Page 107 of A Game as Old as Time

“I think it’s great that your sister is going back to school. I know how difficult that has to be for her, but I also know how proud you must be.”

So proud.

Even the cold breeze that whipped around her car couldn’t wipe Haliey’s smile away. The thought of her sister enrolling in classes and getting her life back together had been a constant topic of conversation lately---she hoped she had not bored Gunner with it.

“Should I turn down the heat?” She noticed that he was struggling to take off his letterman jacket.

“It’s fine,” he said. “Just, you know, with this stupid sling, it’s hard to get comfortable.” He threw the jacket into the back and took another peek at the candy. “But, for your first time up this way, I actually think you showed some restraint with the chocolate. I’ve watched my mom and sister come out with way more.”

Hailey giggled under her breath. A slight pause for him to readjustallowed her time to admire the sprawling building behind them.

What a magical place.

The large glass windows sparkled in the sunset, and she could not help but smile at the thought of how wonderful the day had been. The tour through the chocolate factory, the endless shopping for sweets, and, of course, the pictures she had in her back pocket from the photo booth were a perfect complement to each other.

So much fun.

She slid back into her seat and exhaled. Another gust of wind shook the car. The cold, crisp air in her lungs brought back memories of Saturdays shopping on Fifth Avenue in New York with her mother and sister. She could see them now, laughing and enjoying a cup of hot chocolate as they strolled through Times Square. It had been different in California. The warmer winters made it easy to stay outside, but this frosty chill felt more familiar. It reminded her of a simpler time in her life.

Home.

She opened her eyes when a car door slammed nearby. She noticed that Gunner’s attention was being drawn away from her, into the distance.

What is he thinking about?

“Hey,” she said softly. “What are you looking at?”

She followed his gaze to a large stadium structure, which was lighting up the night.

“Sorry. I was spacing out again. It’s just…” he flashed a timid smile before lowering his eyes. “That’s Hershey Stadium. That’s where we’ll be playing Friday night.”

Wow.

The large, vanilla-colored pillars reached high into the sky, propping up bleachers that stretched from one end of the field to the other. The lights spread four-wide, spotlighting whatever was being showcased below. The front parking lot spanned at least a mile and led to multiple ticket booths.

“That is big for a high school stadium.” She leaned closer, still admiring the coliseum architecture of the venue.

“Well, they host concerts and other large events in it as well.” He sniffed and cleared his throat. “But every December, they host the football championship.”

He painfully propped himself on the center console, right next to her now.

“Have you ever been inside?” She put her hand on his leg, trying to avoid his injured shoulder.

“Yeah.” He started to play with the sling. “I have.” He glanced back at the stadium. “My dad…my dad and I used to go to the state championship games every year.”

Stupid Hailey, why did you bring it up?

She pulled away sheepishly and began to take off her own coat to buy time.

Stupid!

While they had spent a lot of time together over the last few months, he had rarely mentioned his father. She knew what that was like. The first year after her mother passed, she had difficulty even speaking her name. For him, it was still fresh, and he would tell her when he was ready. But now she had accidentally rushed into it, possibly ruining the special day they had together.

“Gunner, I’m---”

He waved his hand, shifting in the seat to face her.

“You know…” His green eyes were particularly vivid today. “You have told me so much about your mom and your sister. I feel like, I don’t know---” He widened his eyes, exhaling through his pursed lips. “I haven’t really told you anything about me or my dad.”

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