Page 81 of A Game as Old as Time

His head lowered, and he groaned quietly.

“My mom, she got to see me perform, and that was all I ever wanted. I got to star in front of her, and I knew she was proud of me.” Hailey couldn’t help the tear that fell down her cheek. “I guess, I guess I just wanted that to be my last performance. A performance for her, one that I could keep with me. So I quit theatre the next semester.”

She had no idea how he would process everything she had just told him. She really had no idea why she had just blurted all of it out, but she felt like she had to finally tell someone. Gunner would at least understand a little, and that made it easier.

“Ms. Summers spoke with a few of my old teachers and wanted me to take the role here. I guess I was just being scared and selfish.”

There, I said it.

The car was silent as the onscreen figures danced on.

“Yeah, well,” he finally broke in with a soft mumble, “I guess I kind of know what that’s like.”

At first, she tilted her head toward him. Her mind replayed his words a few times before a laugh escaped.

“I guess you do.” Her body loosened as she settled back into the seat.

“You know, you didn’t have to do it.” His green eyes had returned to her. “But I’m glad you did.”

Me too.

She bit her lip, trying to prevent a large grin of relief from spreading across her face.

The two fell back into a comfortable silence as the movie played.

I did it.

She relaxed even more into the leather. The sense of dread, the swirling hole in her stomach, that she had feared would appear when she spoke about her mother and why she had refused to go back on the stage had not arrived.

Hailey knew all along that she was being selfish, but it was the thought of losing the vision of her mother in the crowd that haunted her the most. She wanted that image of strength, not the one of her in bed, sick and unable to move.

I was wrong.

Her mother’s beautiful smile was still crystal clear. Her pride as she applauded the final number percolated in Hailey’s mind. Talking about it, facing the reality that she was gone, had not taken that away.

“So.” Gunner shifted and played with the steering wheel. “What’s going on at this part? They’re reading books and stuff?”

The scene on the screen moved into a courtyard, but Hailey was more focused on the young man by her side.

He is so different tonight.

He was anxious and nervous. The normally in control, confident quarterback was suddenly unsure.

“Well,” she said, leaning on the center console, “this is the point in the movie where she is starting to see him for more than just his appearance. She is starting to see his other qualities: how sweet and kind he can be.”

He nodded, but his eyes remained on the screen.

“I guess they both are, really, at this moment.”

He smiled wider and turned toward her.

He has such an amazing smile.

“So, he’s starting to change too?”

“Well,” she couldn’t help but giggle, “he is starting to feel something that he hasn’t felt in a long time. Something he probably thought he wouldn’t ever feel again.”

Why am I doing this?

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