Page 145 of Trusting You
“She’s been missing this dearly. Thank you so much for bringing it by,” I say. I toss it to Sophie, who catches it and is immediately arm-tackled by Lily.
“It must’ve fallen underneath my desk at the school. Janitor scrounged it up this morning.”
“She was in your office?”
“Yes, with Mr. Hayes. He was interviewing for the part-time coaching position. I’m sorry for my impropriety, but are you his wife?”
“Oh—no,” I say. “A friend.”
I feel Sophie’s eyeballs against my back.
“Well, tell him he only has twenty-four more hours to accept. I’ve been leaving messages, but he hasn’t called back.”
“For the job?” I ask dumbly.
“Well, yes.”
“That’s…” I stop to laugh. “Amazing. I have to let him know.”
“Please do. Whatever he’s doing, he’ll miss out on this opportunity if he doesn’t return my call.”
My happy bubble dissipates. “Locke’s been in an accident, sir. He’s being discharged from the hospital today, but—”
“My goodness. I didn’t know.”
“He’s much better. Almost back to normal. I’ll tell him to give you a call as soon as—when did he interview with you?”
“Last Friday morning.”
I exhale. The morning before he passed out on the very stairs Coach Becks climbed seconds ago.
“Thank you for coming by. Locke can tell you the specifics, but I’m sure he’ll contact you immediately.”
Coach Becks nods and tips his baseball cap to me, Sophie, and Lily individually. “Pleasure to meet you, ladies.”
“You too, Coach Becks.” I smile and shut the door behind him.
“Locke actually went,” I say to Sophie, once Coach Becks’ footsteps fade.
“Went where?”
“To an interview! He’s been so depressed in this apartment, thinking he’d never find anything as good as football, and I found a classified in the cafe where my paintings are—”
Sophie’s eyes are glazing over, and instead of being annoyed, it brings clarity. Only Locke would care about this. He’s the only one who should because it gives him an end to his tunnel of black, a light to shine on a new future, still involving football, but in a whole new reflection of the sport.
“We should go to the hospital soon,” I say, and start gathering Lily’s things, scattered on the floor.
“Can’t. Flight, remember?”
“Soph, I mean it, please stay.”
“No way. After what I just witnessed, you two need to utilize the time you have left to figure your crap out.”
I lift Lily off Sophie’s lap. “This doesn’t change anything.”
“Spare me. I’m packing. Go. Be a happy family together for a while when you tell him the news.”
I want to argue, deny, but Sophie’s expression is filled with such sweet sympathy, I can’t. It is good news, and Locke deserves it. He also deserves to hold Lily as he’s wheeled out of a hospital he’s been imprisoned in for a week.