Page 93 of The Player's Obsession

“Oliver never told me.”

Mrs. Howell never would have taken a job. Maybe I misjudged Emily and Theo.

“I have a list of wedding venues if you want help planning the big day.”

“Thank you, I’d love that.”

“I know everyone thinks you two are married, but Oliver knows how much it means to me to witness the milestones of his life. And he knows if he eloped and didn’t tell me, I’d string him up like a Thanksgiving turkey.”

I chuckle at her candor and sense of humor.

“We can talk more tomorrow— over breakfast, right?”

“Yes, it’s a tradition to get everyone together for breakfast when both boys are in town and have the day off. It’s never easy, and so rarely happens. I can’t imagine having grandchildren thrown into the mix. I’d love it if Michael were on a team closer to home. I miss them. No matter how old I am, I miss seeing them. Kids nowadays are always busy.”

“True, very true…well, I’m looking forward to breakfast with the family tomorrow.”

I’m in the middle of bringing the girls up to speed on the Melanie situation when I notice the score. We’re down by two goals. Some fans are already starting to leave.

The mood in the suite has shifted to doom and gloom by the time the game ends in a loss. That means the Megs are out of the playoffs and lost their chance at the Super Bowl. Their heads hang as they leave the field and head to the locker rooms.

“Oh boy, you’ll have your hands full,” Emily says as she hugs me on their way out.

“Why do you say that?”

“He’ll be down in the dumps for a few days. Don’t take it personally. He will snap out of it. He’s a perfectionist, and he’ll replay every play wondering what he could have done differently.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, thank you.”

Theo didn’t say much to me during the game. He spent his time talking to his son, Michael, and watching Oliver play. So, it’s a surprise when he gives me a hug.

“It was so nice to have you join us. Let’s do it again next season.”

I tell him I’ll see him at breakfast and give him an extra squeeze when I hug him in appreciation. It looks like I made points with Oliver’s parents.

Lucinda says goodbye to Michael. I bet they exchanged phone numbers when nobody was looking. We walk outside with Rose and Stephanie and hug goodbye with words of encouragement. It’s gonna be a long night spent with some unhappy football players. After we make sure everyone gets to their cars okay, Lucinda and I head home. I drop her off at her place and drive by mine. The windows are dark, and I don’t see Freddy's car in the parking lot. Not wanting to run into them, I exit and head home.

I park in the garage and change into winter sleepwear as I wait for Oliver to get home. I text him, letting him know that I’m sorry about the loss and that I’ll be up when he gets home.

He texts me an hour later that he’s out with the team and to get some sleep.

I feel bad for them. All they talked about over New Year’s was winning the Super Bowl. Well, you can flush that dream down the toilet bowl now. I’ve never competed in a sport, so I have no clue how they handle the highs of winning and the lows of losing. Just glad they have each other to lean on.

I crawl into bed and pull the covers up to my chin. I hope Oliver gets home safely. I miss having him beside me, and I wonder how I’ll bear it when he’s on the road during the season.

True to his mother’s word, Oliver sleeps in the next morning. Assuming he’s hungover, I give him aspirin and water when he cracks his eyelids. He takes the drink and pills, but he’s not talkative.

I leave him in bed, and when I check on him later, his eyes are closed, but I know he’s not sleeping.

“Do you want to talk about it?

“No.”

This is the first time he’s not up before me, and by eleven, I ask him if he’s getting out of bed.

“Maybe.”

It’s difficult not to take it personally. I’m glad his mother warned me this would happen after losing a big game, but at the same time, I feel helpless.

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