Roxy angles her head toward me. “Don’t you want to apologize to Billy?”
“Not really, no.”
“Dad!”
Fuck it. I shovel some of the most delicious pot roast I’ve ever tasted into my mouth. The man is ridiculous. “Coach, get a grip. You’re offending your wife and daughter. Talk to me however you want, but have some care for them. Aren’t you always going on and on about being respectful?” I point my fork at him andtalk around the huge bite of roast in my mouth. “You, sir, are being a hypocrite.” I should remember my manners, but what does it matter? The guy already thinks I’m a savage. Might as well meet his expectations.
An angry vein in his forehead pulses, and I wonder if I’ve gone too far, but he takes a deep breath. Slowly nods. Swallows. Clears his throat. Tugs at the neck of his button-down shirt. “You’re right. My apologies, Babcock.”
The man has never apologized to me. Not once. Now that I think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever heard him apologize to anyone besides his family here tonight.
I’m too stunned to say anything, and I sit there with a forkful of food in front of my mouth, frozen.
He places his hands on the table and looks down and starts muttering something in Spanish. I can’t quite make it out, but his wife’s eyes go soft, and she reaches over and hugs him.
His whole demeanor changes when he looks up again. Like I’ve taken the wind out of his sails. He looks defeated.
Shit. I broke Coach.
He sighs. “We, uh, my wife and I wanted to let you both know we’ll help however we can with the baby.”
That’s all it takes for Roxy to burst into tears.
I really can’t fucking deal with women crying. Reaching around her, I tuck her under my arm. “I told you it would be okay, biscuit. See how much your parents love you? Don’t cry.”
She squeezes me tight, and her father stares at me like he’s never seen me before.
He clears his throat again. “We love you, Roxanne. We’re disappointed—ouch.” He gives his wife a look. She might’ve kicked him under the table. “Let me rephrase that. We wish you had finished college first, but we’re here to support you however we can.”
“I know, Dad. I’m disappointed in myself too.” She’s still sobbing against my chest, and I lean down and kiss the top of her head. “I’m heartbroken I can’t… can’t… cheer anymore. That I’m losing everything I’ve worked so hard for.”
I’m in touch with that. When Coach Krud switched me from QB to wide receiver, I thought my world was ending.
Coach blows out a big breath. “Rox, I’m sorry I lost my temper.” His eyes lift to me. “My apologies, Billy.” There it is again. Another apology. I glance out the window, bracing myself for a plague of locusts or killer frogs. “As I’m sure you can tell, my family means everything to me, and I’m not handling this situation as well as I’d like.”
I’m used to getting yelled out by the men in my life. Coach yelling at me isn’t all that different than the way my father bitches me out. But my father never apologizes, not like Coach has tonight.
“It’s okay, Coach. I understand. Roxy’s awesome, and I’d hate for anything to derail her life too. But I think we have to have more confidence in her abilities because she’s an amazing woman who’ll be an incredible mother.”
Santos swallows several times and nods. “You’re right.”
The table gets quiet as Roxy calms down. She reaches for a napkin, wipes her eyes, and then starts laughing. “Oh my God, I’m so glad this conversation is over. The idea of talking to you guys has been making me sick for months. I’ve been such a big chicken. It’s embarrassing. Billy kept telling me you two would come around, but I felt like the sky was falling.”
Roxy found out she was pregnant on a fluke in late November. Charlotte needed to take a pregnancy test but was freaked out, so Roxy took one with her in solidarity. Turns out, Charlie wasn’t pregnant, but Roxy was.
Coach tilts his head. Pauses. Narrows his eyes at Roxy. “This is why you didn’t do any stunts or tumbling at our championship game?”
She nods with a sad smile before she hops up to hug him and then her mom.
Marlena wipes her eyes. “We love you, darling. I’m sorry you didn’t feel like you could talk to us. I do have a bone to pick with you, though. I’m not sure I’m ready to be called Grandma. It makes me feel old.”
Roxy laughs again as she sits in her chair. “We’ll come up with a cool name for you, like Gigi or Mimi or some short version ofabuelita, likeLita.”
“Those are cute!” Marlena holds her hand to her chest. “That’s much better. Thank you,mija.”
Coach clears his throat again. “Roxy, I spoke to the bursar’s office. I’ll cover tuition for you this semester, and you can pay me back after you graduate and get a job.”
Marlena sighs. “You want her to repay you? Really, Richard? It’s for college.”
