Page 8 of The Quarterback Sneak

As I breeze through the front door, I hear the shrill cries of Ella and smile at the sight in front of me. Tiffany holds the little girlin her arms, bouncing her as she sings a soft, sweet lullaby. It doesn’t matter that Ella’s wailing louder than the song; Tiffany perseveres, hoping it will eventually calm her down.

I walk up behind her and whisper, “Hey, Tiff.” Spinning on her heels, her shoulders relax and relief washes over her face when our eyes connect.

Guilt fills my stomach, knowing she’s been here all day doing this while I’ve been acting like a normal teenager and playing football.

Ella smiles brightly when she sees me, and the apples of her chubby cheeks become bigger. “Za Za!” she squeals, reaching her thick little fingers out.

I can’t say no to her, so I take her in my arms, place a small kiss on her cheek, and push the blonde hair that isn’t being held up by her ponytail out of her face. “Hello, beautiful.” Tickling her tummy, I wait patiently to hear her unabashed giggle, and when it finally echoes through the room, my heart bursts with happiness. How can a little six-month-old give me so much joy and make me forget about everything instantly?

“Where are my parents?” I ask Tiffany as she walks into the kitchen, adjusting the blonde ponytail that matches her daughter’s.

“Your mom took an extra shift tonight, and your dad said he’d pick up some diapers for Ella after work.” By the time Tiffany is back in the room, she’s placed a glass of water on the table for me and gives me a small smile. Purple and blue marks mar her eyes, making her look older than her eighteen years. It pains me that she’s in this situation. Thatwe’rein this situation, but Ella is the best thing that ever happened to this family. Even if teething sucks. “How was practice?”

I frown, feeling shitty that she drew the short straw between us. Staying at home trying to get your GED while looking after a baby can’t be easy, especially when she knows I’m out at somefancy-ass prep school playing football all day. “Good. We’ve got an easier team on Friday, so I think we’ve got a great chance of winning. What about you? How were your online classes?”

She grins and brings her knees to her chest as she sits down. Something about the move makes my stomach drop. She looks so young and innocent herself, and here she is raising a baby.

“Did as much as I could.” There’s an air of sadness in her voice, and I know why. Tiffany was never someone who chased popularity. All she wanted was to go to college and better herself. Now she’s lucky if she’ll finish high school.

I swallow back the tension in the back of my throat because I hate seeing her like this. Before everything happened, she was always so carefree and happy. But now, her parents have disowned her and she has no friends. Just me. And she takes care of a baby the whole day, in a new town where no one knows her. “I was planning on finishing it once Ella was down for the night.”

“Gotta keep your grades up. You’ll need them if you want to join me at St. Michael’s next year.”

She scrapes a hand across her face, chuckling. She looks exhausted, and I feel like an ass for encouraging her when she’s spent the whole day watching over a child. “You and I both know that’s not going to happen. Even if I manage to get my grades up, my dad disowned me after everything. I’ve got no way to pay for it.”

“You focus on your grades. I’ll focus on how we’re paying for it.” Her sad, sleepy smile tells me everything I need to know. She doesn’t believe I’ll be able to do this. If that’s the case, she’s not been paying attention, because I will do anything to make it happen. With the potential scholarship and sponsorship money, I should be able to afford something for the three of us; it’s just getting to the point where I have those two things that I needto ensure. Bouncing Ella on my knee, I say, “Why don’t you get some rest? I’ll put bubba to bed.”

The tiniest bit of lightness fills her face at the mere thought of getting a break. “But don’t you have homework to do?”

I shrug, unbothered. “I did it during lunch. Plus, I’ve missed my time with Princess Ella.” As I say her name, Ella grabs my neck, forcing my attention onto her.

“Za Za.” She points to her toys on the floor and guides me to kneel next to her as she shows me her doll. Tiffany watches us for a few minutes before she’s confident enough to leave. I keep smiling at Ella, my heart breaking a little at Tiff’s soft footsteps padding down the hall. Since having Ella, getting her to relax has been nearly impossible, no matter how much I try. Guess it doesn’t help that her family isn’t speaking to her and she’s stuck living with mine.

Later that night, as Ella’s eyes flutter closed, I drop a gentle kiss on her forehead, thankful I didn’t wake her when I put her in the crib. Quietly, I shuffle out of the room, hoping she’ll stay down for a few hours so Tiff can relax a little. As I grab the baby monitor and click the door shut, my dad walks into the house with a full pack of diapers.

He smiles wearily, dropping the diapers beside the door. “Hey, Z. Where’s Tiff?”

I place the monitor on the coffee table and sit on the couch, clasping my hands. “She’s doing some homework. I’m on Ella duty for the rest of the night.”

Dad purses his lips but says nothing because he knows it’s a losing battle. We both know his feelings about my investment in Ella; he doesn’t have to say it. With football and my South Point Scholarship, I sometimes forget to breathe, yet here I am stretching myself, trying to stay up late to look after a six-month-old. If I’m not careful, I could ruin my potential career and anymoney that would come along with it. Money we so desperately need since adding an extra two mouths to our household.

I know I’m putting it all on the line, but when I look at Ella, all I see is hope, love, and adoration. I will make this work for all of us, no matter how hard it is.

“Do you want some dinner? I was going to stick some leftovers in the oven.” I ask, walking toward our modest kitchen before turning to him with a raised brow.

He places his jacket on the couch and checks his watch. “Can’t tonight, kiddo. I’ve got my shift in an hour.” I suck in my lips and bite down. My parents work two jobs each to keep us in this neighborhood, and it feels like we have had no time together over the last year because of it. “Your mom will be back in a couple of hours, though.”

I nod. “Okay, I’ll make sure to heat some up for her.”

My dad walks out of the room, then pauses. “When is your next game?” he asks, and I already hear the disappointment in his voice.

“Friday, but it’s not a big deal. We’ll win against this team easily.” I wave my hand because I know he has to work, and I don’t want to make him feel guilty about missing another game. My dad’s jaw tenses, and he nods.

“I know you’ll win. I’m just sorry we haven’t been able to be there for you.” He sighs, glancing at Ella’s room. “It’s just these mouths have added an extra strain on our family.”

“I understand.” I would take those two extra mouths over money any day.

As my dad heads to his room to change, Ella’s shrill cry pierces my ears, and I head into her room to calm her down.

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