14
Ihave to put the scene at José’s out of my head. I can’t let it shake me, can’t let it consume me.
But…it does.
I pick up Aiden from school, and I force myself to be as normal and cheerful as possible. I ask Aiden about his day, how his ankle is feeling—fine, and fine, respectively.
“Mom?” he says, as we’re heading to our doctor’s office to get the all clear from his doctor to go back to football.
“Yeah?”
“What’s wrong?”
I smile at him in the rearview mirror. “Nothing, baby.”
He narrows his eyes. “We talked about this, Mom. I know when you’re lying.”
I sigh. “Nothing you need to concern yourself with, Aiden, and that’s the truth.”
He nods, accepting my answer. “So, do you think Dr. Pritchard will let me play now? We have a game coming up and I want to be in it.”
“I think probably, yes,” I tell him, truthfully. “You’ve been off the crutches for a few days, and you’re moving without much pain, right?”
“It doesn’t hurt at all.”
“Well, we will just have to see what the doctor says, but I’m hopeful, for your sake.” I meet his eyes in the mirror again. “Even though I’m worried you’re going to get hurt again.”
“Coach Trent says I’ll get hurt a lot in football, but that getting hurt is different than getting injured.”
I frown. “I see. And what’s the difference?”
“Coach said hurt is something you can play through, injured is something that takes you out of the game.”
“And how do you know the difference?”
He shrugs. “I dunno. I guess if you can still play, you’re just hurt. Like, Iinjuredmy ankle because I couldn’t walk it off.”
I nod. “I see. Well, I don’t want you getting hurtorinjured. So be careful, okay?”
He rolls his eyes at me. “Mom, you can’t becarefulin football. You have to give it everything, every play. If you hold back, or try not to get hurt, that’s when you get hurt.”
“Let me guess, Coach Trent said that?”
He grins. “Nope, actually that was Coach Barnhart. He told us that the first day we started tackling.” His grin fades. “Is it weird for you when I talk about Coach Trent because you guys kissed?”
Gahhhh. “Nope!” I say, lying through my teeth.
“Mom,” he drawls.
“You know what, buster? You need to let your mom get away with a lie now and then. Sometimes it’s for your own good.”
He frowns at me. “But, Mama, you told me a million times that lying is never okay, and that it never solves anything. Even if it saves someone’s feelings right then, in the end it’s always better to just tell the truth.”
I groan. “I get the one kid who remembers everything I tell him, and he uses it against me.” I meet his eyes in the mirror. “Okay—the truth is, Aiden, yes, it’s a little weird for me sometimes.”
“Oh. So should I stop talking about Coach Trent, then?”
I sigh. “No, Aiden. He’s your coach, and your principal, and your friend. This is my issue, not yours. So you talk about him all you want, okay?” I opt for more honesty. “And, really, this is why we won’t kiss again.”
