when he reached the door of the Dip ’n’ Dine. He smiled and tipped his hat. And all the best to you, Kaitlyn Reed.

  12

  It was only about ten minutes past 3:00 when Steven pulled into the parking lot of Last Chance Elementary School, but Mrs. Martinez was waiting out front with the kids who had signed up for basketball, and she didn’t look happy. He could only imagine her reaction when he told her she was going to have to find another coach. He had hoped to bring her news of a replacement when he resigned and had stopped by Otero Gas and Oil to talk to Manny on the way to school, which was why he was late in the first place.

  Manny hadn’t been real busy at the moment, which boded well for Steven’s plan, and it wasn’t long before he had Manny laughing and reminiscing about their days on the basketball team of Last Chance High School, but when Steven tried to segue from playing basketball in the good old days to coaching elementary school basketball in the here and now, Manny stopped laughing. In the first place, with three kids of his own under four years old, spending what little free time he had with more kids just didn’t sound like that much fun. And in the second place, in case Steven hadn’t noticed, Manny did have a business to run. Just taking off in the middle of the afternoon wasn’t an option.

  Mrs. Martinez smiled a tight smile over the heads of the children crowding around her. “Ah, here you are. We were beginning to worry.”

  Steven started to apologize, but she kept on talking as she handed him a clipboard. “Here’s your list of participants. I’ve checked and everyone is here today. The bag of basketballs is over there. Have a good time, everybody.”

  Steven nodded and looked around. He hadn’t realized there would be quite so many kids. And they all looked pretty energetic too.

  “Oh, and Mr. Braden.” Mrs. Martinez had stopped on her way back inside, and it took a moment before Steven realized who she was talking to. “Would you mind stopping by my office before you leave, please?”

  The door closed behind her, and Steven surveyed the students looking up at him. There was a good group—a glance at his clipboard told him he had just over twenty—and although it comprised mostly boys, a fair number of girls, including Olivia Reed, had turned out as well.

  “Okay, team, let’s head out to the playground. Michael James, do you want to grab that bag of basketballs over there?” Steven led the way and the kids followed.

  “Mr. Braden? Mr. Braden?” The little girl walking next to him had to tug at his jacket to make him realize she was talking to him. “I have a doctor’s appointment and my dad’s picking me up at 3:30. Is that okay?”

  “Sure.” Steven stopped under the basketball hoop and raised his hands for silence. “Hey guys, need your attention here. Guys? Quiet down a minute, will you?”

  It took a few minutes before the confusion settled, but Steven was finally able to make himself heard. “Guys? All right, we need to get some things straight. First, when I raise my arm like this, it means ‘listen up.’ So stop what you’re doing and gather around—without talking. And next, don’t call me Mr. Braden. I’m not going to know who you’re talking to if you do.”

  The girl with the doctor’s appointment raised her hand and waited to be called on. “What should we call you?”

  “How about my name? Steven.”

  From the expressions on their faces and the way they looked at each other, it was clear that calling an adult by his first name wasn’t something that they were comfortable with. He tried again.

  “Okay, what about Coach?”

  The name found universal acceptance, and Steven set them to doing drills designed to check the relative athletic ability of his crew. Some were naturals and would be tearing up the court at Last Chance High in a few years. Others, not so much. Steven snagged a ball that had whizzed right past one kid and tossed it back. Olivia Reed was one of the kids who showed some promise. It would have been fun to see what she could do.

  The afternoon was warm enough for them to be outside but not so warm that the kids could play without their jackets, and as he walked among them calling out encouragement and instruction, Steven made a mental list: They needed an indoor space if they were going to really play basketball. He’d have to see what he could find. The high school was just across the field. Maybe they could find a time when the gym wasn’t in use. And he’d like to leave whoever took over when he left with an assistant. Maybe a high school kid could help out. And a whistle. He had to get a whistle.

  After practice, Steven waited with the kids until the last of his team had been picked up and then sighed and headed for the principal’s office. Might as well get this over with. At least he could assure Mrs. Martinez that he intended to do everything he could to help her find somebody else before he left.

  The halls were empty and the reception area in the office was deserted, but Mrs. Martinez’s door was ajar, and he tapped as he stuck his head in. She was on the phone and lifted one finger before indicating with the same hand that he should take a seat.

  When she hung up the phone, she turned to him with a smile. “They finally got back to me about using the high school gym. It’s ours from 3:00 sharp to 4:00 sharp Mondays and Thursdays. I trust that will work with your schedule.”

  Steven nodded and opened his mouth to speak, but Mrs. Martinez went right on talking. “That means, in order to make optimum use of our time, that you’ll have to have the children ready to go in right at 3:00 since you’ll have to have finished and be out by 4:00. I’m afraid that leaves little room for casual punctuality, so you’ll need to be here and waiting when the final bell rings at 2:50.”

  Mrs. Martinez fixed a look on him that made him squirm inside. She had been his fourth-grade teacher before she became his principal, and this was nowhere near the first time Steven had sat measuring the distance between himself and the door. He decided to put off until another time telling her he was not going to be sticking around.

  Reminding himself that he was an adult and she couldn’t give him detention anymore, he willed casual confidence into his voice. “Sounds like a plan. In fact, I was going to suggest that very thing. The playground isn’t the best place for a basketball program in winter.”

  Mrs. Martinez turned her attention to the file folder open on her desk. “Then we’ll see you Thursday at 2:50.”

  Steven jammed his hat down on his head as he strode through the silent halls. For crying out loud, not only was he not a ten-year-old caught shooting spit wads, but he was doing her a favor by even being here. He paused and looked over his shoulder, considering turning on his heel and marching back into her office and telling her this coaching gig wasn’t going to work out for him after all. But after only a few seconds, he picked up his pace again and shoved his way through the big glass front doors of the school. Maybe he should at least try to have another coach lined up before he did that.

  A pink backpack, nearly hidden behind a trash can, caught his eye, and he almost left it there. After all, the only other thing he could do with it was take it back to Mrs. Martinez, and he really didn’t want to do that right now.

  He stopped h
alfway to his truck and, muttering a few words under his breath, went back and snatched up the backpack. The name tag flopped against his wrist, and his mood immediately improved when he read Olivia’s name. Great. He could just drop it off at Gran’s.

  The closer he got to Gran’s, the more he looked forward to it. It hadn’t been actually cold standing around on the playground, but it was cool enough to make him look forward to being inside, and Gran would make him some coffee and give him something to eat. Kaitlyn would doubtlessly have gone back to the Dip ’n’ Dine, but Olivia would be there. And to Steven’s surprise, he was enjoying being around her more and more.

  A siren behind him caused him to pull over, and an ambulance shot past, lights flashing. Steven’s mild curiosity turned to concern when it turned down the same road he was heading for.

  By the time he turned onto Gran’s street, the flashing lights had stopped in front of her house and the paramedics were running up her walk. Olivia was standing on the sidewalk near the open door of the Jeep, crying, and Kaitlyn and Sarah were kneeling next to a crumpled heap that, even covered in a purple and lavender afghan, seemed far too small to be his indomitable grandmother.

  Steven had barely shoved his gearshift into Park before he vaulted from behind the wheel and raced across the road to Elizabeth’s house. The paramedics were bending over Elizabeth, and Kaitlyn had returned to the Jeep and was holding Olivia. Sarah stood just out of the way of the EMTs, pressing her clasped hands against her mouth.

  “What happened?” Steven couldn’t take his eyes off his grandmother as he came to a stop next to his cousin.

  She shook her head. “We don’t know. It looks like she may have fallen down the porch steps. Kaitlyn and Olivia found her this way when they got here.”

  “Is she going to be all right?”

  “Steven, I don’t know.” Sarah sounded almost frantic as she brushed the heel of her hand across her cheek. “I hope so. I pray that she is. She has to be.”

  Steven slipped an arm around her shoulders. “You’ve called your mom and dad?”

  Sarah nodded. “They’re on their way.”

  While two of the technicians went for the gurney, the third looked up at Sarah and Steven. He addressed Sarah. “You’re her relative?”

  Sarah nodded again. “She’s my grandmother.”

  “And mine.” Steven was not going to be left out of this conversation. It meant too much.

  “Is she going to be all right?” Sarah’s voice was about to break.

  “We’re doing what we can. There’s something going on with her leg here, but the first thing we need to do is get her body temperature back up. She must have been lying here awhile. We’re going to take her to San Ramon General, if you want to follow.”

  “Can’t I ride along?” The paramedics had gently transferred Elizabeth to a gurney, and Sarah took her grandmother’s hand and held it to her cheek. “Her fingers are so cold.”

  “Nope, afraid not.” The EMT’s smile was gentle. “We’re going to be busy taking good care of Grandma for you. We’ll see you in San Ramon.”

  Steven and Sarah followed the gurney down the sidewalk and watched as it was loaded into the ambulance. When it moved on down the street and the siren picked up again, Sarah dug for her keys and headed for her car.

  Steven put a hand on her arm. “Let me just tell Kaitlyn what’s happening, and then I’ll drive. You go ahead and call your folks and tell them we’ll meet them at the hospital.”

  While Sarah made her call, Steven walked over to the Jeep where Kaitlyn sat sideways on the front seat cradling Olivia on her lap. Olivia was hiccupping with sobs, and for her sake, Steven tried to keep his voice light.

  “Well, they need to get her warmed up and fix her leg, so they took her to the hospital to do that. Sarah and I are going up there now.”

  “Is she going to die?” Olivia’s voice rose in a wail.

  “Gran? Because of a little tumble down the stairs? Nah. Gran’s a lot tougher than that.” Steven put his hand on Olivia’s head and smiled, but when Kaitlyn’s eyes met his, he could see his own fear mirrored in them. “Oh, and before I forget, I’ve got your backpack. You left it at school.”

  When he retrieved it from his truck, Sarah was already waiting in the passenger seat, talking to someone, probably her mom, on the phone.

  “Here you go.” Steven opened the back door of the Jeep and tossed the backpack on the seat.

  “Call me.” Tears shone in Kaitlyn’s eyes. “Call me the minute you know anything, you hear me?”

  “I will.” Funny, as desperate as he was to get to the hospital and see that Gran was going to be all right, it just tore him up to leave Kaitlyn here alone trying to comfort her inconsolable child. “I’ll call just as soon as I can. And, um, if you could pray for her, that would really be great.”

  “I will.” Kaitlyn rocked Olivia back and forth, resting her cheek on the top of her daughter’s head. “I will do that.”

  It was nearly midnight before they got to see Elizabeth in her room at the hospital. Her leg was indeed fractured and immobilized, and her temperature was near normal. Something, probably pain medicine for her leg, had made her a bit loopy. In his entire life, Steven had never seen his grandmother loopy, and it was more than a little odd.

  “Well, isn’t this nice, having everyone here like this. Want some coffee? I bet we can get someone to bring us some coffee. And some chairs. We don’t have enough chairs. Steven, see if you can get us some more chairs, will you, hon?”

  “No, Mom.” Joe Jr. took his mother’s hand. “We don’t need any coffee. In fact, they’re going to run us off here in a minute. They just let us come in for a little bit to see that you’re all right and to tell you that we love you.”

  “Well, I love you too, you sweet thing.” Elizabeth beamed up at him.

  “Do you remember what happened, Gran?” Sarah stood on the other side of the bed. “How did you happen to fall?”

  “Well, of course I remember, Sarah. I just broke my leg; I didn’t lose my mind. I thought I’d go out and check the mailbox, and that crazy cat of mine got tangled up in my feet, and the next thing you know, I was down and couldn’t get up. Just like those TV ads.”

  Steven whistled under his breath. Gran started looking for the mail about noon. She had to have been lying on the sidewalk in that light housedress for hours. They were so fortunate that the day had been warm for January. They nearly lost her to the cold as it was.

  A nurse came in and injected something into Elizabeth’s IV. She smiled at the family gathered around her bed. “This young lady needs to get some sleep now, so say your good-byes, and you can come back tomorrow.”

  Elizabeth fixed her with a glare. “If you think I’m a young lady, young lady, I don’t want you anywhere near me because you are as blind as a bat.”

  “Mom, she was just trying to be nice.” Nancy Jo smoothed the covers and tucked them around Elizabeth. “Now you go on to sleep and don’t worry about another thing. We’re going to get your room all fixed up for you. We’ll even bring that old cat of yours up to the ranch, if you’re still speaking to him.”

  “Why?” Elizabeth’s eyes were getting droopy.

  “Why what, Mom?”

  “Why are you taking Sam to the ranch? I need him.”

  “Of course you do, Mom. And that’s why he’s coming. To keep you company.”

  Elizabeth had almost drifted off to sleep, but she opened her eyes again and looked from her daughter-in-law to her son. “If you think you’re getting me back to the ranch over this, you can just think again, buster, because that’ll happen when pigs fly. I’m still your mother . . . your mother.”

  Her voice slowed to a stop as her eyes closed. It took a while longer for her belligerent expression to relax into one of peace.

  “Well, that went about like I thought it would.” Joe Jr. gazed down at his sleeping mother. “Looking at her now, you wouldn’t think she was near that tough, would you?”

&n
bsp; “Tough or not, there’s no way she can stay by herself and she’s just going to have to get used to that idea.” Nancy Jo straightened the blankets one last time and bent to kiss her mother-in-law’s forehead before picking up the bag that held the clothes Elizabeth had been wearing. “I’m as sorry as I can be that it had to happen this way, but we both know that it was past time for her to come home, anyway.”

  “Maybe.” Joe Jr. covered the gnarled hand lying on the bed with his own before he too bent down to kiss the sleeping face. “I just wish it were her own idea. I hate to see her unhappy.”

  Steven and Sarah, after whispering good night to their sleeping grandmother, followed Joe Jr. and Nancy Jo out into the hall. Sarah stopped at the nurses’ station.

  “You have our numbers, right? You’ll call if anything changes?”

  The nurse looked up from her charts and smiled. “I’m thinking she’s going to be just fine tonight, but yes, I do have your numbers.”

  Steven rested his hand in the small of his cousin’s back and guided her to the elevator, where her parents were still discussing Elizabeth’s impending move to the ranch.

  “Why can’t I look after Gran? I’m just two doors down, and I can even spend the nights with her until she gets back on her feet.” Sarah clearly didn’t like the idea of seeing her grandmother unhappy any more than her dad did.

  “Honey, we don’t know that she is going to get back on her feet.” Nancy Jo sounded tired. “The doctor said it was a bad break, and Gran is nearly ninety years old. Her bones are not likely to heal the way they would have fifty years ago. And besides, you’re gone all day. I’m afraid Gran’s going to need help 24-7, and that’s why the only thing that makes sense is for her to come back to the ranch. She always said she’d wind up back at the ranch one day anyway.”

  “She meant she’d come back to die.” Sarah’s voice went up about two octaves as the tears came. “Don’t make her go back yet.”

  “Sweetheart.” Nancy Jo gathered her daughter in her arms and held her head against her shoulder. “Coming back to the ranch isn’t going to shorten your grandmother’s life one day. If anything, our good care will give her even more time with us, so just blow your nose and get hold of yourself here. There’s a whole lot in life that we don’t want to see happen, but it happens anyway, and falling apart never has changed that.”