The Fumble Of A Quarterback

Chapter 3: Something Easy

"ITTTTSSSSS Saturday! Boy, oh boy, do I love Saturdays. We get so much stuff done on these days," Dad says as he walks into the dining room Mom and I sat in, quietly eating breakfast.

Mom nods as she scrolls on her phone. "Yes, Saturdays are nice," Mom says with less enthusiasm than Dad. But then again, she often has less than him. I don't think I've met someone with as much energy as my dad. He is the dreamer, but Mom is the realist. That is one reason they balance each other out.

"Nojo! It's your day off. What are your plans?"

I shrug as I take a sip of tea then stretch my aching legs. "Don't know. Maybe have a lazy day?" I spent all week long with Dad, running countless errands and now I am tired and need a break.

"You can always go out for yoga with me. I'm leaving in five minutes," Mom pipes in as she put her phone down to look at me.

Mom loves yoga just as much as I love boba tea and is always looking for a partner to join her. I'll give you a hint, it normally wasn't Dad.

I hold back a sigh as I think about how tired my legs are. But after spending so much time with Dad, I think she needs some quality time too. "Sure, I'll go. Let me change really quick," I say while walking from the dining room.

______________

As we drive towards yoga, Mom speaks up, "So tell me all about your internship this week."

I smile, thinking about all the projects he had me do. I was surely busy as I ran errands and hassled players to sign forms or complete weigh-ins. Dad seems to always be running from one thing to another and I think he wants me to do the same. Walking 3-4 miles a day seems the norm. "Dad is just as cheerful on the field as he is at home."

She smiles as she pushes her sunglasses up her nose. "I thought he would be."

Come to think about it, I don't think she has ever seen him coach. Like myself, we don't involve ourselves with his daily tasks as coach. Well, maybe she does a little more than I do, like have brunch with the board but I don't think she ever went to his practice days.

"Seeing him in his element, training, with the players, it's pretty magical."

Just this week, I watched him heal a broken relationship of two players, stop a fight that looked extreme, and bond with the maintenance crew, all while doing his normal duties. I already had an idea that Dad was a people person. But seeing him in action, I realize how flawlessly he did his tasks.

"I can only imagine."

"You should drop by one time, spend a few hours, see for yourself."

"Maybe I should."

"He would like that.

She chuckles. "He likes a lot of things. But maybe you have a point. I'll have to make time for it. Are you planning to go in with Dad every day next week?"

With fall camp coming up, I know he needs me there to help. He told me that it will be busy. That much is clear when he asks me if I plan to help him with daily tasks. This is a real internship, and I plan on taking it seriously. So as long as he goes to training, I will go with him. "Planning on it."

She turns into a small parking lot in back of a brick two story building. "Ok, well, I think I'll make the trip to see both of my superstars."

I smile, liking that idea of having Mom show up at practice. It would really be a family endeavor then, which sounds so special. All we were missing was Vera...- dang it- I tried hard not to think about how much I miss her. But once again she wanders into my thoughts like a stray puppy.