Sunday morning Ava stepped out of bed and almost fell down. Her legs were screaming! She’d never realized how much you had to clench your thigh muscles to stay in the saddle of a horse.
Tommy stopped with his fork midway to his mouth as Ava hobbled into the kitchen. “What’s the matter with you?”
Coach was ladling pancake batter onto the hot griddle. He turned and smiled. “She went riding is what’s the matter,” he said. “Little saddle sore, sweetheart?”
“Just a little,” said Ava grumpily, hobbling toward the refrigerator. She pulled out the orange juice and then sank into a chair with a groan.
“Tommy and I were just talking about the game coming up this Friday,” said Coach.
“Shocking, I know,” added Tommy with a wry grin.
“You guys ready?” asked Ava.
Coach grunted.
“I need to know, because every other person I see asks me if my dad’s team is going to beat Mainville,” said Ava.
Tommy shrugged. “It depends on how focused PJ is that day,” he said. “He’s kind of all over the place mentally. Is that fair, Coach?”
Coach nodded. “He’s got some growing up to do. He’s a great athlete, but he’s cocky.”
“Well, I hope he’s ready,” said Tommy, “because Dion’s hurting. Dee won’t let on, but I think his leg is bothering him. I saw him limping pretty heavily after practice yesterday when he thought no one was around to see him.”
Coach pressed his lips together. “I think you might be right, Tom,” he said. “But PJ has been looking good. It’s his head we’ve got to contend with.”
“Maybe Tommy can be QB,” said Ava playfully.
“Oh, yeah, right,” said Tommy. “Like that’ll ever happen.”
“Tom,” said Coach, and he had on his serious face. “You’re just a sophomore. You’re still growing, getting stronger. You have a lot of potential to become a very good QB—more than very good. You’ve got speed, quickness, agility, and a rock-solid arm. And Dion is showing real promise as our go-to kicker.”
Silence descended. Ava watched Tommy slather peanut butter onto a pancake. He rolled it up and ate it in three bites.
“Morning, everyone!” Alex bounced into the kitchen, annoyingly chipper as usual. She looked from Tommy to Coach to Ava and pursed her lips. “You were talking about football, weren’t you?”
“Of course, darlin’. But we’ll stop. Here’s a pancake with your name on it,” said Coach, handing her a steaming plate.
Tommy scraped his chair away from the table and brought his plate to the sink. “I’m going over to the church to practice,” he said. “The service ended at nine, and the next one doesn’t start until noon, so I have a nice chunk of practice time.”
After he’d left, Coach took a long sip of coffee and stared into space, deep in thought.
Ava and Alex looked at each other.
“Do you really think Tommy can be a starting quarterback someday?” asked Ava.
Coach set his mug down gently on the table. “He could. Depends on what he wants. I wish he spent as much time thinking about football as he does about piano.”
The girls were quiet for a few minutes. Then Alex spoke. “I think we’re all set for Thursday, Daddy.”
Coach looked up, baffled. “Thursday? The game’s Friday.”
Alex closed her eyes and sighed. “Your. Anniversary. Dinner.”
He jumped as though he’d been poked from behind. “Of course! Right! I knew that!”
Alex leaned forward and whispered into Ava’s ear. “Tommy found a violinist for the dinner.”
Mrs. Sackett and Moxy bustled into the kitchen from their walk. Even at this early hour, Mrs. Sackett’s face was flushed and her hair was escaping from her ponytail. Moxy went straight to her dish and began lapping water noisily, showering everything nearby with droplets.
“Hot already out there, Mom?” asked Alex.
Mrs. Sackett filled a glass of water and gulped it all down. “Yes,” she gasped, setting the glass down.
Coach stood up and enveloped his wife in a bear hug. “Have I ever mentioned how lucky I am?” he crooned into her hair.
Mrs. Sackett looked at the girls over his shoulder, a slightly startled expression on her face. “Um, not recently.” She smiled and hugged him back. “It’s nice to hear.”
Alex laughed when she looked over at her sister and saw a slightly revolted look on her face.
“I think they’re cute!” she said.