Page 171 of By His Play

They’re either connected to him, or I work with them. But even still, we’re not exactly close.

If I had something outside of him, maybe all of this wouldn’t seem so bad.

Hell, maybe if I had a girlfriend to dissect it all with, it would be easier to understand.

Maybes aren’t going to solve any of this, though. I’m not suddenly going to find women who are happy to listen to all of my woes and help me navigate a way through it.

A laugh spills from my lips at a video Brax shared of a dog being a goofball.

I don’t know if it’s a coincidence, or he’s seen that I’m online and begins typing, but he does.

BraxtonWhitlock28: Hey, how’s it going?

EffieCampbell: It’s…going. Things are getting better every day.

BraxtonWhitlock28: You’ll get there.

BraxtonWhitlock28: Any news on your return?

My heart slams against my ribs, and my cell trembles in my hands.

I don’t want to point-blank lie to anyone. But I also don’t want to tell the truth either.

EffieCampbell: How’s camp been this week?

I hate myself for completely changing the subject on him, but I don’t know what else to do.

BraxtonWhitlock28: It’s been great. Kieran is in his element.

A smile pulls at my lips. Of course, the football season is his favorite part of the year, but being able to drop into the summer camps that the KC Foundation works hard to run, and meet the future NFL stars, is a huge deal for him.

And it should be. The KC Foundation is his baby. He’s the one who wanted to give back and help underprivileged families allow their kids to follow their dreams.

Of course, to a point, it’s my baby too.

We came up with the idea together, and along with Kingston and Kian, we turned a dream into a reality.

In only a few short years, we’ve accomplished so much and helped so many aspiring players get one step closer to achieving their dreams.

Kieran is proud, and rightly so. He’s helping to mold the future of the sport he loves, and that’s huge.

EffieCampbell: I always love watching him with the kids. It makes him really happy.

BraxtonWhitlock28: You know you’re welcome any time. He’d love to have you there.

My breathing falters. It would be so easy to turn up and surprise him.

But that’s even more panic-inducing than picking up the phone and talking to him.

Brax and I message a few more times before he lets me know that he’s heading out, and my cell falls quiet.

Jumping over to my feed, I begin scrolling, but I come to a stop when I see another advertisement for the dance classes.

I read the post, which gives much more information than the flier. Before I know what I’m doing, I’ve opened up a web browser and I’m searching the dance company to find out more.

They have adult classes on Monday and Thursday evenings covering all kinds of dance. But it’s the ballroom and Latin classes that spark my curiosity.

Grams and Gramps used to go to weekly dance classes. She inspired me from an early age, and once upon a time, I knew everything from the Cha-Cha to the Waltz.

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