Page 109 of Their Greatest Strength

Apart from waiting for Nate, we’re ready to go. I think the hanging around doing nothing is making Jamie lose his mind a little bit.

I finish putting my jacket on and hand him the first one I seein the closet. It’s a Pythons jacket similar to the one Coach was wearing on the sidelines of the last game.

Jamie takes one look at it and shakes his head, reaching around me for a plain black jacket instead.

“I don’t want to draw attention away from Nate tonight,” Jamie explains, shrugging the black one on.

“That’s sweet.”

He smirks, reaching for the bottom of my jacket before starting to zip it up. “Yeah?”

“Don’t make me take it back.”

“Alright, fine. Do you want a toque?”

“It’s like ten degrees outside.”

“Is that a no?”

“It’s a no. I don’t have the face shape for a toque. I just look like a pudgy toy doll.”

Clunky footsteps on the staircase announce Nate’s presence. He slides toward us on his socked feet and snags his coat from the hook on the wall. “She’s more of a beanie girl, Jamie.”

“Don’t tell him all my secrets,” I scold half-heartedly.

Jamie snaps his fingers and points finger guns at him. “That’s right. Thanks, buddy.”

He digs into the closet and pulls my purple beanie from the top shelf. After tugging it onto my head, he gently moves my hair behind my ears.

“Can’t have you getting cold,” he says with a wink.

“Are all of these bottles for the team?” Nate asks, staring into the tub Jamie spent too long packing.

My husband jumps at my brother and hip bumps him away from the tub. “They are. I was going to bring snacks too, but your sister reminded me that you weren’t all ten-year-olds and probably wouldn’t have appreciated football-shaped sandwiches.”

“I’d have eaten one,” Nate says with a shrug.

Jamie spins to face me. “It’ll be you I’m sending a bunch ofhungry fifteen-year-old boys to when they feel like complaining.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“I would.”

“Can we go now, please? I don’t want to be late tonight of all nights,” Nate says, his voice timid, almost like he’s too afraid to show how excited he is.

Jamie realizes it, too, and doesn’t hesitate to lift the tub into his arms and lead the charge out the front door. “Remember the door code, Nate?”

“Yep!”

“Lock up with your sister while I put these in the car, and then we’ll go.”

“Got it, Jamie!”

I stand on the porch steps and watch Nate stick his tongue out and concentrate on inputting the code on the door correctly. When the sound of the deadbolt turning comes a beat later, he tests the door before coming to my side.

“Jamie’s awesome, Lake. I like him.”

As I turn my head to look at Jamie as he slides the tub into the open trunk, my heart skips. It’s such a simple task, and knowing that he’s doing this all just to see my little brother smile only makes me feel more confident in the choice I made yesterday.

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