Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91783 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91783 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
She’s not wrong. I count how many people will be at the game. I buy ten and hope I haven’t missed anyone. Paige hands me the stack. They’re not easy to carry and I somehow have to finagle my ticket out of my pocket to give to the kid checking them at the stands. The little shit wouldn’t take my word for it or allow me to come back and show it to him. I seriously wanted to say, don’t you know who I am, but I held my tongue.
I pick our seats, fifty-yard line, three rows up. When Noah played, I stayed in the announcer booth out of an abundance of caution. I tried watching a game from the bleachers, but the fans wouldn’t leave me alone. It wasn’t the fine people of Beaumont—they literally don’t give a shit about who I am when I’m not home—it was the opposing team. It hadn’t taken long for word to spread that Liam Page had moved to Beaumont. Not many people knew I was from here to begin with. Add Harrison to the mix and the fans were relentless.
By the time Noah and Quinn were in middle and high school, Harrison and I couldn’t come to a school function without security.
Now, I look around and no one cares. Not even the opposing team. If that’s not a punch to the nuts I don’t know what is.
Like a fan, I set each foam finger on the seat. Five in front and five in back. It’s good thinking so we can all talk to each other. I doubt we’ll stay seated like this. My mother likes to be as close as she can so Nick and Noah can hear her opinions.
They love her.
Josie walks up the steps, stops and stares, and then laughs. “You know we paid for those, right?”
I shake my head. “Twice over apparently.”
She extends her hand. I take the thermos of coffee from her. “Is it special?”
Josie rolls her eyes. She sits next to me and spreads a blanket over our laps. “Why did you buy so many?”
“For our family.”
She looks them over. “Who do you think is coming?”
“Mom, Peyton, Talisa, Quinn, Justine, Ben, Elle, you, and me.”
My wife makes this face when she’s about to tell me I’ve been hit with the not so bright stick. She’s making that face now.
“Peyton and Elle have five babies, all under the age of one. Do you really think they’re coming to the game?”
“Peyton is,” I say as I point to Noah. “She’d never miss Noah’s game.”
“And who do you think is going to babysit the boys if Elle and Ben are here? Certainly not Michael. He can’t watch five babies.”
“Um . . .” Honestly, I haven’t paid attention to who has been watching the triplets during the other games. Earlier in the season, Peyton brought them because I remember giving Maverick the play-by-play.
“I’m willing to bet, Elle and Ben don’t come tonight. A duo needs to babysit.”
“Well, that sucks. I’ll just take their foam finger to them later,” I say. I bought one for everyone so I’m going to make sure they damn well get one.
The bleachers start to fill in. I look around the stadium, at wooden banners that adorn the end zone, reminding the other team that Beaumont wins, and we have a deep history when it comes to winning.
My eyes land on the four banners near the end zone. Four-time state champion, led by me and Mason. Our names hang there as well. As does Noah’s. In the sports museum in Allenville, it’s like being in high school again. You walk in, and there we are. Someone even put life-size cutouts of Noah and me next to each other. Sort of nice to see.
Josie puts her arm through mine. “Sometimes, you sit here and it doesn’t register, and then it does, and you remember everything you did for this school.”
I clear my throat and nod. “This show is doing things to me.”
“Quit if it’s too much. Like I said on our date last week, you don’t owe anyone anything, Liam. You paid your dues and you’ve made amends. The two people wronged, have more than forgiven you.”
I lean into her and kiss her, holding my lips there a bit longer. “I love you.”
“I know you do. I love you, too.”
Josie reaches for the thermos and pours me a cup. “It’s decaf. I figured you’ll be hyped up enough you don’t need the extra caffeine.”
She’s right. I don’t have any skin in this game. However, my nerves are frayed. As a player I hated playoffs. One bad game and your season is over. Everything’s on the line. I get it, this is how football is played but it doesn’t make it any easier on our psyche.
Not to mention, in Beaumont, football matters. Unfortunately for teams now, you don’t want to be the team that didn’t make the playoffs or finals because literally every team before you had. Way too much pressure.