Summer Sanders is going through it. The pressures of school are mounting, and her home life is completely falling apart. Feeling bored and lonely on a Saturday night, she decides to get buzzed and surprise her hookup buddy with her best lingerie. Th...
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WE GET TO Sam's apartment, bags of containers filled with food from Manny's burgers clad in hand.
I might've gone overboard with the burgers, chicken tenders, pasta, ribs, and dessert. I just want to be prepared for whatever she may be in the mood for.
The game is behind me by the time I park my car. It sucks we didn't make it to the championships, it sucks like hell, but that's the name of the game. One team wins and the other one loses. At least I can walk away from this season feeling a new level of pride. I'm proud of my team for the game we put on, I'm proud of coach for getting the approval on a bigger stadium, and I'm proud of myself for stepping up and out of my comfort zone to take the lead. It was late in my career and late in the season, but at least I did it.
Now that the season is behind me, I have more time to focus on the important people in my life.
I walk to the passenger side of my truck and kiss Summer on the head. She smiles up at me and uses her free hand to enclose it with mine.
We made a conscious decision not to let Sam know we were showing up until we got here. I figured if we were already outside of her building, she'd be less inclined to turn us away.
Even with that plan, I always knew there was a possibility she'd still turn us away and I've been preparing myself to accept that, so when she actually buzzes us in without protest, I'm pleasantly surprised.
Sam meets us in the lobby, fiery red hair pulled back in a low bun and arms wrapped around herself like she's been hit with a gush of chill wind.
She's visibly shaking, and god, she looks like she's lost at least ten pounds since I last saw her. Her clavicle bone protrudes more prominently and her once fitted Star Wars shirt looks baggy on her.
I give Summer a concerned look and she already seems to read my mind, nodding for me to go to Sam.
I transfer my bag of food into Summer's hand and engulf Sam into an embrace. She accepts it hungirly and drops her head onto my chest.
"Let's go upstairs, I don't want to talk about it here," she says, pulling away from me.
She hugs Summer and despite them barely knowing each other, they rock back and forth in a long embrace.
Summer and I support her on the way up, both grabbing each hand, afraid she might fall over and break into pieces.
When we get to her place, it's spotless this time. No scattered clothes, empty pizza boxes, or an overfilled sink full of dirty dishes.
A small Spiderman suitcase is placed by the coat hanger, and Jake is sprawled across the couch in deep sleep.
"Let's go to my room so we don't wake him yet," Sam says.
We drop the bags of food on her kitchen counter and follow her to her small room.
"What's going on? I thought they'd have already taken Jake away in the courthouse since you lost custody," I say.
