Fourth Down (Portland Pioneers 1)

“What are you doing?” I ask her. My voice is calm because I’m holding Roxy in my arms. Her tiny arms are clinging to my neck and her head is resting on my shoulder pads. Again, this is her mother’s doing. The “let’s show the world we’re one big happy family” moment Elena strives for. Public perception is everything to her. It is to me as well, but faking it is becoming too hard and the effort is exhausting.

“She wanted to see her daddy,” Elena says. Okay, I can give her that. I spent the night in the team hotel because it’s policy and worked out perfectly for Elena to come see the kids. I knew the kids were coming to the game with my parents but didn’t expect Elena to show up—or her parents for that matter.

I bounce Roxy on my hip and look at her. “Did you miss me?”

She nods and sticks her thumb in her mouth. Over the past few months, we’ve been working on not sucking her thumb, but I think all this shit with Elena not being around has made Roxy regress a little. I could be wrong. I’m certainly no expert on parenting a toddler.

“On Tuesday, we’ll go to the zoo or something,” I tell her. It’s my day off and I fully plan to spend it with her.

“That’ll be so fun.” Elena reaches across the railing and runs her hand down Roxy’s hair. “I’ll check the weather and make sure we have the right clothes.”

And this, right here, is what I have a problem with.

“Elena, when do you go back to California?” I ask in a harsh, biting tone meant to be direct and to the point. If the enunciation of my words doesn’t send the message, then my facial features should definitely do the job.

“I thought I’d stay for a bit.”

I nod. “Then we’ll work out some living arrangements.” I start to hand Roxy back, but the announcer’s voice stops my movements. I hear the name that has grated my nerves since our first introduction. I look around, to my left and then right, to find the woman who hasn’t been far from my thoughts, despite my desperate attempt to keep her out of my head. For some reason, I loathe her while, at the same time, feel like I should get to know her. Still, when I stare at her, I find her irritating and I can’t place why. What I’m feeling has to be more than me assuming she’s using Peyton to further her career, but then again, she’s standing on the sideline, watching me, and proving my point. She used Peyton to get here today.

I give Roxy a kiss on her cheek and then hand her back to Elena. “Good luck today,” she says as her hand caresses mine. I really want to tell her to take a hike, but the kids are near her and so are her parents, who I have a feeling know nothing about what’s going on. Whereas my parents know everything. Reggie holds his hand up for a high-five and tells me to kick some booty. We fist bump and go through our handshake routine. I’m not superstitious, but I believe in rituals, and this is something Reggie and I do whenever we’re at a game together. When we have an away game, we do it the night before I leave.

The team leaves the field to go into the locker room. It’s more for a pep talk than anything else right now. Bud Walter stands in the center of the room. Each player takes a knee, almost like we’re bowing to him. I suppose, in a sense, we are. Today, like any other day, he’s our leader. The commander. We’re going to do or at least try to do everything he’s asked of us. To some, Bud is a coach. A guy who is paid millions of dollars to tell athletes what to do. To us, his Pioneers, he’s our confidant and a father figure. Bud cares about us and not the scoreboard, which is a far cry from some coaches out there. The only problem with this is, if we don’t start winning to the point where we are in the playoffs and a Superbowl contender—Bud could lose his job. Worse, trades will start to happen. We’re on the cusp and I feel like this could be our year.

A team rep lets us know it’s time to go back onto the field. Game day is all about the media and what they have worked out with the NFL. They set the schedule and we follow it. It’s all about the show and when it comes right down to it, we’re the entertainment. We run out to music, which honestly, we can’t hear because the crowd is that loud. We are currently 3 – 0, and the city loves it. The fans do as well, and more are jumping on our undefeated bandwagon. Whatever, I’ll take it.