Page 95 of Every Beat of My Heart

One of the kids hollered, “Hell yes, we are, coach.”

The parents chuckled at his enthusiasm while a few groaned.

“Language,” Jameson chided. “But we can do that.”

Kurt’s dad suggested the place and texted the address on the team message chain.

“Showers first. Then dinner,” Jameson said as they filed past him.

I wanted to congratulate him, but I couldn’t. Not with this number of people around him, all wanting to talk to the coach who’d seemingly inspired the team. There was an energy around him, an excitement that couldn’t be tamed.

Instead, I settled for sending him another text congratulating him while I walked to my car. I wanted to say we’d celebrate later, but he never stayed overnight at my place, and other than Thanksgiving night, we hadn’t had another opportunity to be alone.

I waited for Owen to open the door and smiled wide when he got inside. “Great job, buddy. I’m so proud of you.”

“You see my pass?” he asked as he slid into the back seat.

“I sure did. You looked like a natural out there.” After his initial nerves subsided.

He chewed his lip. “Do you think Bryce is upset?”

“It’s possible.” I forced myself to wait him out, not to jump in and give advice on what to do. That was the hardest part of my job, taking a step back and letting Owen work things out on his own.

“It was fun. But I wonder who Coach will play next time.”

“The only thing you can do is play your best when you get the opportunity. You can’t control other people’s reactions. And the decision to put you in or not is the coach’s, not yours.”

“I know that.” Owen sighed, then looked out the window.

I didn’t tell Owen that we couldn’t act too friendly toward Jameson at the restaurant. I refused to coach him to lie or be anything other than what he was. I just hoped no one noticed how familiar Owen was with Jameson.

I didn’t want anyone speculating that Owen was on the team because we knew Jameson before the season started or that he helped him get on with his training recommendations.

I wasn’t friendly with the other parents. And since I was a teacher, the kids mainly kept their distance.

At the restaurant, the team had taken over a party room in the back. It was loud with everyone talking and laughing about the game. Owen broke off from me and went over to his teammates. He was excited to be part of the team, and I was proud of him.

I just felt like an outsider as I leaned against a wall and watched everyone interact around me. Jameson stood in the center of the room, talking to a few of the dads. I was sure it was about the game.

Bryce’s dad, Brian, was here too. I wondered if he was upset that Bryce was taken out of the game, especially when the buzz was about how amazing Owen was. I heard a few parents ask whether anyone knew Owen could throw like that. I was proud of Owen, but I worried about the backlash. What would Bryce say to Owen in school?

When the pizza came, I sat at one of the parents’ tables, but I couldn’t eat. My stomach was tied up in knots.

I was on edge, worried that someone would notice something. But Jameson never even looked in my direction, which hurt for a different reason.

I was tired of keeping us a secret even though I knew it was necessary. Our jobs were on the line, and Jameson’s was only a temporary position. He could easily be blocked from being a substitute teacher and asked not to return as the coach.

Now that he’d taken the position, I could see how much he liked it. I didn’t want to be the reason why he lost it.

After the pizza was gone, Jameson stood. “I want to thank everyone for coming out tonight. I’m proud of the kids, how hard they worked this season, and how hard they fought tonight. It wasn’t easy. Football is a mental game, and they all fought hard to take home the win.”

A bunch of people cheered.

“But the season isn’t over yet.” The cheers grew louder. “We have more hard work to do. But I’m confident you boys have what it takes to come out on top. At the end of the day, it isn’t how many games you won or how many you lost. It’s what you learned along the way and how much you grew.”

Brian shook his head from his position at the back of the room where he still stood against the wall. He hadn’t joined any of the other parent social groups. He also hadn’t talked to Jameson yet. I was sure he was going to complain; it was just a matter of time.

Servers cleaned the tables, and I gathered my things. People were starting to leave, and it was getting late.

---