Hard & Deep: A Football Romance

“Mom...” Elsie sighed. She closed her eyes, feeling tears push out and down her cheeks.

“I'm serious, Elsie. Just stay home.”

“Why did you call me if you didn't want me to come?” Elsie asked, anger starting to choke her with the tears.

“I'm actually not really sure. I think I just needed to tell someone.” Her mother let out a long, unhappy sigh. “It feels more like a nightmare than reality. I'm sorry, Elsie. I didn't mean to burden you with all of this, but I couldn't keep it inside.”

“It's okay, Mom. I understand,” Elsie said, slowly walking back to her living room. The anger was giving way to bleakness. “It's a lot to process.”

They were both silent for a moment. Elsie could hear the background noise of the hospital coming from her mother's end of the line. The familiar beeps of machines masked by the chatter of nurses and doctors. She wished she could be there, but didn't want to defy her mother or uncle's wishes.

“Can I come by the hospital tomorrow?” Elsie asked, plopping down onto her couch. “Please? I know that Uncle Frank didn't want me to know about all this, but I'm positive he'd like to see me. And I want to see him. He needs my support.”

“Yes, tomorrow would be fine,” Mom said. “That will give Frank a chance to get some rest. And you're right, I think he'd like to see you. I'd like it, too. Just not tonight.”

“Everything is going to be okay,” Elsie said automatically, though in her gut she didn't know if she even believed that herself. “Uncle Frank is one of the strongest people I know. If anybody can beat this, it's him.”

“See, I knew there was a reason I called you,” her mom said, a small smile coming into her voice. “I'm going to go downstairs to the cafeteria and get your father and I some food now. But I'll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay. I love you, Mom.”

“Love you, too, sweetie.”

Elsie hung up and dropped the phone beside her on the couch cushion. All at once, every ounce of emotion that she'd been holding back while talking to her mom poured out of her. Tears streamed down her face. She sobbed harder than she'd remembered ever sobbing in her life. It was an ugly cry. A gut-wrenching, unable to breathe, whole-body bawling type of cry.

She wasn't sure how long it went on, but after a while, no more tears came out. She felt wrung out like a sponge. Her eyes were puffy and her stomach ached. She felt like curling up into a ball on the floor and going to sleep, but her Uncle's smile continued to pop up in her mind.

This just doesn't make sense. This isn't fair, she thought. Frank has always been so strong. Larger than life strong. Superman.

The idea that her Uncle Frank was sick with something that was potentially terminal just didn't add up in Elsie's mind. It was like saying that the sky was made out of blueberries or that grass grew on hiccups. It didn't make any sense.

The microwave beeped in the kitchen, reminding Elsie that her meal was ready. She had no idea how long the damn thing had been beeping at her to come and take her food out. She got up and went to the kitchen. The food inside the microwave was now lukewarm and shriveled. What had once sounded like an appetizing choice, now looked beyond disgusting.

“I'm not eating this crap,” she said, angrily throwing the pot pie into the trash. She didn't even care that it was her dinner that she'd just tossed out.

However, her hatred toward the pot pie didn't stop her stomach from rumbling. She had to eat, but what she needed was real food. Something that would not only ease her hunger, but also ease the pain in her heart. What she needed was comfort food.

Pizza, she thought. I'm getting pizza.

Elsie went back to the living room to pick up her phone when an idea hit her out of nowhere. She knew that hanging out by herself all night would have been depressing beyond belief. She would have spent the entire evening just thinking about her Uncle and worrying herself sick. She needed more than just comfort food to get her through the night. She also needed companionship. And there was one person who she enjoyed talking to more than anyone else.

Ollie likes pizza, she thought, as the corner of her lip managed to force itself into a small smile. Maybe I should get that Thai chili pizza and surprise him with it.

Before she could even complete the thought, she had stepped into her shoes and slipped her jacket back on.

Yes, that's what's happening, she thought. Some good pizza with a good friend. That will help ease my worries. Or at least distract me from them for a little while.

The bell on the front door of the pizza shop rang out as Elsie stepped inside. In just the short walk between her car and the door, she'd managed to gather a layer of snow on her jacket and hair, so when she stepped into the warmth of the building, it was a very welcoming invitation.

“An extra large Thai chili pizza, please,” she said to the teenage boy working behind the counter. She knew exactly what she wanted before coming in, so she didn't have to even glance at the menu.

With a nod, the pizza kid went to work. Meanwhile, Elsie took a seat near the back of the store to wait. It then occurred to her that she hadn't even checked with Ollie as to whether or not he was hungry, or if he even wanted her to come over at all.

Darn it. I should have asked him, she criticized herself. What if he doesn't want pizza, or what if he has already eaten?

She felt like a total idiot, but couldn't be too hard on herself. Given her emotional state after hearing the news about her Uncle's diagnosis, it was amazing she'd managed to remember how to drive her car.

Elsie glanced over, watching as the kid finished putting the toppings on the pizza before throwing it in the oven. It was too late to cancel the order now. One way or another, she was going to walk out of there with an extra large pizza and there was no way that she could eat that all by herself.