“I’m trying,” I complain and limp faster into the kitchen.
Mom is sitting at the table wearing a snow cap, a thick coat, gloves, and is holding a blanket. I take one look at her and start to laugh.
“Stop it,” she orders. “I can’t help it if I get cold at games.”
“You look like you’re going for a month’s stay in Antarctica, Mom.”
“There’s no time for this,” Dad cries out. “Could you two, please, go get in the car? We’re going to be late.”
“We have forty-five minutes, Craig.”
“I want to get a good seat.”
“You’ll get a good seat, Dear. You’ll get the seat you always get – right there on the front row. You know, we’d probably stay warmer if we sat up higher and had more people surrounding us. Someone to block the cold air from in front, anyway.”
“I’ll pack you a space heater and run an extension cord all the way over to the concession stand, but we’re sitting on the front row. That’s where we always sit when one of my boys play ball. Now, let’s move. We still have to stop and pick up Paige.”
“That should throw us off a good minute or two. I’m sure she’ll be waiting out on the curb, like you told her.”
“I didn’t tell her to wait on the curb.”
“Practically.”
“Wendy,” he says sternly.
I glance at Mom, she rolls her eyes at him and I laugh. It’s funny to see Dad this nervously excited.
“Ryan,” Dad suddenly says. “Here’s your art stuff back.” He pats the items lying on the counter top behind him.
“Serious? Sweet! Thanks, Dad.” I move for it, but he holds up a hand.
“After the game, for hell’s sake, huh?”
“Alright-alright.” I laugh again. “Come on, Mom. Dad is freaking out.”
“Well, it’s Luc’s first game,” is his excuse. He moves to the garage door and pulls it open, and waits there for us.
I take the blanket from Mom and she gets to her feet. At the door, before she passes him, she pauses to ask, “Can we stop for some hot cocoa on the way?”
His eyes bulge, which is the reaction she was looking for and she giggles before leaning in and kissing him on the lips. “Kidding. I’ll just follow the extension cord to the concession stand for some.”
His eyes sparkle and he finally gives in and smiles at her. “Get in the car, Wendy,” he says and playfully whacks her on the behind.
I cover my ass with my hands as I approach and he chuckles. He pats me on the back, and then helps me down the stairs.
It’s the first game I’ve been to since before the accident and as I sit next to Paige, who snuggles in close to me in order to stay warm – As I watch Dad hoot and holler and refuse to sit still – As I see Mom smile proudly – As I listen to the band play, hear the crowd roar when Lucas makes a touchdown, and then see the genuine smile on his face when he removes his helmet after the game – I decide that maybe football isn’t so bad after all.
EPILOGUE
“Ryan. Ryan. Ugh, wake up!”
“It’s Saturday, leave me alone, Luc,” I groan and roll over onto my side away from his rushed voice.
“Get up!” He kicks my bed making the mattress, and me, jiggle.
“Don’t,” I groan. “Damn, what time is it?” It has to be early because I can’t hear any lawn mowers around the neighborhood yet, and the baby birds that live in the nest outside my window are chirping wildly for their breakfast.
“Who cares – get up.”
“I care. We still have two weeks before school is out for the summer and I value the mornings I can sleep in.”
“Get the hell up, Ry. Hurry.”
I moan and return to my back before opening my eyes to him. He’s standing above me – fully dressed. His eyes are alive with eager and excited energy, but his brows are pinched into something that resembles confusion and disbelief.
“What’s going on?”
“Get dressed.” He bends over and picks up the jeans I was wearing yesterday from my floor and throws them on top of me.
“Alright-alright.” I toss my blankets aside and crawl out of bed. I pull on the pants, opt not to put on a shirt, and then hold my hands out to my side. “Now what?”
“Shoes.” He kicks them my direction with the side of his foot and I step into them when they stop rolling.
He’s anxious for me to hurry – to follow him – so I do. He leads the way out of my bedroom – which used to be his, but is now mine again – and I pause at the top of the stairs and watch him trot down them.
“Damn, slow down, you know I’m not that fast yet,” I say as I latch onto the hand rail and begin my descent. It hurts, but nothing like it used to. In fact, I can only categorize stairs as moderately uncomfortable, now.
Luc waits for me at the bottom and no longer have I met up with him, than does he move off across the great room toward the front door.
He stops there, and I do too, and then, with one hand on the knob, he turns to face me.
“I woke up to use the bathroom about fifteen minutes ago and found this on my bed.” He jams his free hand into his back pocket and pulls out a folded envelope with his name written across the front in Dad’s hand writing.
I hardly have time to look at it before he yanks open the front door and all but pushes me out onto the porch.
The sun hasn’t officially risen yet, but the world has taken on plenty enough light to allow me to notice the brand new, black Toyota Tundra parked in the driveway.
I glance back at Luc and he opens the envelope and shakes out the key. It lands in his trembling hand.
“Holy shit!” I grin, my heart starting to pound excitedly. “It’s yours?”
“I . . . guess so.” There’s still a hint of confusion in his gaze as he bounces it from me to the truck and back.
“That’s the truck you wanted, Luc. Dad got you your truck!” I cry out, thrilled for him. “Damn, that is one sweet ride.”
“You really think it’s for me?”
“Hell yeah. It’s yours, Man!” I slap him on the back and now that I’ve confirmed it, Luc finally dares to believe it.
A smile like I’ve never seen him display before spreads across his face and his eyes dance with the rush of adrenaline. He clamors down the steps, eager to more fully check it out, then stops on the sidewalk and looks back at me. “You coming?”
I study him, remember back to when I got my new Camero and how I told him he wasn’t allowed to get in it, touch it, or even look at it. He shouldn’t want to include me now, but he does and I love him for it. I love that he’s dragged me out of bed at the butt crack of dawn to show me – before he even shows his friends.
“Yeah, I’m coming,” I smile at him.
He deserves this. He deserves it more than anyone I know.
I have one hell of an awesome brother!
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