Maybe It's Fate, page 16
“I think that would be a good idea.” I laughed, hoping to lighten the mood.
He moved forward until he had to turn to get to the main road. He stayed there longer than normal. I placed my hand on his forearm and gave him a reassuring squeeze.
“Is this your first time on the main road?”
“No, just lost in thought,” he said as he pulled onto the road.
“I do that often.”
“It’s easy to do these days.”
He wasn’t lying. My thoughts moved so fast I had a hard time keeping up.
There was minimal traffic on the road this early, which made a driving lesson a bit less stressful. Still, my anxiety spiked as we drove. I kept my head on a swivel, looking for potential issues he might not see.
“Do you know how to get to the school?”
He thought for a moment. “Uh . . .” A look of horror masked his face.
“Are you being serious with me?”
Cutter laughed. “Yes, I know how to get to school.”
A laugh bellowed from me. “When Grandpa taught me how to drive, I couldn’t even find my way home. I could give anyone directions to my house, school, or wherever, but when I was driving, I had no idea how to get anywhere.”
At the stoplight, Cutter scratched his head. “I think I turn at the next light?”
“The second light,” I told him, and then I realized he was pulling my leg again. I rolled my eyes and nudged his shoulder.
Cutter groaned. “Oh boy.”
Cutter managed to make it to the school and parked easily. I didn’t understand why Miri wasn’t letting him drive more. We got out and walked toward the court.
“We should talk about yesterday,” I said when we reached the court.
“I said I’m sorry.”
“It’s not about being sorry. It’s about what you heard.”
Cutter took a shot, and I sent the ball back to him after it had gone through the net.
“I was thinking about that, and Flinn said something about me living with him until we graduate. I don’t want to leave Nova, but I also don’t want to go to boarding school.”
He shot and made another basket.
“I like Brendan, or I did, but now I’m not so sure. I just wish . . .” Cutter bent over and caught his breath. I went to him and put my hand on his back and waited for him to cope with his emotions. He stood and wiped at his eyes. “My mom’s not going to be here anymore, and then you want to send me away.” His words came out in hiccups.
“Come here.” I wrapped my arms around him. He rested his head on my shoulder and sobbed. This was the second time this morning he’d let his emotions flow. I was grateful for it. I didn’t want him holding things in and letting them fester.
“Listen,” I said as I leaned back so I could look at him. I cupped his cheeks with my hands. “You’re not going to boarding school. Not now. Not ever. The three of us will be together for a long time to come.” I refrained from saying “forever.” Miri had promised them forever, and she wasn’t going to be able to keep her promise.
“Brendan was wrong. He spoke as if he knew what was best for you and your sister. Just because he went to one doesn’t mean they’re for everyone, and they’re definitely not for me.”
“I thought he liked us.”
“He does, Cutter. You and Nova. Me and him, we’re not on the same page when it comes to our futures, and I’m okay with that. I’m right where I want to be.”
“Are we going to live here?”
I sighed. “This, I don’t know yet. I promise you’ll stay here until the summer, and then we’ll figure things out. I have to figure out my job.”
“Brendan will never move here,” Cutter said. “He doesn’t like it much.”
“Well, that’s okay. Brendan and I are no longer together, so what he says or thinks doesn’t matter to us.”
“Wait, what? You and Brendan broke up?”
I nodded.
“Why?”
“Because he gave me an ultimatum, and that is something you never, ever do to someone you’re supposed to love.”
“Is it because of me and Nova?”
I shook my head. “Absolutely not.”
It was because Brendan thought he was more important than Miriam and the kids, when he knew he wasn’t. What did that say about me? Why had I stayed with him for so long?
I closed my eyes and let myself really think about our relationship for the first time. When had Brendan ever put anyone before himself? Yes, he’d canceled his tee time in Miami, but only after I’d made a smart-ass comment. When I had food poisoning last year and spent three days barely able to get out of bed, he’d checked on me once before going to play golf. The only holidays we’d ever spent together were the ones where his friends had something going on—the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, and Labor Day. Never Christmas and sometimes New Year’s.
I’d made excuses for him. He didn’t understand close relationships because he wasn’t close to his family, at least not in the way I was with mine and Miri. His family was all business—prim and proper—ready to put on a front for anyone staring in from the outside. Whereas mine was about love and compassion, about being there when the people we loved needed us.
The truth slapped me in the face, hard. Brendan put Brendan first. It was so clear now, especially after last night and his insistence that the kids go to boarding school.
“So, no boarding school?”
I shook my head. “But you might have to move, okay? Right now, Grandma and Grandpa are going to help out when I have to be in Boston for meetings or when I have to travel.”
“Maybe Rocco can come up?”
I smiled at the mention of my brother. I took the ball from Cutter and tried my hardest to dribble to the hoop. Cutter laughed, which sounded amazing. He allowed me to shoot the ball, which didn’t even touch the rim, before he chased it down.
In a weak attempt at defense, I tried to get it back until he held it high above his head. I must’ve jumped ten times trying to get it before I gave up.
A dog barked, and we both turned to see Scout running toward us. Cutter crouched and accepted the bulldozing the Labrador was intent on giving. It was worth watching Cutter fall on his rear because he laughed, and he laughed loudly. I loved the sound and couldn’t wait to tell Miri later.
“Good morning,” Weston said when he reached us.
“Morning,” I said through some giggles. “Do you walk every morning?”
“Nah,” he said with a slight shake of his head. “Only on the weekends. I like to get Scout out to run since he’s cooped up a lot with my schedule.”
Cutter stood and began dribbling around Scout, who liked it. Every so often he’d bark and try to get the ball from Cutter.
Weston motioned toward the bench. I followed and sat beside him.
“How’s he doing this morning?”
“He’s had a couple of moments, but I think that’s expected. My mom will be back today, so I can work. I’ll make some calls this week to get the kids into therapy. I’d like to have them talking to someone before . . .” I trailed off and kept my gaze on Cutter. “I think I’m going to get them a dog.”
“Yeah? Let me know, and I can help.”
“I will.”
“You mentioned work. Does that mean you’ll be in Boston?”
I shook my head. “No, I’ll be here, working between the house and the hospital. They’re going to admit Miri for treatment. They want to pump her full of drugs and monitor everything.”
My legs swung back and forth, kicking up some dirt with each pass.
“Did they say how long?”
“If that’s not an open-ended question, I don’t know what is. Time . . .” I paused and shook my head. “Six to twelve for the inevitable. This current stay is a week to ten days. It all depends on how she responds, and then it’ll be outpatient.”
“Damn.”
“Yeah. I don’t remember if I thanked you for what you did last night for Cutter. I really appreciate you being there for him.”
Weston nodded. “He’s a great kid. I can’t say I’ve been where he is. My parents are still alive. I have lost friends, though, guys I played ball with. Death hurts when it’s a friend. I can’t imagine how it feels when it’s your mom.”
Cutter and Scout walked over to us. “Toni, Mom texted and asked us to bring breakfast back to the house.”
“Yep, that’s the plan. Are you ready to go?” I stood and brushed off my joggers.
“Can I drive?”
“She let you drive?” Weston said with some flair.
“Coach, I’m going to be a great driver.”
“Of course he is because I’m teaching him.” I gave Cutter a wink and then looked at Weston. “Can we offer you and Scout a ride home?”
“Thanks, but we’re going to run for a bit.”
“Have a good day, Weston.”
“You too, Antonia.”
Cutter and I walked toward the car. He got in on the driver’s side and looked a little too comfortable in my car.
“Don’t get any ideas,” I told him.
“But it’s so nice.”
“Yeah, yeah. Come on, let’s stop at the Cozy Cup Café and get breakfast, and then we’ll go home and do nothing all day but love on your mom.”
That was how I wanted to spend the day, on the couch with Miri, watching mindless TV and just being with her. Tomorrow would be hard enough.
Chapter 21
Weston
We were a week away from playoffs, and the boys were getting antsy. Our last game hadn’t gone as planned, despite us coming away with the victory. Malik and Cutter were off. They were in early foul trouble, they had problems knocking down their shots, and they were in a funk.
I had noticed it earlier in the day, during class, and tried to pinpoint the issue before the game. Both swore nothing was wrong, but I suspected they weren’t being truthful. The only thing I couldn’t figure out was whether the boys had a problem with each other or if Malik was also having some family matters.
Even now, the boys seemed to be lost in their own worlds.
I suspected Cutter’s shift was due to his mom being in the hospital all week. Antonia at least had brought her to our game last night, which had surprised me. Although, by looking at Miriam or speaking with her, you wouldn’t know she was sick. She was always smiling and, when at the games, cheering her heart out. As a teacher and coach, I knew she’d be sorely missed at the games.
Before I dismissed the class to go get changed, I called Malik over and asked him to help me put the cones away. We were finishing a unit on scooter hockey, which the kids absolutely loved. Thankfully, we hadn’t had any accidents. There was nothing worse than a scooter rolling over a finger.
Malik picked up the cones nearest him and brought them over. He put them in the bag and then started to walk away.
“Malik, can we talk?” Without him turning around to face me, I could already sense the eye roll. It was the way he tilted his head slightly and the visible tension in his shoulders.
He turned, and I saw so much anguish in his eyes. Malik shook his head.
“Do you want to go to my office and talk?”
“Can’t, I got class next.”
“I’ll write you a note, excusing you.”
Malik gave my offer some thought and finally stepped toward me. I walked side by side with him because I didn’t want any of his classmates to think he was in trouble. Besides, I didn’t want him to see me as someone in power, but as his friend. Someone he could confide in.
When we got to my office, Jerome was in there, working on his computer.
“Coach, I’m going to need the room for a minute,” I said as we entered.
“He can stay,” Malik said.
“All right. Let’s sit over here.” For the office of a physical education teacher, mine was a decent size, but it was because I was a coach and the head of the department. The other PE teachers’ office spaces were the size of closets, since they didn’t spend a ton of time in there.
My office, besides my desk, had a two-person sofa and some oversize throw pillows that the athletes liked to sit on when they came in here. I had direct access to the locker room and a door that went out to the fields, making it easy for me to get to the baseball field.
Malik opted for one of the chairs near my desk. I took the other one, moving it to the side of him, and Jerome sat on the couch.
“Coach Levy and I noticed a shift in you this week. We want you to know that you can talk to us if something’s bothering you. You’re a valuable part of our school, team, and community, and we want to be there when you need us.”
Malik leaned over, covered his face with his hands, and groaned. “I’m in trouble.”
“Is it legal trouble? Do you need an attorney?” Jerome asked.
“No, sir,” Malik said as he sat back in the chair. He looked around the office but never at me or Jerome, shaking his head. “Ugh . . . Janelle’s pregnant.”
The news hit me square in the chest. Malik wasn’t the first student of ours to experience a teenage pregnancy, but he was the first one of my players in my coaching experience.
Malik was my thinker, the brains behind my offense. As far as I knew, he’d been with Janelle Canson for a few months. She was a year behind him in school.
“Malik, there are a whole list of things Coach and I could say right now, but none of them are going to mean squat to you,” Jerome said. “So, let’s start here: Do you and Janelle have a plan?”
He shook his head. “She hasn’t told her parents yet.”
“Have you told yours?” I asked.
“No, I don’t know how to look my dad in the face and tell him I messed up, that I threw my chances of going to school to play ball down the drain.”
Malik was from a single-parent family and had a dad who worked two jobs to give his son every opportunity. I liked his father a lot, and he was determined to help his son succeed. I couldn’t imagine how this was going to go.
Malik had colleges looking at him, and rightly so. He was one of the most talented kids in the state by far and deserved a shot at a scholarship.
Even with a child on the way.
Malik ran his hands down his shorts. It struck me then that he hadn’t changed back into his usual dress pants and polo shirt. He always came to school dressed in what I would call business attire because his dad told him to treat school like a job.
A straight-A student, Malik was tall, slim, and extremely athletic. He kept his dark hair neat with a tapered cut, wore glasses, and flirted up a storm with the staff. There wasn’t a teacher here who didn’t like having him in their classes.
“Have you and Janelle talked about options?” I asked.
Malik nodded. “She wants to keep it.”
I glanced at Jerome and let out an exhale. “What can we do to help?” We were way beyond the responsibility talk about safe sex, condoms, and what would happen if you didn’t use one. Malik didn’t need a lecture from us because he’d get that at home.
“I don’t know.” His voice broke before he could finish the sentence. “This isn’t what I want. I want to go to college and turn pro, and now I can’t.”
“No one is saying you can’t, Malik. It’ll just be harder,” I told him.
“Janelle said once colleges find out I have a kid, they won’t want me.”
I didn’t know if that was true or not, but it wasn’t something I was willing to gamble on.
Jerome got up, went to Malik, and pulled him into a hug. “We’ll figure the college stuff out,” he said. “Right now, we want to make sure you’re okay. That Janelle’s okay. The road ahead is going to be tough to navigate, but you have a support system, and you need to use it.”
“Coach is right, Malik. We’re not going to turn our backs on you. You’re not the only one who’s ever gone through this. If you don’t want to go to class, you can stay in here,” I told him. “I’ll get you excused for the rest of the day and see if we can get your work sent down.”
Malik nodded. “Thanks, Coach.”
“Why don’t you go get changed, grab your stuff, and get comfortable?”
Malik got up and left, closing the door behind him. Thankfully, I didn’t have another class to be at.
“What in the . . .” Jerome didn’t need to finish his sentence. Any colorful word would’ve fit perfectly there.
“I don’t even know what to do for him,” I said as I leaned back in the chair. “How does this even happen? Aren’t there condoms in the health center?”
Jerome nodded. “Just because they’re free doesn’t mean they’re going to use them.”
I groaned loudly and pounded my fist on my desk. “His dad is going to force him to quit playing and get a job. Doing that is a surefire way to lose any chance at a scholarship.”
“He could have a job and still play,” Jerome said. “There are places on Main Street that’ll work around his schedule.”
“Really? Like who?”
“The grocery store for one. And I bet Lee would give him a job at the diner. Hell, that’s the place to work, if he can start waiting tables.”
Nodding, I got up and went to my desk to write some establishments down on a sheet of paper. “I guess the next step is for him to tell his dad.”
“Or Janelle to tell her parents. I don’t know them very well.”
“No, me neither,” I said. “I don’t have her in any of my classes.”
The door opened, and Malik came back in. He looked sad. There was no other way to describe him. He dropped his backpack onto my small coffee table and took his work out. I sat down and rattled off an email to his teachers, explaining he would be in my office for the rest of the day, and they were to consider this an excused absence. I would probably catch hell for it, but so be it. Malik was more likely to get his work done in here than he was in class.
“You aren’t missing any tests today, are you?” I asked.
“No, sir.”
Jerome excused himself to go do hall duty for the in-between-classes bell, and I glanced at my lesson plan for my next class. Back to floor hockey for this upcoming period.
