“You didn’t hit it on the floor enough times.”
“You mean bounce it?”
I sigh, close my laptop and stand. “Watch me,” I tell him. He sits up on the bed and crosses his arms. “You have to beat the ball against the floor at least five times, and then throw it. Like this.” I mimic bouncing a basketball and throwing a shot. “It’s physics, Chastain. Did you ever go to class? Watch me again.” I pretend to bounce the ball between my legs.
“What was that you just did? You looked like you were having a seizure.”
“Am I going to have to teach you everything? Handle the ball better and do a better job of throwing it in that round thing. That’s how you win. Duh.” I roll my eyes at him.
He reaches for me and pulls me on his lap. I straddle him.
“Coach better watch out. I think you’re after his job.” He tightens his arms around me.
“You want a job done right, send a woman.”
He lowers his voice and says, “I have a job for you. I have two balls you can handle right now, but you can’t beat them against the floor.”
* * *
Now,with my heart in my throat, I wait for the Mischiefs to come out for the first game of the Finals. His mother is beside me with Evan and Vincent next to her. I have Tara and Ethan next to me. My dad, Alan, and Cheryl are behind me. Despite how nice Colt’s mother is, I’m still nervous to have the entire family together. I haven’t done this since Gerald, and that didn’t end well. Mother took to him like a fish to water and did everything to make Cheryl feel excluded. She was like a dog marking her territory that night.
I push Gerald out of my mind and think of the past day. Tara nudges my side and whispers, “I think you’re more nervous than the players.”
When Colt returned home from practice this afternoon, I gave him a massage. He got so relaxed he fell asleep while I was still rubbing his back. He was out cold, and I braided his hair in cornrows. This time, he didn’t tell me he was going to take them out. The players get called out one by one, and we all cheer for Colt when he comes out, giving high-fives to all his teammates. When the announcer comments on his hair, he runs a hand over his head.
The first half is a blur, and the excitement in the stadium, filled with people wearing magenta and gold, is infectious. The opposing team from Milwaukee is playing well, not giving the Mischiefs room for much of a lead, despite Colt scoring twenty-three points in the first half. By halftime, the Mischiefs are only eight points ahead.
“I’m just gonna have to start prayin’,” Mary Leigh whispers while she grabs my hand. Evan distracts her by whispering something in her ear. She’s the epitome of what a grandmother should be. She spoils Evan, and when Colt balks, she tells him to hush and sit down. Evan loves it, and I love that he’s so happy to have her around.
The only hiccup happened an hour after arriving at Colt’s place.
* * *
I’min desperate need of a glass of wine, but out of respect for his mother’s wishes, I won’t have any. I even go so far as to hide the unopened bottles in Colt’s closet. Mary Leigh picks up her phone and touches the screen. While the phone rings, she sets it down on the kitchen table, takes a seat, and plasters a wide smile on her face. It’s so wide, it looks like her face might crack. I lean against the wall, curious to see what she does next. I can spot a manipulative mother from a mile away, and as nice as she is, she’s as manipulative as they come.
“Hi, honey,” she says. “Sorry to just be callin’, but I was with Evan.” Just as the words leave her mouth, Colt and Evan come walking back into the kitchen. “Evan, honey, come say hi to your Uncle Charlie.” Evan runs over and sits on her lap. Colt freezes and stops mid step. I push off the wall and approach him. I massage his lower back and hope that my touch will give him some solace.
“Hi, Uncle Charlie.” Evan waves frantically into the phone.
“I miss you, bud,” Uncle Charlie says. “You take care of your grandma and your daddy, okay?” Evan nods.
“You want to meet Vickie?” Evan asks. He turns, and when he sees me, he jumps off his grandma and comes to take my hand. When I don’t make any moves, Mary Leigh gets up and brings the phone to me, shoving it in my face so I can stare at a Colt lookalike. He has the same curly, black hair and dark eyes. The only difference is he has a full beard, and his hair is much shorter.
“This is Victoria Taylor, your brother’s lady friend. The one we saw on the Twitter.” She whispers the last part.
I wave at Charlie, who has a genuine smile on his face, making him look even more like Colt.
“Lovely to meet you,” he says, his accent thick and rich. The words roll off his tongue like molasses.
“You as well,” I tell him, reluctant to say more given what Evan’s told me.
“Hi, Colty,” he says. He lowers his voice and his eyes when he addresses his brother. Colt only gives him a curt nod before he walks away, pulling me along with him. He doesn’t speak again until we get to the bedroom. He slams the door behind him, and for the first time since I’ve met him, he’s angry. I didn’t know he was capable of being angry, and it unsettles me.
He plops himself on the bed, and I sit on the edge before grabbing his hand in mine. He tugs me, and I sprawl on top of his chest as his large hands rub my back.
“Are you still mad about whatever happened at Christmas?”
His head snaps up in surprise. “How do you know about that?”
