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Welcome to the Church of The Reverend Cotton Mather.  This story is
the sole property of the author, and may not be copied or downloaded 
for the intent of profit. Permission is freely given for anyone to 
download or copy for their personal pleasure or use, as long as 
there is no intent to charge money or barter for the privilege of 
acquiring this material.

   (Copyright 2005, revisions c. 2007, R.C. Mather)

E-Mail all comments to RevCottonMather at hotmail dot com
Don't be shy!  I enjoy hearing from you.

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THE COMPETITIVE EDGE:
PLAYING THE GAME III

A Novel

by R.C. Mather



- 42 -

GROWTH



After a week of finals that nearly killed me, I was suddenly free.
Spencer and I had packed both our cars for the trip home for the
holidays. We would be leaving, along with Jesse, early in the morning.

Alex and I were over at Erin's apartment to see her off on Thursday
afternoon of finals week.

"Are you sure you should be leaving so late?" asked Alex.

Erin gave her a look.

"Okay, never mind," muttered Alex in resignation.

"No hanky-panky tonight, you two," admonished Erin. She knew there
wouldn't be any, but she couldn't resist yanking on both Alex's and
my chains.

"You're a fine one to talk," retorted Alex. "You're the one who's
the hussy."

She pronounced it with a Z sound, huzzy, and Erin smiled at her a
little indulgently.

"So don't you go trying to take that title away from me," she replied.

They hugged, and held the embrace for several moments, long enough
to make me want to shuffle my feet. They kissed each other, a much
more chaste and sisterly kiss than I had occasionally seen them
share, but still hot enough to make me think bad thoughts.

"Come back early?" Alex's voice was very soft, almost pleading.

Erin leaned back and looked her in the eye. "You could come up to
Atlanta and visit for a few days," she said.

"No..."

"Yes, do," insisted Erin. She smiled. "You know you want to."

Alex matched her smile. "We'll talk about it," she said.

Erin stepped over to me and put her arms around my neck. She kissed
me softly. Definitely not a sisterly kiss, however. "And you should
come back a few days early, too. You can stay at our house, and we
can drive down together."

"I'll be driving back with Spencer and Jesse," I said.

"Can they offer you the same hospitality I can?" she asked teasingly.

"A different kind," I stammered, suddenly sweating just a little.

Finally, Erin had her fill of teasing me, and she got into her car.
With a wave and a cheerful "Merry Christmas," she drove off, leaving
Alex and me behind. We waved at her receding car until we couldn't
see it anymore.

Without looking at me, Alex said, "Will you stay with me tonight?"

I felt a lump form in my throat. I thought enough of her to not want
to disappoint her, and yet at the same time I felt a slight surge of
resentment at her for even asking.

"Alex, you know I want to..."

"But you can't?"

"But I won't." I put my arm around her shoulder, but she was stiffly
resisting turning in to me. I didn't insist. Instead, I hugged her
that way, and I kissed her temple.

And then I walked away.



* * * * * * * * * *



Our convoy left very early the next morning. We drove straight
through, stopping only at need. Jesse pulled off at his exit, and
Spencer and I continued on, until finally Spencer reached his exit.
Then it was just me, but only for a short distance more.

I was glad to crawl out from behind the steering wheel by the time I
got home. I stretched in the December cold, standing in the driveway.
It felt good to be back home.

The front door opened, and Stephen came out, holding Kyle in his arms.

"Hey, look, it's Uncle Sean," said Stephen to his son.

Kyle looked shyly at me, fingers in his mouth. He didn't remember
me. I walked up and shook Stephen's hand. "How you doing, man?"

"Good," he said.

"And how's Big Kyle?" I said. I held out a couple of fingers for him
to grab, but he turned his head into Stephen's shoulder.

"It's okay, big guy," soothed Stephen. "He lives here. You can say
hello."

I didn't think Kyle believed him, though. He stayed with his face
buried as we hustled back inside.

There were good smells coming from the kitchen. Tara walked out,
wearing an old apron of my mother's, dusted with flour. She smiled
and came over and gave me a hug.

"Welcome home, Sean," she said.

"Well, aren't you getting domestic in your old age," I said. I held
her away from me and looked her up and down. She had grown. She was
taller, her hair had grown out from its spiky length of a couple of
years before, and she had filled out a little. Her face showed more
experience than a girl her age should have had to go through, but she
looked great, considering the circumstances. "You look good, Tara."

She examined me. "And you're too skinny," she proclaimed.

"You've been spending way too much time with my mother," I said.

"And that's a bad thing?" My mom appeared at the kitchen door, a big
smile on her face and a spatula in her hand.

"Nope," I said. "It's not." I walked over and gave her a big hug,
picking her up and twirling her around.

"Sean! Cut that out!" Mom sounded stern, but I could hear the
happiness in her voice.

"What have you got to fatten up a poor, starving college kid?" I
asked.

"Well, we're baking cookies right now," said Mom.

"Cookies!" cried out Kyle.

"Yes, sweetie," said my mother, looking at Stephen and Kyle. She
turned back to me. "How about a nice ham sandwich?"

"Make it two, and you've got a deal," I said.

"Okay, dear. You unload your car, and by the time you're done I'll
have your sandwiches ready." She bustled back into the kitchen to get
busy.

"I guess she was implying I should unpack my car right away, wasn't
she?" I said to Stephen.

He smiled. "I don't think it was implied at all. It sounded like it
was a request, from Her Imperial Highness."

"Ah, it's good to be home," I said. I went to the front closet to
look for a heavy coat. It felt like I had become more of a Florida
wimp than I had thought. It was cold out.



* * * * * * * * * *



More than anything, I wanted to take a nap after lunch. I had an
obligation, though, if only to myself, one I was happy to fulfill. I
called Kayla's house to let her know I was back.

Jake answered the phone.

"Dude! I hear you had a good tournament."

"Well, except for the part where we lost, it was good," I said.

Jake chuckled. "Only one team wins, pal. All the rest lose."

"Yeah, well, I wanted us to be the one who didn't lose."

"Nobody wants to lose, dude. It's just that somebody always has to."

"Okay, next year we don't lose," I said.

"Unless you run up against my Hawkeyes, buddy," Jake warned.

"Gators eat Hawkeyes for lunch," I said. "Hey, how's Jaimie?"

I could hear the smile in his voice. "She's damn near perfect,
thanks for asking."

"Is she home, too?"

"Yup. Caught a ride with me."

"Lucky you," I said.

"Lucky me," he agreed. "We're going to the mall to begin our
Christmas shopping tonight. You're coming along."

"Uh... I was going to see what Kayla was doing tonight," I said.

Again, Jake's smile was evident through the telephone wires. "I'll
get her for you," he said. There was a loud clunk as he let the
handset drop onto the little countertop. I heard some random
shuffling noises over the line, and then Kayla picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

Just that one word from her sent a whole tribe of butterflies I
hadn't realized lived within me to fluttering. "Hey," I managed.

"You're home?" She sounded happy, carefree, just the way I always
thought of her.

"Yeah. You want to get together tonight?"

"I thought Jake told you," she said.

Those butterflies started battering against the walls. "Told me what?"

She paused, and I girded myself for the first foray of bad news.
'She's busy. She has a date. Something is up.'

But instead she said, "We're going shopping."

"Huh?"

"You. And me. And Jake and Jaimie. We're going shopping." She was
holding back a laugh at my expense, but I didn't care.

"Okay," I managed.

"We'll pick you up about four," she said.

I glanced at my watch. I could grab a couple of hours of shuteye. "I
can do that," I said.

"See you soon," she said.

I skipped up the stairs. I didn't think I would be able to fall
asleep, though, after that conversation.



* * * * * * * * * *



I did manage to nap for about an hour. It was enough. I was freshly
showered and shaved. I had on a pair of jeans and a wooly sweater. I
thought about wearing my old high school letter jacket, but it just
didn't seem appropriate. Instead, when I heard Jake honk his horn, I
grabbed my trusty leather coat. Functional, good-looking, and warm.
'Warm is good.'

I yelled to my folks that I was heading out, and I ran out to Jake's
car. I opened the back door and got in. I glanced over at Kayla,
meaning to say hello, and I froze in place.

'God, she's so beautiful,' I thought raggedly to myself. 'How could I
have forgotten?'

"Dude? The door? You're lettin' the winter in." Jake's voice sounded
very amused. It broke the spell.

"Sorry," I mumbled, and I slammed the door closed.

Kayla sat next to me unmoving, smiling softly at me. She had on a
short wool jacket with a pale blue and white knit scarf around her
neck. "Hi," she said.

"Hummunnah," I stammered.

Jake guffawed, and Jaimie laughed.

"Well, kiss her, you dolt," said Jaimie.

I glanced at Jake's girlfriend in the front seat. Her eyes were
twinkling and she was smiling broadly. "Not with you watching," I
said, suddenly shy.

Jaimie exaggeratedly turned to face forward, grinning at my
discomfort. I turned to Kayla. "May I?" I asked.

She just nodded. I leaned to her and gave her a soft kiss, and
somewhere in the universe a star exploded. I leaned back and put my
seatbelt on. All was right with the world.

It was the four of us, just like old times, walking around the mall
and shopping. Or, more accurately, Jake and I accompanied the
shoppers and carried their packages. I found a nice jeweled pin for
my mother, and I looked for some sort of power tool I thought my dad
wouldn't hurt himself with. My brother Michael had all the tools he
could want from working at the auto parts store, so he was tougher to
buy for. I settled on a videocassette of "Rocky" for him. I was
planning on giving Stephen money for Christmas. I knew that was what
he needed the most. And I couldn't shop for Kayla's present while she
was with me, but I made sure I paid attention to what she and Jaimie
were saying whenever we stopped to window shop at the jewelry stores
and clothing boutiques. I managed to pick up some good hints that
way, and so did Jake.

Before I got loaded down with purchases, Kay and I walked slowly
behind Jake and Jaimie, who were holding hands. It seemed only right
that we should, too, and so we did. It was wonderful, until we met up
with some of Kayla's friends. She let my hand go and took one step
away from me, as if she didn't want them to see us together. I felt a
momentary disappointment, but then I remembered that it didn't matter
much. She held my hand, and for the time being that was enough. 'It's
enough.'

About the time we were beginning to feel like beasts of burden, Jake
and I took the purchases out to his car and locked them in the trunk.
We went back into the mall, and we all went down to the food court to
grab a bite to eat.

"Sustenance to get us through the rest of the night of power
shopping," said Jake as he ordered up a double helping of chicken
chow mien. I had opted for pasta, while Kayla and Jaimie were sharing
a Caesar salad. Jake and I brought the food over to the table the
girls were holding down, and then we went back to get our drinks.
Mall food could never be mistaken for gourmet. In fact, it was nearly
tasteless, probably purposefully designed so that it would neither
thrill nor disgust. We ate, and we talked, and we were satisfied.

We stayed until the mall closed. It was nearly midnight by the time
we got home. Jake dropped me off. I unwound my arms from around
Kayla, gave her a quick kiss, and got out. Jake popped the trunk
open, and I grabbed my packages. I waved as they backed out of my
driveway, and then I hustled inside. It was far too cold out for this
Florida boy.



* * * * * * * * * *



The public schools still had another week to go before the holiday
break. During that last week of school, I persuaded Kayla to leave
her car at home. I got up early and drove her to school, and I was
waiting for her at the end of the day. She had a lot of work to do,
plus she was helping out at her dad's store, so we couldn't spend any
time together beyond that, but winter break was coming. I could wait.

A couple of times, I went back home after dropping her off and went
back to sleep, catching up on much-needed rest. I went for a long run
early every afternoon. Sometimes I took a ball over to the park and
dribbled, but that got boring quickly. I didn't feel I had to work on
my skills. I just wanted to stay conditioned.

I also helped Jake and Jaimie watch Kyle. Mrs. Jacks and Mrs. Lehigh
conspired to try to cool the romance of their oldest children back
down to a simmer by making them aware of the work and responsibility
of taking care of a young child. Helping them that week certainly
made me want to wait to have kids, but Jaimie took to stepmotherhood
like a duck to water. She loved taking care of little Kyle, and Kyle
obviously loved his Auntie Jaimie. And, of course, Jake was so head
over heels in love that if Jaimie enjoyed it, Jake did, too.

One morning, instead of heading home, I stopped in and saw Dr.
Osgood, the principal of our high school. I talked with him for
nearly an hour as he filled me in on the discussions with the school
board about the summer soccer camps.

"I trust you and Coach Neville have been in communication?" he
asked, peering at me over his half-glasses across his desk.

"Yes," I replied. "He's been keeping me up-to-date about how the
proposal has been received."

Dr. Osgood smiled. "Martin has also been making sure each board
member has been kept up-to-date on your career."

"Coach Neville is like a mother hen," I said. "He likes to keep
track of his brood."

"You've made him very proud, Sean. As has Eric Johnson, and Trent
Abbott, and Jorge Mendoza, and Tessa Navarrone, and Theo Jameson."

"Theo! I haven't heard from him in a long time. How's he doing?"
Theo was Skip Horvath's best friend, and had been severely injured in
the car crash that took Skip's life.

Dr. Osgood leaned back and smiled. "Theo is doing quite well," he
said. "He is a senior at Northern, majoring in sports education. He
wants to be a high school teacher, and he wants to coach. He'll be a
good one."

"Yes, sir, I know he will," I said. It got me to thinking.

I also stopped in to see Coach Neville during one of his history
classes. I slipped in the back and took an empty desk. He saw me
right away, of course, but he kept on with his lecture. I saw a few
kids look around at me, and some of them began to whisper to each
other.

Finally, Coach clapped his hands to get everybody's attention. "Yes,
we have a visitor," he said. "Many of you know Mr. Sean Porter, since
he graduated from this institution." He walked to the desk of a boy I
didn't know and stopped. "And, Mr. Erlandson," said Coach, stopping
and looking down at the kid, "you will be getting to know Mr. Porter
quite well before long."

"I will?" The kid looked genuinely puzzled. He looked like he was
about fifteen, lean to the point of being skinny. His growth hadn't
caught up to the size of his feet yet, making him look gangly and a
little disjointed.

"Yes, indeed," said Coach Neville with a smile. "That is, if you
have any intentions of moving from the Junior Varsity team up to
Varsity."

The kid gave me a startled look. "The Porter clinics? But... he's
not much older than me," he said.

Coach looked at him with a twinkle in his eye. "Oh, but he is," said
Mr. Neville. "In terms of experience, he is much older than you are."

"Okay," said the kid doubtfully.

Coach winked at me, and then said to the kid, "Peter, you will
become a believer. I guarantee it."



* * * * * * * * * *



A couple of nights during the week I met up with some of my old
friends. College kids operate on a different time schedule than most
of the rest of the world, and so my mother was a little startled when
I came bounding down the stairs at ten-thirty at night. I reached
into the closet and grabbed my leather coat.

"You're going out? At this hour?" Mom looked almost shocked.

I shrugged. "Sure," I said. "I'm meeting friends at Mike's Pizza."

"Who's going to be there?" asked my dad. He was merely curious,
though my mom paid attention to my answer.

"Jake, Jaimie, Eric, Keisha, Trent. The usual crowd."

"It's nice you're keeping in touch with your high school friends,"
said my mom.

I laughed. "They're my best friends, mom, I wouldn't forget about
them."

"Don't stay out too late," she said automatically. I didn't think
she even realized she said it. It was just what she always said to
her boys when they wanted to go out.

"Don't wait up," I said by way of warning.

Miko, the owner of Mike's, was a good guy, somebody we had known for
years. Weeknights were slow, and he was glad to have the business. He
looked at all our fake ID's and just shook his head as he drew a
couple of pitchers of beer. We were the only group in the small
restaurant, and we were around one of the big round tables.

"So, Boss, when do you have to meet with the school board?" asked
Trent.

"First meeting in January," I said. "They meet twice a month, on the
second and the fourth Tuesday."

"What if there aren't four Tuesdays in a month?" asked Jake.

Jaimie looked at him as if he had lost his mind as the rest of us
laughed.

"Hey, it could happen." He paused and thought about it. "Okay, so
maybe it can't. Never mind." He turned a little red. "Okay, so I'm an
idiot," he exclaimed. "I blame it all on getting my bell rung too
many times playing football."

"Can't blame football for everything," said Eric.

"You're right about that," said Jaimie, making us all crack up again.

I was a little hesitant to bring up the subject, but it was going to
crop up sooner or later. Might as well make it sooner. "I've been
talking with Danielle," I said. Out of the corner of my eye, I
watched for Trent's reaction. He was silent, stonily expressionless.
I turned to him. "Look, dude, I'm sorry, but she is my backbone."

"Yeah, I know," he said. He shook his head, as if he was getting
bugs out of his ears.

"If you two don't get back together, are we going to have a problem
this summer?" Now I looked him in the eye. "Let me know now so I can
do something. It'll be too late if we find this out in June."

"We're not getting back together," said Trent. "But we'll be able to
work together."

"You're sure? I don't mean to be harsh, but we're growing again, and
I don't want to have problems here in my own backyard."

"I'm sure. Take my word on it."

"Okay, done," I said. If Trent said he would work it out, I trusted
him.

I leaned in and looked around the table. Keisha was sitting back,
watching it all, seeming like she was studying us, but everybody else
leaned forward to listen. "Okay, here's the story. We're growing way
fast, and I don't know how much time I'm going to be able to spend
here at home with the camps. If the school board approves, we're
going to be divided up anyway, so here's what I would like to do.
Trent, I would like you to run the school program with Coach Neville.
We'll all work on drills and skills specific to playing high school
ball, but you will be the man in charge."

Trent nodded.

"Eric, I want you to head up the program at the park. Mostly they
will be the rec players and the younger ones, so we'll make sure you
have plenty of help. That okay?"

"A course," he replied with a smile.

"Let me know who you want as your corps of instructors, Eric, and
we'll try to work it out. I think I'd like Posey and Jorge to work
with Trent, but you can have anybody else you want."

"That works for me," said Eric, and Trent concurred.

"Trent, you will have most of the competitive players, from about
age twelve and up. Along with them, you'll be running the school-
sponsored soccer camp. We can do what we want with our campers, but 
you'll have to follow Coach Neville's program for the school."

"No problem," said Trent. Finally, he smiled. I could see him
anticipating teaching advanced skills.

I turned to Keisha. "You going back to your old job this summer?" I
asked.

She glanced over at Eric. "Hostessing at Bacchus? Only if I have
to." Bacchus was an upscale restaurant that featured high-priced
wines from around the world and a menu that was exclusive and costly.
"It's nights and weekends. The money's good, but the hours really
suck."

"Porter Enterprises is doubling in size," I said. I enjoyed watching
their faces. Everybody except Keisha looked a little surprised. "I
need to get somebody to help Danielle manage it all. Would you be
interested?"

"Shit, I thought this was just a fun summer gig," marveled Jake.
"It's a real freakin' business, isn't it?"

"It's a real freakin' business, all right," I said with a tight
smile. I looked over at Keisha. "You want to think about it?"

"I already thought about it, Sean. Sure, I'll do it."

"That quick? Great!"

Keisha smiled at me, turning on the full wattage of her considerable
energy. "Dani and I had already talked about it some," she said.

"Ah, and I fell right into the trap, didn't I?" I said. I looked
around at my friends, sitting with me. "Let this be a lesson to you
all," I said. "The girls rule. You are only in charge as long as the
girls say you are in charge."

"You're just learning this?" asked Jaimie with a smile.

"Took him awhile, didn't it?" agreed Keisha.



* * * * * * * * * *



Lori and David McMasters were holding their annual Christmas open
house on Friday. I picked up Kayla at five-thirty in the afternoon,
and we drove over to Lori's house. It was dark out already, and the
houses in the neighborhood were decked out in festive lights and
decorations. Nobody's was decorated like the McMasters house, though.
I practically needed sunglasses to walk up the sidewalk.

The front door was open, and it was noisy. There were a lot of
people there. David was at the door, acting as official greeter. I
opened the storm door and let Kayla go in ahead of me.

"Kayla! Sean! How great to see you!" David's voice boomed, a noise
to suit his large frame. He was wearing a bright red sport coat and a
tie that had tiny lights woven into the fabric that blinked off and
on. It was a startling effect on a person I normally considered to be
a little on the conservative side.

He enthusiastically shook my hand, and then he carefully wrapped
Kayla up in a gentle hug. "You look angelic," he said to her, and I
had to agree. She was wearing a long-sleeved white blouse with
ruffles around the high neck and around the cuffs, with more ruffles
spilling down the front. She had it tucked into a black skirt that
fit her very well, one that ended at her knees. Her pale blonde hair
was gathered together with artful wisps framing her lovely face. She
had on a pale pink lipstick that matched her nails, and just the
right amount of blush to bring out her high cheekbones. She looked
like a vision from heaven to me, but I thought I might have been
somewhat biased. I was gratified to hear a confirmation from David.

"Come in, and welcome," said David. "Mrs. M. will be so happy to see
you." He leaned in toward us. "She's been following your progress at
Florida, Sean. She is so proud of you, you'd think she was your older
sister."

I could only shake my head. She was probably my biggest supporter,
and always had been, despite my many failings. We found a pathway
back into the house, and we came upon Lori, sitting in the family
room, surrounded by friends and family. I could only stare for a
moment, surprised by what I saw.

Lori was huge, but there was a good reason for it. She was nearly
nine months pregnant.

"Oh my God, look at you!" cried Lori when she saw us.

"Oh, my God, look at you!" I said, smiling broadly. "No, stay
sitting," I said as I came over to her. She was trying to stand up,
and having a little difficulty. "I think you've got a linebacker in
there."

"I think it's the better part of an entire team," she said.

I leaned over and gave her a hug.

"You look great, Sean," she whispered in my ear, holding me tight.

"So do you," I said. "Congratulations."

"Thank you so much," she said, finally letting me go. "And Kayla?
It's wonderful to see you, too."

"Thank you," said Kayla. "And thank you for inviting us."

"Oh, you both are welcome here anytime, you know that. It doesn't
have to be a holiday for you to come visit."

"We know, and we appreciate it," said Kayla.

We stayed and chatted with Lori for a few minutes, until more people
came in to say hello. We stepped out of the way and wandered into the
dining room to get some drinks. There were plates of canapés and hors
d'oeuvres, and I filled a plate for us to pick at as we wandered.

We chatted with Bill and Maryanne Blaisdell, and I saw Lori's
sister, Joanie Monfort. There were a few others I knew, mostly
parents of kids I had coached or had been enrolled in my clinics.
Kayla and I spent a couple of hours there, until, finally, Lori's
boys made an appearance.

Davey and Kip were dressed up in suits and ties, looking
uncomfortable. I was sure they wanted to be out running around, but
they were doing their duty. 

They had grown a lot. Davey was closing in on thirteen, and Kip was
eleven. Still little boys, but on the verge of finding themselves.
Their eyes lit up when they saw me.

"Sean!" "Sean!"

"Hey, guys, how's it going?" I asked.

Davey rolled his eyes. "Boring," he intoned.

Kip kept on stealing glances at Kayla. I remembered, when he was
younger, he had asked her if she was an angel. Perhaps he was
remembering that, too.

"Am I going to see you guys at camp this summer?" I asked.

"Sure," said Davey. "Are you going to be teaching more this time?"

"Probably not," I said, and they both looked crestfallen. "I'll bet
you're both going to be in the competitive group, though."

"Yup," said Kip proudly. "We're both playing on the travel team."

"I'm not surprised," I said with a smile. "I'll tell you what.
Sometimes on the weekends we can get together and work on specifics.
How does that sound?"

They both began bouncing in place. "That would be great, Sean!
Promise?"

I glanced at Kayla. "Yup. Promise."



* * * * * * * * * *



I had found a beautiful antique bracelet at a little shop in town
that I bought for Kayla. It was a delicate filigree of gold and
silver, tarnished and dull when I bought it. I used my mother's
silver polish and an old toothbrush to clean it up, scrubbing it
until it shone like new. There was an inscription on the inside,
barely legible, that read "To My Darling Evelyn, 9/2/32." I wondered
who Evelyn was, and what occasion created the gift back in 1932. And
what happened in the meantime, to have it come into my possession. It
triggered thoughts of mortality and the ephemeral reality of
existence in the face of relentless time, uncomfortable musings for
me. As I wrapped the bracelet, though, I tempered these thoughts with
the knowledge that my shopping for the season was done, and I could
enjoy the time with Kayla and my friends without worrying over what
else I needed to buy.

Kayla had told me we were going to watch a movie, but first they
wanted to do some last minute shopping. Once again, Jake drove the
four of us to the mall. We didn't really need to do any more
shopping, but the girls wanted to stop in the toy store to look for
one more present for Kyle. The kid was going to be overwhelmed by
presents this year. We wandered up and down the aisles, looking at
Ken dolls and Play-Doh and Candyland games. In the end, they settled
for a plastic tool set, a hammer and oversized screwdriver and a
wrench that didn't adjust.

"Better than buying him a set of drums, I guess," said Jake.

"Hey, that's a good idea," I said.

Jaimie looked sideways at me. "You wouldn't," she said, a little
worriedly.

"No," I said, laughing. "But I might use it as a threat if Stephen
gets on my nerves."

We stopped in the food court and looked around, but it all looked
pretty nasty.

"The movie starts at eight," said Jaimie. "If we hurry, we can stop
at Mike's and get a real pizza."

"Why would we go all the way back to Mike's and then come back here
to a movie? We don't have time," I said.

"The movie is on television," said Kayla.

"Oh. What movie?"

"'It's a Wonderful Life.' It's my favorite movie of all time."

"Really? Why didn't I know that? I don't think I've ever seen it," I
said.

"Really? Even Jake likes it, even though there aren't any explosions
or spaceships," said Jaimie.

"Hey, I like the old movies," I protested.

"I know you do," said Kayla. "I'm surprised you've never seen it."

"Well, it's only shown around Christmastime," I said. "It's a
seasonal movie, like 'Miracle on 34th Street.'"

"Did you know 'It's a Wonderful Life' wasn't released at
Christmastime, though? It was a summer movie." Kayla took my hand as
we threaded our way through the crowds toward the doors to the
parking lot.

"How come you know so much about it?" I asked.

"I told you," she said. She looked back at me and smiled. "It's my
favorite movie."

By the time we got to Mike's, we had decided to take our pizza home
to eat. We shared a pitcher of soda while we waited for it to bake.
Miko, apparently feeling the Christmas spirit, just waved us away
when we approached the register to pay for our sodas and the pizza.

"You been good customers a long time," he said, gazing at us all
fondly. "This one is onna house. Happy Christmas!"

"Thank you so much, Mr. Gianelli," said Kayla.

"No, no, the name is Miko. You maka me sound too old you call me by
my father's name."

"Okay, then... Miko," Kayla said with a smile bright enough to melt
a snowman. Miko beamed and ushered us out with our free pizza.

We went down into the basement at Jake and Kayla's. Jaimie turned on
the television and found the right channel while Kayla ran back
upstairs to grab sodas and napkins for us all. Jake and I
concentrated on folding back the cardboard box, making sure the pizza
was within easy reach for all. We settled onto the couch, just as the
bells began chiming at the start of the movie. It was being shown on
PBS, no commercials, with a fifteen-minute intermission about halfway
through. I grabbed a couple of pieces of pizza and leaned back to
watch.

By the end of the second reel, we were done eating. Jake was lounged
against the sofa arm on the left, and I was leaning on the right arm.
Our girls were snuggled up to us. The movie was so good I didn't have
trouble paying attention, even with Kayla in my arms and her head
resting on my chest.

Even at the intermission, I was reluctant to move. I liked having
her there. Nature was insistent, however, and we all took advantage
of the station's plea for contributions to clean up after our dinner.
By the time the movie was ready to continue, we were back in place,
lights dimmed and girls cuddling.

"Do you know why I love this movie?" asked Luscious.

"Because it is irresistibly sappy?" I suggested.

She playfully slapped my chest. "Because it dares to show its main
characters as essentially decent people."

"Except Mr. Potter."

"Well, he is the villain, isn't he? But you know who my favorite
character is?"

"George Bailey? Clarence?"

She shifted, and got a little closer to me. I held her tightly.
"Mary Hatch," she said.

"The Donna Reed character?" I asked, a little surprised.

"Mmmm... hmmmm," she whispered.

"How come?"

But I didn't get an answer from her, not then. Instead, we watched
the rest of the movie, happy to be with each other.

I looked over at Jake and Jaimie. Jake had been watching us. When he
saw me look at him, he smiled and gave me a small nod. He knew what I
was thinking. After all, he was the third person I had called from
Kansas City.



* * * * * * * * * *



Christmas Day was going to be a family day for both of us, so we
wouldn't be able to see each other. Kayla invited me to her house for
Christmas Eve dinner, to be followed by a candlelight service at
their church. My mom thought I would be imposing on their family
time; in truth, I thought she wanted her family at home for Christmas
Eve. I wanted to be with my Luscious. With her family or with mine
didn't matter, as long as I was with her.

Christmas Eve dinner at the Lehigh house was a pretty formal affair.
I wore a suit and tie. I had polished my wing tips until they shone,
and I was feeling pretty grown-up. When I got to Kay's house, Mr.
Lehigh opened the door for me. He, too, was dressed in a suit.

"Come in, Sean," he said, gesturing with a glass of red wine for me
to enter.

"Thank you, Mr. Lehigh," I said.

"Would you like a glass of wine?"

"Uh... I probably shouldn't," I said. "I'm not old enough to drink."

He laughed. "Let me tell you a story," he said as he steered me
toward the living room. Their Christmas tree was fully decorated,
with lots of tiny lights. The floor all around the base of the tree
was piled with presents. I had Kayla's present in my coat pocket. I
considered just dropping it by the other presents, but decided I
would hold onto it for the time being.

Mr. Lehigh invited me to sit in a big wing chair, and he sat back,
perfectly relaxed, on the couch. "When I was in college," he began,
"I used to drive home about every other weekend. I had a girlfriend
at home, and, to tell the truth, I enjoyed my mother's cooking a lot
better than I enjoyed the food at school."

I chuckled. "I can sympathize," I said.

Jake came in and nodded at me. He took a seat on the other end of
the couch.

"Yes, well, I'm pretty sure the food has improved since those days.
At least, Jake here doesn't complain too much about it."

Jake shrugged. "I've never been a picky eater," he said. "But even
so, the food's not bad."

"Bigger schools have bigger choices," continued Mr. Lehigh. "I went
to a small school, and our only choice was the school cafeteria. And
it could be downright nasty sometimes. Anyway, like I said, I used to
go home a lot. It was about a three-hour drive, not too bad. One
time, I was on my way back to school. It was late on a Sunday, and I
decided to stop in this small town to grab a bite to eat."

He paused long enough to take a thoughtful sip of his wine,
remembering.

"It was a farming community, and the only restaurant I could find
that was open was the local cafe on the square in the middle of town.
I parked and went in. It was an old place, narrow and old-fashioned,
specials written on a chalkboard and their menu from the Depression
framed by the cash register. I sat down in a booth, and this waitress
came up and tossed a menu at me."

He smiled at the memory. "She was a big woman, wide and strong-
looking. She seemed old to me at the time, but she was probably in
her forties. She asked me what I wanted to drink. Without thinking, I
said, 'Bring me a beer.'"

Mr. Lehigh chuckled and looked at me, and then at Jake. "I was about
Jake's size, maybe a little smaller, and still pretty strong from
playing football and working on the farm. The waitress looked me up
and down, and then she said in this raspy voice, 'I gotta see some
I.D.' Well, I only had my driver's license, and I was a freshman, so
I was eighteen or nineteen years old. But what could I do? I got my
wallet out and handed her my driver's license. She looked at it
carefully, and then looked back at me. 'Six foot two, two hunnerd and
twenty pounds. Yup, you're big enough,' she said. She dropped my
license on the table and served me my beer."

Jake and I both chuckled appreciatively.

Mr. Lehigh looked at both of us. "The point of my story, Sean, is
that I think you - and you, too, son - are both big enough, and mature
enough, to enjoy a glass of wine tonight, if you'd like. Or a beer,
if that's your choice."

"Well, thank you, sir," I said. "In that case, I would be happy to
have a glass of wine with you."

He got up and poured Jake and me a glass of his red wine, and we
were careful not to spill any on Mrs. Lehigh's cream-colored carpet.
That would have answered any questions about our maturity, after all.

I had a second glass of wine with dinner, and Kayla and her mother
each had one glass of white wine. Kayla sat next to me, and I could
barely breathe being so close to such rare beauty. She was wearing a
simple black dress, but against her pale skin and paler hair it was
heart-stopping.

It was crowded at their church, and we had to sit in different pews.
Kayla and I sat behind her parents and Jake, and she held my hand as
we sang Christmas carols and hymns. At the end of the service, as we
tipped our candles toward each other so I could light mine from her
flame, she kept our wicks together, creating one flame with our two
candles, until the lady sitting next to me loudly cleared her throat.
I hurriedly swiveled and passed the flame to her candle. As I did, I
saw Kayla smile. It made my heart glad, that smile.

Back at her house, we exchanged gifts, just before I had to leave.
She insisted I open her gift first. It was a square box, surprisingly
heavy, carefully wrapped in holiday foil. I opened it slowly. Inside
was my first real pair of soccer shoes. Kayla had had them bronzed
and mounted to a wooden stand with a brass plate that read:



Sean Porter
President and Boss Coach
Porter Enterprises, Inc.
All-State '81-'82-'83
High School All-American '83



"I thought I had thrown these away," I said in surprise.

"Your mother took them out of the trash," said Kayla. "She gave them
to me last year."

"Why?" I asked, amazed at the gift.

"Why did she take them from the trash? Or why did she give them to
me?"

"Yes," I replied.

She laughed. Instead of answering, she said, "Turn it around."

I looked on the back side of the stand, and there was another small
brass plate mounted to it:


To My First Love


I gazed at it, my eyes misting over. I set the gift carefully on the
floor turned to Kayla, sitting next to me on the couch. I took her in
my arms and kissed her.

"It's wonderful," I said.

We settled back down, and I handed Kayla her gift from me. I sat
forward so I could watch her as she opened the present. Her eyes gave
away her feelings. They glistened brightly as she gently took the
bracelet from the box and looked at it.

"It's so beautiful, Sean," she whispered.

"Look inside," I said.

She turned it over and read both inscriptions. The one to Evelyn was
harder to read than the newer one, "To My Darling Kayla, 12/25/84."

"Oh, Sean," she said, staring at the gift. "I'll treasure it forever."

She turned to me, put her arms around me, and kissed me, a warm and
inspiring kiss that held a hint of promise. In my brain, one thought
emerged: 'We're making progress.'



* * * * * * * * * *



The O'Tooles were hosting a giant New Year's Eve party. Mr. and Mrs.
O'Toole were going to have a few couples over for a late dinner on
the main floor. My parents, the Lehighs, and the Navarrones would be
among the adults upstairs, and the kids, nearly everybody I knew from
high school along with some of Molly's friends from Illinois, would
be in their large basement.

They were going to allow a champagne toast at midnight for us, but
anybody who drank any alcohol other than the champagne had to give
their car keys to Mr. O'Toole. He knew he couldn't stop college kids
from drinking if they really wanted to, but he could do his best to
prevent them from driving under the influence. Kids who turned in
their keys had a choice: they could walk home, catch a ride with
somebody else, or crash on the floor until the next day. Anybody who
didn't agree to his rule was politely but firmly turned away from the
party.

Molly and Josh made sure everybody they invited knew about the house
rules beforehand. The Lehighs and the Jacks lived behind the
O'Tooles, on the other side of a big field and a small patch of
woods, easy walking distance for us. Kayla was going to sleep at
Jaimie's, and I would stay with Jake.

Molly's romance with Alex Baumgartner had not survived when Alex
decided to stay out in California, to almost nobody's surprise. She
was dating a guy from St. Louis who came up to be with her over New
Year's. His name was Patrick Kildare and, true to his name, he was a
true son of the auld sod. He was tall and stocky, with a dark and
unruly shock of thick hair. The telltale clue of his lineage, along
with his name, was the spray of red freckles across his nose and
cheekbones.

The basement was festooned with streamers, balloons, and ribbons.
There was a rectangular table set up loaded with goodies to munch on,
and there was a refrigerator in the back stocked with sodas. Patrick,
who had already turned twenty-one, had gone out and bought beer and
wine coolers, and he and Josh had loaded up an ice chest and stashed
it in the back room, behind the door.

We spent the next few hours catching up with friends. Kayla and I
toured the room together at first, and then we kind of separated for
a bit as we were moved in different directions by the tides and
swirls of the party. Eric and Keisha were talking with Anthony Rogers
and Brett Oldman, two former teammates who also were summer
instructors for me. I stopped and chatted with them, confirming they
would be back again to work with us.

Before we knew it, it was approaching midnight. Molly and Tessa
began to pass out little plastic champagne glasses, and Josh and
Patrick followed them around with bottles of cheap bubbly. They
filled everyone's glasses, and Molly switched on the television.

As Dick Clark began counting down, we all gathered around the
television. Molly and Tessa had handed out shiny pointed party hats
and noisemakers to everybody. Kayla slipped between people to stand
next to me, and I put my arm around her waist as we watched the ball
in Times Square descend. Everybody counted down the last ten seconds,
and when 1985 was upon us, we all blew our noisemakers and toasted
the New Year. I gathered my Luscious up in my arms and kissed her.
She squeaked, caught a little by surprise, and then she kissed me
back.

I felt somebody twist her away from me, and Eric was there, ready to
give Kayla a kiss in celebration. I turned the other way and found
Ayesha Ford by my side. I put my arms around her waist, she put her
arms around my neck, and we kissed. We moved apart, and everybody
began looking for new partners to kiss. I managed to grab Tessa,
Marissa Montoya, Vanna Wannamaker, and Shayna Gallagher for kisses.
When I turned away from Shayna, I came face-to-face with Kristina
Mendoza.

She was as surprised as I was. After just a moment's hesitation, she
moved to me.

"Happy New Year, Sean," she said quietly. She lifted her face to me
and closed her eyes.

"Happy New Year," I said, and I gave her a small kiss. I looked into
her eyes. "It's good to see you, Kristina."

She smiled. "You, too." And with that, we both turned and looked for
our next victims. I glanced over and saw Kayla getting a kiss from
Trent, with Josh waiting patiently for his turn. I could only
chuckle. I felt a tap on my shoulder, and there was Molly O'Toole,
looking as beautiful as ever. Her green sweater fit her very well,
and it set off her strawberry blonde hair wonderfully. She stepped
into my arms and gave me a warm, soft, and very friendly kiss.

"Here's to old times, here's to new," she said with a smile. I could
tell by the twinkle in her eye she was enjoying being mischievous.
'Who am I to deny her this small pleasure?' And so, I reached down and
pinched her ass. She squealed and jumped. She stepped back and shook
her finger at me playfully. "You're a bad, bad boy," she said.

"And you made me that way," I said. She turned a bright red, but she
also favored me with a big smile. She just turned away, shaking her
head. She put just a little bit of an extra wiggle into her walk,
just for my benefit.

I made my way back over to Kayla. She saw me coming toward her,
smiled sweetly, and met me halfway. She came into my arms, and we
kissed again.

"New Year's is nice, but I like it with you the best," I said.

"You'd better," she replied.

Once the celebration in Times Square began to get boring, Josh
turned the television off and cranked up the stereo. Most of the
lights were switched off, and a strobe light began pulsing in a
corner. It became a more intimate setting, and everybody broke down
into small conversational groups again. A few couples danced and
gyrated in a small space near the strobe light. 

After awhile, Kayla and I sat down on the floor and leaned against
the paneling in a corner away from the dance floor, with Molly,
Patrick, Eric, and Keisha. Things were beginning to wind down. Some
of the couples had left, destined to celebrate the New Year in a more
personal way.

"Have you decided where you're going to school yet, Kayla?" asked
Keisha.

Kayla stole a glance at me. "No," she said.

"Do you at least have it narrowed down?"

Of course, I was intensely curious about this, too, though I really
didn't want to let it show too much. Kayla, perhaps sensing my
interest, simply said, "Not yet."

"How many schools did you apply to?" asked Eric.

"Let's see... I think it was ten," said Kayla.

"And you were accepted at them all?" asked Patrick.

Kayla nodded.

"Nice to have a list to choose from," he said admiringly.

"Yes, it is," said Kayla, purposefully not looking at me.

"At least tell me, was Illinois on your list?" asked Molly with a
smile.

Kayla smiled again. And nodded.

"You're enjoying torturing me, aren't you?" I said.

She turned to face me, favoring me with a big, open, friendly smile.
"Of course," she said.

"So you're not going to tell me if Florida is on your list, right?"

Instead of answering me, she turned deliberately to Keisha and Eric.
"Are you still enjoying attending Maryland?" she asked.

I sighed and got up to refill our drinks. The conversation was not
going well for me. I brought back beer for Eric, Patrick, and myself,
and wine coolers for Molly and Keisha. Kayla was drinking ginger ale,
and after distributing the other drinks I refilled her glass for her.

When I sat back down next to Kayla, she slipped her arm around mine
and rested her head on my shoulder for a moment. She sat back up
straight and turned to face me.

"When will you be home for the summer?" she asked.

I already knew the answer to that one. "Finals are the first full
week of May. I usually have my last final on Friday afternoon, and
then we have a final team meeting on Saturday to clean out our
lockers and turn in our practice gear. Spencer and I will probably
head back on Sunday, so I'll be home sometime Monday."

"Oh. Okay." 

Did she sound disappointed? I couldn't really tell. I put my arm
around her shoulder, and she twisted around to lean her back against
me. She held my dangling hand in hers, intertwining her fingers with
mine. I kissed the top of her head, and then glanced up at Molly. She
looked down at Kayla, saw she wasn't paying any attention to her at
all, and then she gave me a small, quick nod and a smile. My heart
leapt in my chest, knowing everything was in motion.

Molly had been my second Kansas City call.






(Continued in Chapter 43)


  
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