“To new beginnings.”
“Now, please welcome the St. Michael's football team to the stadium for the last time this season,” the announcer’s voice crackles over the speakers.
The crowd stands, erupting into a crescendo of cheers as the team charges onto the field in a blur of blue, white, and gold uniforms.
“And now, please welcome our starting quarterback, Zach Evans.”
As if the crowd couldn’t get louder, it does.
He runs out of the tunnel with his helmet in his hand and waves at the crowd. He might hate this side of the game, but my cousin was made for this.
Ella starts clapping wildly.
“There's Uncle Zach!” she shouts, pointing. “Go, Uncle Zach!”
Jamie laughs softly, lifting her a little higher so she can see better.
That’s when it hits me.
“Oh, by the way,” I say. “You know Ella's peewee football team?”
Jamie looks over, his brow raised. “Yeah?”
“The franchise is growing and they’re looking for paid coaches. Reese dropped your name and said they were going to call you.”
His mouth parts in surprise before that soft, crooked smile spreads across his face. “Reese did that? For me?”
“Yeah. Zach was actually the one who suggested it to him. He said you can’t be any worse at coaching than playing,” I add with a smile.
“He’s not wrong.” He looks onto the field, before looking back to me. “But coaching? Do you really think they’d want me?”
“After seeing the way you are with Ella, and how good you are at teaching me things, I think they’d be lucky to have you.”
He chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck. “Coaching little kids, huh? Guess that’s one way to redeem all my bad plays.”
“What bad plays? I heard you didn’t get off the bench,” I say, elbowing him in the side. “But seriously, it seems like the perfect fit to me.”
His eyes find Ella on his lap as she waves her foam finger in every direction. “Yeah,” he murmurs. “Maybe it is.”
When the game starts, I can feel the roar of the crowd flowing through me. Zach lines up behind his center, Mason, and squares his shoulders, waiting for the play to start.
“Go, Uncle Zach!” Ella screams, still waving that foam finger in the air.
The ball is snapped, and Zach drops back, scanning the field. For a second, it looks like one of Southern Collegiate's defenders will tackle him, but he sidesteps out of the way.
He quickly launches the ball, creating the perfect spiral through the air.
It lands squarely in Reese’s hands, giving St. Michael’s their first down.
The stadium explodes, and Jamie holds Ella up to help her celebrate.
I’m standing, cheering him on, so happy for him. This is exactly where Zach belongs, and I can't wait to see where he gets drafted.
When the next play snaps, he fakes a handoff to Mason and takes it himself, sprinting for the end zone. A defender dives for him at the ten-yard line, but Zach ducks left, then right, sliding past him with inches to spare.
Touchdown.
Blue, white, and gold confetti bursts from the sidelines. The band fires up the fight song. Ella’s sitting on Jamie’s shoulders now, waving her finger like a victory flag.