Infinity(47)

By hiring Amy, we soothed our mothers, are actually sleeping, and have given Amy an opportunity to focus on school. Win/win situation for all parties involved.

Today, is Charlie’s first day off of the antidepressants. She seems to be doing okay. I’ve watched her like crazy to make sure that she didn’t slip into old habits. She’s been eating, and kept her exercise to reasonable levels. I’ve been so proud of my girl. The only bad habit she’s picked back up is her coffee. Frankly, I’m surprised that she made it through her pregnancy without having a cup.

I toss my phone on Coach’s desk, making it clear to everyone in the room that I plan on answering it if it rings. The team president, GM, Aiden, and Mark are already there. We’re just waiting for Coach to finish up a phone call.

I have a feeling I know why they called this meeting. This is the last season that I’m under contract. They’re going to offer a contract extension because they don’t want my status with the team to be a distraction next season. And it shouldn’t be. Super Bowl, MVP-winning quarterbacks should be taken care of.

This is a damn good position to be in. The last time I had to worry about my contract, we’d had another almost, this-close season. My divorce had been recently finalized. I’d been on a path of destruction, doing whatever and whomever I pleased. What a difference the years make.

Coach comes walking into his office with his jaw set in a tight grimace, and running a fist over his heart. The team president asks before the rest of us can, “Are you okay?”

He laughs, and flops back in his quilted leather executive chair. “I’m too fucking old to eat chicken wings anymore.”

Everyone nods their heads in agreement. Coach starts talking, “So Colin, we obviously want you to be our franchise quarterback for as long as you can play. Let’s cut to the chase. We want to offer you a contract guaranteeing that you’ll retire from football in a Cowboy’s jersey.”

Aiden and Mark let out an audible sigh behind me. This is obviously the best-case scenario.

I smile, and reach across the desk and shake Coach’s hand. “That’s what I’ve always wanted. Cowboy for life.”

The conversation then moves into contract specifics, and things that I let Mark and Aiden handle. I grab my phone and check for any messages. Like the dream that she is, Charlie texted me a picture of Ainsley, Pancho, and Amy lying together on the couch. Life is good.



****



Another drab, generic hotel room with popcorn ceiling. This isn’t the first time I’ve had to leave my girls overnight, but I’ve limited my trips to as few as possible. The fucking nights are the worst. During the day, I’m too busy to remember that Charlie and Ainsley are at home and not with me. I’d gotten so used to Charlie traveling to all my games that it never occurred to me that once the baby arrived, her days of traveling would be over.

Kissing my girls goodbye and climbing into my truck was one of the hardest things that I’ve had to do to date. It’s the first away-game of the season, and this hotel room couldn’t feel lonelier if it tried. I hate that I will not get to read to Ainsley, give her a bath, or tuck her in.

Is Ainsley sleeping right now? Was she good for Charlie in the bathtub? What did she think of the new baby food that Charlie was going to try introducing? Is Charlie asleep? Can she sleep without me next to her? Is she missing me?

I look at the clock. The red numbers scream at me, “Go to sleep, fucker, you’ve got to play football tomorrow.” But I can’t. I’ve lost the ability to sleep when she’s not next to me.

I grab my iPad, and decide to distract myself with some world news. Unfortunately, I scroll to the entertainment section, and see a news story about Charlie and me. I click on it out of morbid curiosity, and read the headline. “Is Charlie Already Stepping Out on Colin?” It’s a picture of Charlie with Brad. He’s pushing Ainsley in her stroller, but thankfully, Charlie has a light blanket thrown over the compartment so you can’t see my baby’s face. Her arm is looped through Brad’s arm at the elbow. She’s dressed in exercise clothes and he has on pair of jeans, navy T-shirt, and sunglasses. I’ll give the photographer credit. It does look like her and Brad are lovers. If I didn’t know for a fact that he was one-hundred percent devoted to Carter and has only platonic love for my wife, I might just kill the fucker right now. But that twinge of anger, maybe jealousy, which still gnaws at me about Brad being the one to take my wife to the hospital to have our daughter is still there. It was Brad who’d held her hand, and helped her through her early contractions. The thought of Brad being with my wife while she was in labor with our daughter makes me crazy.