Carol Steward - There Comes A Season

Laura nodded.

“There’s more protection playing football than soccer. I’m helping coach the team at McKinley. I’d love to have him play.”

She proceeded to cut another pancake for a towheaded boy without any indication she’d heard Bryan.

“It’s not too late to register,” he told her.

“I know. That’s not it.” Laura washed another toddler’s fingers before getting him out of the high chair, then cleared the dishes from the table while children dug through the toy box.

“Did your husband play?” Bryan persisted.

“Todd was an athlete. Anything with ‘ball’ attached, consumed him. If he wasn’t playing, we watched on T.V.” She looked as if she actually missed that. “T.J.’s so young. There’s plenty of time for sports later.”

“Sometimes kids need an outlet to deal with losing a dad. Especially an oldest son who feels an obligation to take care of his mother. That’s a heavy load for a boy his age.” Bryan tried to block out memories of his father’s death, memories that were especially strong during football season. “You didn’t tell me you were a widow,” he said accusingly.

She replied right away, “You didn’t give me a chance.” Her cool blue eyes eluded his and she sidestepped the subject. “Did you play football?”

Bryan smiled, recalling his own experience with the sport. “Wide receiver for Colorado University.”

“Ah. Serious obsession.”

Even though her smile was genuine, Bryan sensed a turn in their conversation.

“Very.”

“What about coaching? You obsessed there, too?”

He realized Laura was now a mother interviewing the coach. “At this age, teaching the boys the basics and to enjoy the game is more important than winning. Obsession comes on down the road. High school, junior year at the latest.”

Laura chuckled and bit her lower lip almost nervously. “I’ll think about it.”

“I hope you will.”

During his visit that morning, Laura briefly told him that her husband had died of a heart attack, and shared that it was a continuous challenge to raise children alone. Her courage and determination was like a cold deep river flowing through her.

In turn, he told her that Jacob’s mother had died in an automobile accident. That was all she needed to know.

“Why do you coach?” Laura asked over a glass of juice as the kids watched their favorite preschool program.

“What kind of question is that?”

“Forgive me. That didn’t come out right. You obviously enjoy football, but it sounds like you already keep long hours at work, and with expecting a new baby in your house, I can’t help but wonder why you chose now to volunteer your time. Most men have difficulty making time to coach even their own son’s team. This doesn’t fit the image you portrayed yesterday.”

He remained quiet, assessing the fact that she’d examined his image. It pleased him, and it bothered him. He couldn’t afford to be distracted by some woman’s romantic notions.

“Being a weekend quarterback isn’t enough. I miss playing. And I’d made the commitment before I found out about Jacob.”

Bryan consoled himself that it wasn’t a lie, exactly. When he’d agreed to help coach the junior league team, he had no idea he was going to be a father. No one need know that at that time he’d desperately needed something to take his mind off his wife’s walking away from their marriage.

“What’s the most important aspect of football?”

“At this age, or professional?” He grinned, attempting to lighten her shrewd onslaught of questions into his character.

She stared back, obviously unimpressed with his humor.

“Okay, okay. Teamwork. No one is an entity unto himself out on the football field.”

“Are they anywhere?”

He looked again into her undaunted blue eyes, realizing her wisdom. “Touché. So how about if we try this out, Mrs. Bates. You raise my son, and I’ll coach yours. It’s as easy and uncomplicated as that.”

Three weeks later, the football season had started. During that time, Laura had cleared up the majority of Bryan’s questions about his new son. While he admitted feeling he’d never get the knack of caring for a baby, he was comforted by the knowledge that Jacob at least had Laura to meet the majority of his needs.

Bryan was a bit surprised when she accepted his offer to transport T.J. to and from practices in return for watching Jacob after her usual business hours during practice. It had been the first glimmer of her relinquishing any sort of personal responsibility. The death of her husband had obviously been a devastating blow, and she seemed determined to handle life’s punches alone.

In the three weeks that he’d known the family, he’d come to understand what had drawn him to Laura Bates. She showed no signs of weakness. There was a part of him that worried about her. Would she give and give until there was nothing left of her? Or would she someday allow herself to grow whole again?

He admired her. Almost too much. And at the same time, he longed for proof that she was human; that she, like he, had her inadequacies as well. This selfishness was a quick, disturbing thought as he struggled to put the woman out of his mind.

After the second football practice, Bryan walked into the living room and handed the game schedule to Laura. “I hope T.J. remembered to tell you he needs to get a cup.”

“No, he didn’t mention it, but it’ll be no problem. I’ll send him with one tomorrow. He has a water bottle that we take camping.”

“What?” Bryan stopped and looked at her.

“You said a cup didn’t you? He drinks a lot of water.”

Clearing his throat, Bryan rubbed his forehead with his fingers, twisting his mouth in amusement. “I meant a jock cup. You know, an athletic supporter.”

Laura’s cheeks colored. “Oh…Why didn’t you just say he needs a jockstrap?”

“I assumed…never mind. You do realize that a cup is not the same as a regular jock, don’t you?”

Laura watched in embarrassment as he tried not to smile.

“It’s so refreshing to see a grown woman blush.” Bryan smiled in spite of the fact he wasn’t sure he liked the affect she had on him. “Why don’t I take care of this?”

“We can handle it.” Her voice raised an octave. “I hadn’t thought of this part of being a single mother, to be honest. I told you I wasn’t ready for him to be in sports.”

“Let me pick him up after school tomorrow and take him shopping before practice. Taking all the little ones shopping must be a disaster. The store closes at five.”

“If you’re sure you wouldn’t mind,” Laura said, absently stacking some scattered papers on the leather-top table. “I’ll owe you one.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

Laura watched her three children climb into the tree house Todd and the kids had finished building only weeks before his heart attack. She wondered how their lives would be altered by his absence.

Would her sons grow up knowing how to treat their wives and children? How could she begin to answer the boys’ questions about puberty? Her own brother was nearly ten years her senior. She knew nothing of what changes her sons would experience.

Would Carrie learn how to relate to men? She seemed so lost without her daddy. One minute she would be a happy little girl, the next, overflowing with any number of emotions.

Laura understood exactly what Carrie was going through. It had devastated Laura when her grandfather had died. He’d been her best buddy, especially the summer before they found the tumor. Experience had taught her nothing, she realized. She’d felt the same sense of loss, and yet she had no way to help her daughter’s pain go away.