The Matchup

by Laura L. Walker

  “Nope. It worked out perfectly. One of the college students who was working weekends wanted more hours with summer approaching and took over my shift.”

  “I’m glad.” Coming out of his trance, he said, “All right then. Thanks again. Tell Zach I love him and I’ll see him tomorrow morning.”

  “I will.”

  Sitting in his Camaro with his hand on the ignition, Gage looked at the beautiful old house with the wide porch surrounded by sunflowers and closed his eyes, uttering the first prayer he could remember saying in a very long time. “Dear Father in Heaven, please watch over Valerie and the kids. Please bless Zach to be all right.” He closed the prayer reverently and waited. Nothing physically happened, but somehow Gage felt lighter and ready to face his day.

  Okay, so maybe this was a little more than I bargained for, Valerie thought rashly as she scurried from one child to the next. Justin pulled on her leg, mumbling about his lost pajamas as Valerie helped Zach reach the sink to finish brushing his teeth. Frantically, she called to Whitney, who was in the bathtub, to turn the water off before it overflowed. What had she been thinking to agree to take on the responsibility of another child? While Valerie was glad to see Zach’s outgoing personality engage Justin’s introverted one, now she really wished that she had kicked Gage out the door when she’d had the chance.

  Yesterday, her parents had come over to help her dismantle one of the beds from the guest bedroom and move it into Justin’s room. Valerie’s mom had asked her point blank if she was sure about agreeing to this arrangement. “Although we like Gage, he has been inactive for quite some time. And he’s hurt you in the past.”

  Valerie swallowed in light of the fact that her mother’s concerns were her own. But she couldn’t deny the warm feeling she’d felt when she’d prayed about it. “I’m not dating Gage, Mom. I’m just babysitting his little boy. Getting involved with him again was an unforeseen turn of events, but this is an answer to my prayers.”

  Now, however, with the bedtime routine deteriorating before her eyes, Valerie was seriously questioning her sanity. Family scripture time was a disaster. When Zach asked for the zillionth time why they needed to read them, she muttered, “It’s just something we do.” Before she could ask him to kneel, she had to intervene in a brief argument between her children. Finally they were all ready for prayer.

  Then Zach asked her what a prayer was. Sorely tempted to skip the ordeal altogether, she told him, “We pray to our Father in Heaven at the beginning and end of each day. We love Him and He loves us.”

  Zach gazed up at her in confusion. “Huh?”

  “Never mind.” She sighed. “You’ll catch on in time. Fold your arms and kneel down like this.”

  The next morning, Gage rang Valerie’s doorbell. When she opened it, he asked anxiously, “How did it go last night?”

  Was it his imagination or did her smile seem forced? “It went all right. The boys became buddies in a short time. The only glitch we experienced came at bedtime.”

  “Zach was hard to put down for the night, wasn’t he?”

  Her slight hesitation confirmed his suspicion.

  “You can level with me, Valerie. I’ve had a hard time putting Zach to bed too. Any time you have trouble with Zach, please let me know. I’ll do what I can to fix the problem.”

  “We can’t fix every problem, Gage. Give Zach time to adjust. Some things just take longer to work themselves out. And others, well . . . if they don’t work out, then you’re the one who has to adjust.”

  “Like you’ve had to do with Justin’s autism,” he replied automatically.

  She nodded reluctantly.

  “That’s got to be tough, dealing with it every day.”

  “Yes,” she said quietly. “There are days when I have to remind myself that Justin will be made perfect someday. But for right now, I have to endure. I get really excited when I see the tiniest improvement in him. And it will be the same for you with Zach.”

  “I hope so.”

  “As soon as he realizes that this is his new norm, he’ll settle down.” Spoken like a true mother. He was never so happy to know he had made the right choice.

  “Next Tuesday at ten o’clock,” Valerie confirmed later that afternoon as she wrote down the information her friend had given her. “Thanks a lot, Kiera. I’ll see you then.” Valerie ended the call with a smile. Because of Gage’s job offer, she could now afford to place Justin in swimming lessons. His motor skills were coming along. Valerie had taught him enough basic skills to prevent him from drowning, which had been a necessity due to his undeviating fascination with water since he was a toddler. But Justin had never actually become proficient at swimming. Whitney would be taking intermediate lessons as well.

  That evening, she passed the information on to Gage. “I’ve just signed my kids up for swim lessons with two sisters in my ward who teach them privately. They have one more opening, if you’re interested in having Zach take lessons too. Does he know how to swim?”

  Gage frowned. “I haven’t really spent enough time with Zach to know if he does or doesn’t.”

  “Even if he does, a refresher course wouldn’t hurt. My kids love spending time at the pool during the summer.”

  “Yeah, I guess I’d better look into that. Thanks.”

  “Swim lessons start a week from today.” She handed him the slip of paper with Kiera’s phone number, ignoring the zing that raced up her arm when his hand brushed hers. Valerie didn’t need any complications in her life. But she wouldn’t mind if they finally became friends.

  “Hand me the crayons, Justin,” Whitney said harshly after having already asked for them once before. Valerie prayed for patience, not realizing until recently that her daughter resented the extra responsibilities that had been placed upon her due to Justin’s disorder. She’d need to tread lightly with Whitney, who was playing the “I’m the oldest so you have to do what I say” card quite heavily lately. This was quickly becoming a sore spot with Justin.

  For this being Zach’s first time in sacrament meeting, he was behaving fairly well. He colored with Justin or looked at books and responded to Valerie’s reminders to whisper. Amazingly, he and Justin had established an instant rapport. It was like they had always known each other. Zach seemed to anticipate Justin’s needs. And while Valerie’s mind stumbled over the fact that Zach was younger than Justin but was more physically able to do most things than he could, her heart took comfort in knowing that her son had found a true friend.

  When the meeting was over, Valerie asked the children to quickly gather the array of books, paper, and crayons before turning to hustle them to Primary. She was waylaid, however, by Sister Ashcroft, a widow, who slowly walked up the aisle. “Valerie,” she said jovially, “who is this handsome young man you have with you today?”

  “Hi, Sister Ashcroft. This is Zachary, the son of a friend of mine. He’ll be attending church with us from now on.”

  Sister Ashcroft answered in a quivering voice, “Wonderful!” She peered down at Zach, not needing to bend over as her back was curved almost horizontally with age. “Hello, my young friend. Thank you for sharing the books so nicely with Justin. What a thoughtful boy you are!”

  She held her gnarled hand out for Zach to shake it. Zach hesitated, his expression a mixture of awe and fear. Valerie gently placed her hand on top of his little one, lifting it up to grasp Sister Ashcroft’s. “Tell her thank you,” she whispered in his ear.

  “Thank you,” Zach whispered solemnly. Valerie hid a smile. Maybe she should tell him that he didn’t need to always whisper in church.

  Straightening her body, Valerie cupped her hand on the elderly woman’s shoulder and said, “Thank you, Sister Ashcroft. We’re off to Primary now, but I’ll drop in later this week with some cinnamon rolls, if you’d like.”

  “Oh, my. That would be a lovely treat. Anytime, Valerie. Come and visit anytime.”

  The next three weeks were an adjustment for everyone in the Hall household as t
he school year came to a close. Valerie had almost decided to go through with her decision to place Justin in the local elementary school when Justin threw two major tantrums at preschool. Justin’s tendency to frequently lash out at other students, coupled with his teacher’s training in dealing with this kind of behavior, prompted Valerie to change her mind. Her mother was right. Justin really could use one more year at this school to help him develop the proper social skills that he would need to rely on. When she informed the staff of her decision and they met to go over Justin’s IEP, she felt as if a huge weight had lifted from her shoulders.

  Now that summer was here, the days were long and hot. Valerie took the children outside to the garden early in the mornings to weed and harvest the vegetables that were ready for picking. The garden had almost grown itself out before Valerie and her sister, Chloe, had managed to preserve a good amount of vegetables last week. In another week’s time, the plants would be completely scorched.

  Gage’s knack for picking Zach up just as Valerie and the kids were completing their work outdoors dismayed her. The first time this happened, Gage lifted a sardonic brow at the picture they all made—Valerie, with her wide-brimmed hat and sweat-stained clothing, and the kids who were smudged from head to toe. “Playing in the dirt, I see. Having fun?”

  She shrugged self-consciously. “I wasn’t about to turn down their offers to ‘help.’ I hope you don’t mind Zach getting dirty.”

  Gage’s gaze softened even while holding a hint of admiration. “Dirt washes away. The important thing is that he’s happy.”

  Usually after Gage took a washed-up Zach home, Valerie and her children enjoyed some free time before Gage brought him back to her place in the afternoons. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, she took Justin and Whitney to swim lessons at Kiera Erickson’s house. Gage brought Zach as well. Valerie didn’t know if she was more pleased that Gage had signed Zach up for the sake of him learning to swim or for the opportunity to spend more time with him.

  During that time, she learned a lot about his job, including the fact that Gage had earned a master’s degree online in sports management while working at the University of Arizona and shortly after he had hired on with the D-Backs. She also learned that his job wasn’t as glamorous as it sounded. Gage spent a lot of time on the phone, talking with potential clients, before meeting them in person to give them a firsthand look at their package deal. He also researched buying trends from their fan base through strategic marketing analytics before sending his reports to upper management.

  Gage didn’t interact with the Diamondbacks players too much except when they occasionally crossed paths at Chase Field or when the marketing team was putting on a special promotion. Under the shade of the canopy by the pool, watching the kids’ progress with their instructors, Valerie posed a question. “So of all the Diamondbacks players you’ve encountered, who are the easiest to work with?”

  “Miguel Santiago and Brody Renford are fan favorites, of course. They’re pretty easygoing. One of the suites we rent out coincides with Steve Hunsaker’s uniform number. Now that he’s a member of management, we’ve struck a deal with him, which in essence, ensures that he’ll make an appearance to the group who rents his suite at their request.”

  “Everyone loves him,” Valerie agreed. “Who would you say are the most difficult players to work with?”

  “I shouldn’t divulge any names,” he hedged. “But some of the players have more brusque personalities than others. They’re very focused on doing their jobs well and don’t get too caught up in the fan hoopla. Of course, all the players are under contract to make occasional public appearances. Some of them take it in stride while others get a little testy.”

  “So you’re saying that your job is a little more stressful than you’d like?”

  He answered carefully. “It’s a fun job for the most part, but sometimes it’s tough to draw people to the ballpark when you’re competing with various forms of media and a losing streak. Even our die-hard fans occasionally need a little coaxing.”

  Valerie would never admit it aloud, but she missed the times when Gage brought Zach to swimming lessons and they could chat. When the D-Backs were on a road trip, Gage worked more normal hours, leaving Zach with Valerie for most of the day before picking him up just before dinnertime.

  As the swim lessons progressed, Gage and Valerie would end each of their chats by analyzing the latest D-Backs’ game. Gage seemed impressed with Valerie’s knowledge of the players’ stats. “You must watch their games often to know most of that stuff,” he told her during one swim lesson in late June.

  She blushed. “No. I just listen to my brother Kurt. He’s a walking sports encyclopedia.”

  “You wouldn’t let him talk your ear off about it if you weren’t a big fan,” he persisted.

  “Well, it is kind of hard to make him shut up.” Gage chuckled at her attempt at humor. “But, yes, I do watch the games sometimes.”

  “If you’d like, I could get you a good deal on some great seats for Saturday’s game.”

  “Thanks for the offer,” Valerie replied hesitantly, “but attending a game at Chase Field isn’t really an option for us.”

  Gage’s eyes widened and he gave her his full attention. “Are you serious? Who can resist a day at the diamond, eating hot dogs and cheering their favorite team on?”

  Valerie’s gaze slid to the children with their swim instructors, but she wasn’t really seeing them. “It wouldn’t be good for Justin to be around so many people.”

  He leaned over to stare her down. “Says who?”

  “Says me,” she said evenly.

  “Have you tried it yet?”

  “No. And I don’t want to, either.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because Justin gets too agitated around a large group of people, as you saw for yourself at the baby blessing. It’s hard on him and me,” she admitted tersely.

  He lifted an imperious brow. “So you’re going to keep him in a cage all his life? Pardon me for saying so, but I don’t see how that’s going to help. He’s got to learn to function in society eventually.”

  “Just drop it, Gage. You know nothing about this.” Her jaw clenched. “You haven’t had to put your life on hold to help your developmentally delayed child outgrow his toddler years. You haven’t had to stay up all night with a kid who couldn’t turn his hyperactive brain off long enough to fall asleep. You’ve never had a complete stranger ask what is wrong with your child or tell you how to ‘fix’ the problem. And you certainly haven’t had to deal with a husband who blamed the dirty dishes, the laundry stacked to the ceiling, the fussy kid—everything—on you, when you were doing your best to hold it all together. You might be Zach’s father, but your ex-wife did more for your son than you realize. Who stayed up with him when he was sick or changed his dirty diapers for the first two or three years of his life? It wasn’t you!”

  Valerie almost flinched as Gage’s eyes darkened like the onset of a coming storm. “I might have if April had given me the choice. Thanks to her selfishness—or maybe she felt that she knew better than me—we’ll never know, will we? Tell me that you at least gave your ex-husband the chance to know his kids.”

  She stood and began pacing. “I did and he threw it away—at least with Justin! Whitney is his favorite. But Nick was always spending time on the golf course, schmoozing with clients. I never knew when he’d be home, yet the minute he walked in the door, I had to be at his beck and call.” Valerie bit down on her lip to keep it from trembling.

  Gage quickly jumped up and stepped in front of her, effectively stopping her in her tracks. “Maybe you should have explained to Nick that you were feeling overwhelmed and needed help.”

  With a humorless laugh, Valerie tried to step around him. “And opened myself up for more criticism? I was barely holding onto my sanity as it was.”

  Gage turned his body, blocking not only her retreat but her ability to see the kids at the other end of the pool as well. “The
n you know how it was for me. According to April, the only thing she ever did wrong was marrying me. I hate to break it to you, Valerie, but when a guy spends all his time at work, it’s usually to get away from a bad situation at home. It was probably more stressful than he was able to deal with.”

  “Oh, so now you’re pinning the blame for Nick’s defection on me?” Her voice rose in sync with the tremors that were running through her body. “Thanks a lot!”

  Having been pushed beyond reason, Valerie fought an uncontrollable urge to push back. Before rationality could prevail, and with a force she hardly recognized as her own, Valerie shoved at his chest. Gage’s eyes registered shock just before tumbling backward, his feet catching on a pair of flip-flops. Valerie winced as Gage hit the water with a huge splash.

  Loud screams erupted as Kiera and Deb frantically reached for their charges. Gage quickly pulled himself out of the water, coughing and swiping his hand through his hair. Wordlessly, he yanked his wallet, keys, and phone from his pockets and tossed them onto the concrete where they landed at her feet.

  Oh no! What have I done? Valerie backed away.

  “Dad! Are you all right?” Zach cried as he rounded the corner and hurled himself against his father’s leg.

  He coughed again and patted Zach’s back. “Yeah. I’m okay.”

  Horrified, Valerie could only think of escaping. She quickly gathered shirts, towels, and shoes and herded Whitney and Justin along the stone path that led to the backyard gate, all the while ignoring Gage calling her name and the other parents’ outraged faces.

  “Mom, why did you push Gage in?” Justin asked loudly.

  As from a fog, Valerie mumbled an inane response while fumbling with the latch. Too bad her fingers had suddenly become all thumbs.

  Maybe Gage hadn’t changed all that much. By presenting her perspective, along with a little of his ex-wife’s, Valerie had hoped to help him see the whole picture. But if his responses were any indication, he’d missed the point entirely. She couldn’t get out of there fast enough.