Page 33 of I Got You

“Look. Look at that, Mags,” Cole says from a recliner on the other end of the couch that fills this large living room. “Sandberg’s arm is looking smooth as butter.”

My eyes focus on the large screen above the stone fireplace flanked by bookshelves filled with family pictures. Mark Sandberg is my brother, but not in conventional terms. Only a handful of people know we spent our teenage years in a group home together and played on the same high school football team. We beat the odds, and now he’s a starting quarterback for one of the best teams in the NFL.

Teddy pauses his reading while Maggie studies the screen. She watches his pass to a receiver and then the replay.

“Ahh. He’s fisting and flexing his hand. I don’t know. That tells me there’s still something going on. He’s going to be out this season. You can put your money on that.” The camera zooms back in on Mark. “Watch. Right there,” Maggie says as he throws another pass, but it’s the after-effect we’re all waiting for.

“Damn,” Cole says.

“Cole said a bad word,” Liv says from the floor, where she’s surrounded by crayons and markers.

Teddy grins. “You owe us a dollar, bruh.”

“Sorry,” Cole apologizes.

I study the screen again, and I’ll be damned, I see what she’s saying. How does she do that? It’s the most minuscule stutter, like he’s either in pain or hasn’t forgotten the pain that was once there. Mark hasn’t said a word to me about his shoulder still hurting, but that’s probably because I kept telling him to ease up last season before it turned into a tear and required surgery.

Hank enters the living room dressed in workout clothes with a soccer ball in his hand. “I’m going to meet some guys at the field. I’ll be back before dark.”

“Is your homework done?” Maggie asks.

“Yes.”

“Is your phone charged?” Cole laughs.

Hank rolls his eyes.

“Is Miss Boobs going to be there?” Teddy bursts out laughing and almost falls off the couch. I want to laugh too, but I hold it in.

“Teddy,” Maggie half-heartedly scolds but waits for Hank to answer.

“Seriously.” Hank’s head falls to the side, then succumbs to pressure. “No. Shelby isn’t going to be there. Just the guys.”

“Ok. Home before dark,” Maggie orders.

“And don’t get hurt before your big game this week,” Cole hollers. “We’re all wearing jerseys just to make him crazy, right?”

Maggie scoffs. “Uh, yeah. And I’m bringing the cowbell just to drive the snotty parents crazy. Plus, it’ll embarrass him even more.”

I interrupt their conversation. “What position does he play?”

“Forward,” Maggie answers. “He plays in a travel league in the summer. He wants to head to Europe after graduation.”

“When is his game?”

Maggie stares at me for a second before answering. “Next Saturday afternoon. You should come if you're free. You can give the dads something to talk about besides how Hank is only playing varsity because of his name.”

“If Hank sucked, they might have a case,” Garrett chimes in from the floor, holding some kind of circuit board thing that lights up and makes noise as he moves things around. “He’s the only reason they have a shot at winning.”

And so the afternoon goes. Cole leaves to study as the snacks on the table disappear. Liv sits next to me, playing with her dolls, while the boys pretend to blow up army men. Maggie switches and folds laundry, and I try to absorb what it’ll be like to be part of this.

“Hit the showers, boys,” Maggie says, returning to the room from taking the empty snack bowls into the kitchen. “And Teddy, if you don’t scrub, you’re sleeping outside with the other animals.”

Teddy groans as he and Garrett head upstairs.

Maggie stops me as I start to get up. “Can you hang out until I get them in bed?”

“Yeah, then you can read me a story.” Liv pops up on her knees next to me.

---