There are rows and rows of colorful books. And I am so overwhelmed by what we're trying to find. Whose bright idea was it come to a book store to find a birthday present for toddler?Oh, right. Mine.But Quincy seems like the kind of mom who would appreciate the idea of an educational present for her son. And then there's the ice water at the coffee shop here, which you can't get anywhere else. So I'll just push through my frustration.A colorful book with a bright picture of a baby in a swing catches my eye. I pick it up and begin thumbing through it."Hey, babe, what do you think of this?" I show the front to Tiffany as she rounds the corner."What is it?""It's called Peanut's Wish." I flip through some of the pages. "It looks it's about a baby who can't wait to be born, or… I don't know. It sounds weird when I say that. It looks cute though.""Let me see." She takes it out of my hand and begins reading through it. "Aw. This is really cute. Wait." She starts giggling and reading o
"When are you going to visit your parents?" I ask for the second time as we drive toward Quincy's apartment for a barbecue a few days later. I'm so nervous that I keep asking the same questions over and over because I can't seem to retain the answers.Rowen glances over at me and takes my hand. "Next week. And would you stop being so nervous? It's gonna be fun."I try to take a deep breath but I don't feel like I'm getting enough air. "That's easy for you to say. You're not about to put yourself in a room with a few dozen women that want to rip your hair out."He snickers. "Another plus for the beanie." I shoot him a death glare. He squeezes my hand in response. "Tiff, we were invited.""No, you were invited.""And they all know we're together so they know you're coming, too." He pulls my hand up and kisses my palm. The feeling shoots goose pimples up and down my arm. "Besides, Quincy is always nice to you, right?"I shrug. "Quincy is not who I'm worried about. I never slept with her b
"I just don't see how they'll keep him," Sammy says, so I turn my attention back to the conversation in front of me. "They keep getting knocked out of the play offs and his years before retirement are limited. He wants that Super Bowl ring bad.""No way," Christian says. "Do you know how much they pay him? He can buy his own damn ring.""He'll never leave Dallas," I say as Daniel and a man that looks an awfully lot like him come back outside. "He's married with two kids now. His mom is here. I interviewed him last year and there's no way he's leaving.""No shit?" Christian says. "You interviewed Jason Hart? What's he like?"I smile. "He's huge. I mean, humongous. But he is just the nicest guy. Exactly like he was when he was drafted.""Wait," Rowen says. "How do you know what he was like when he was drafted? Weren't you like fifteen when that happened?"I smile with a nod. "Yep. For my birthday that year my mom got us tickets to go see the draft." I look around and see the wide-eyed ex
"Mo boyo!" My dad grabs me in a tight hug as soon as I step through the front door, causing me to drop my bag on the floor. He's never been shy with his affection for me. He offered to pick me up at the airport but I got a rental car instead. Its always a hassle because of my age, but I like the idea of not being dependent on my parents for anything. Call it lingering insecurities from trying to be my own person for so long.I pound him on the back a few times as we embrace. "Good to see you, Da.""I missed you, mac," he says and kisses me on the cheek, pulling away as my mom comes racing over."Rowen! I'm so glad you're here. Take off that darn cap and give me a hug." She snatches my beanie off my head and throws it across the room, then wraps her arms around my waist and I hug her back tightly. My habit of covering up my hair always irritates my mother. I expect I won't see that beanie again until I head back to Houston in four days."Me, too, Mam." I lift my head and take a deep br
"What do you want to know?""So you aren't going to deny that you're seeing her?""Why would I? I like her." He releases me and we move into another stretch. He's helped me do this so many times for so many years, it just comes second nature."I just know ye had some concerns in the beginning because of her lifestyle. I'm curious what's changed.""I'm not sure anything's changed," I say with a strained voice as I deepen my stretch. "I don't like how much she parties. I think she thinks she just has friends with benefits. And I think they treat her like shit and she doesn't even realize it.""But can you handle knowing she does it?""Not does, Da. Did. We had a long discussion about where I stand and how I can't share someone with my teammates. She agrees with me, one hundred percent. When she's single, she likes to go out and have fun. I mean, I guess that's her idea of fun. It's not mine. But when she's in a relationship, she's faithful."I stretch my arms up and lean forward, my dad
Compared to other sports, the off-season for soccer is very, very short. Only a couple months long, depending on a team's playoff schedule. But this past couple of months have been some of the most fun I can remember in a long time.On the party front, things died down a lot. The players who are married with families tend to go on a lot of vacations during the off-season and spend a lot of time at home while they can. And most of the single players head to their home town during that time. It's easier to save money when they're living with their parents and doing their off-season training at a local gym.Rowen, however, stuck around. And I suspect it had to do with me.We spent those months really getting to know each other. We explored tourist spots all over the city. We went to Galveston for a day trip. We did a lot of people watching.We went to almost every museum in Houston including my favorite, the John C. Freeman Weather Museum. There's so much to see and do there, including a
The thought hits me out of nowhere. I knew I liked him. Really, really liked him. It just never occurred to me until now that I love him. But I do. I love him with everything in me."Hey," he says cupping my cheek. "You okay?""Yeah." I shake my head of these new thoughts, not ready to confess my feelings at this point. "Sorry. My thoughts just ran wild for a second."He kisses the top of my head and we make our way into the apartment."Hey, Rookie!" Christian yells as he walks his way towards us, stopping to give Rowen a fist bump and me a hug. We've seen him a few times during the off-season and I know he and Rowen have become friends."How was the trip to Hawaii, man?" Rowen asks.Christian holds a hand over his heart. "It was fucking beautiful. Amazing. Probably the most romantic place I've ever been and I'm not a romantic guy.""I don't believe that," I chide. "I bet you're romantic with the right person.""I was treating my mama to this trip to Hawaii. That's not the time for rom
I watch Tiffany from across the room while I nurse my beer. A smile lights up her face as she chats with one of the newest players, a rookie who just came to us from Tulsa. Darren something-or-other. No doubt they're talking shop. She always looks happy when she's talking sports. She's so damn beautiful. And of all the guys she could have chosen, she chose me. Unbelievable.She hasn't made eye contact with me since the incident with Mack. I knew she would turn him down. At least, I really hoped she would. But I can't figure out how I ended up being the bad guy in that exchange."What are you doing over here while your woman is over there?" Daniel sits down next to me, slapping me on the back in greeting."Hey. What are you doing here? Quincy let you out of the house?""She's having a girls' night with Geni or something. Besides, I always come to the first party of the year.""Really?"He shrugs. "Just to make a showing. Team unity and all that shit." I nod and suck in my beer some more