“I’m doing my part to keep my name clean, Coach.”
“Good to know. Now do you need to talk about your personal shit?” He frowned and I almost fucking laughed because Coach was a decent guy. One of the best in the league, which meant whatever we needed in order to show up at one hundred percent, Coach did his best to provide.
Even if that meant offering a therapy session, which wasn’t necessarily his favorite thing. Regardless, our needs were met each and every time. Coach was always present. Especially when it came to Omiri and me. We’d all joined the Sharks franchise together.
Coach’s first year with the team was the year Omiri and I were drafted. At the time, the three of us had something to prove, which created a bond the other guys didn’t have. Our bond, however, didn’t negate Coach being vocal about how sitting through our venting sessions was his least favorite part of coaching.
“Nah, I’m good.”
His expression turned serious. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure, Coach. I just need to make a few adjustments but I give you my word it won’t show up on the field again.”
“Alright, I’m holding you to that. Go do your rounds.” He clasped me on the shoulder at the same time he jutted his chin toward the training facility. He left me on his way to meet with the other coaches and trainers while I jogged toward the building. Omiri was waiting for me as soon as I walked in. This was my boy so I should have expected him.
“I’m sure you just hit Coach with whatever bullshit required to get him off your ass, now what’s really going on?”
“How do you know we didn’t just have a deep and thoughtful therapy session?”
“’Cause I know he hates talking about anything important and so do you. Now what’s up?”
I leaned against the wall across from him and laid out every detail of the past twenty-four hours. Finding out I had a sister, my mother leaving her, Rylee living with her teacher, and how I now had custody. I moved through my past twenty-four hours until landing this morning in just enough time to grab my practice stuff and head straight to the field.
Just about everyone knew I was adopted. I never hid that Orlando and Miranda weren’t my biological parents but Omiri was the only person who knew the reason I was adopted. He knew my life and I knew his, so I didn’t have any reservations about telling him about the latest kid Felicia decided to bail on.
“How the hell do you leave a kid to fend for themselves like that?” he growled, expressing the same sentiment I had been trying to process since learning Felicia had just up and left my sister.
I would have respected her more had she physically taken Rylee to Miranda and Orlando and walked away, but she’d left her alone in an apartment. So many things could have gone wrong. I couldn’t count the number of times I thanked God for protecting her during those three days she was by herself.
“That’s who she is.” The words left my mouth with so much venom it made my head throb with the reality. “But that’s cool because I’ve got her. She’s better off with me anyway.”
“You sure this is what you want to do?”
I frowned hard, because I thought if anyone would understand why I needed to do this, Omiri would. It wasn’t long ago that he’d found out about his daughter created after a one night stand. A daughter hidden from him for almost a year because he never knew Makari was pregnant. The first time hesaw his daughter Avianna was when she was four months old and it was not planned. A chance encounter at a drugstore where he ran into Makari, realizing the baby strapped on her chest had his mismatched eyes. Heterochromia was hard to deny. I was the voice of reason who’d convinced him to step up as Avi’s father.
“She’s my sister, O. What the hell else am I supposed to do?”
His expression turned serious. “This is not about obligation. People do things all the time because they feel it’s what they’re supposed to do. Hell, that was the main reason I wanted to be in Avi’s life. I feltobligated…” His eyes narrowed.
Omiri felt responsible for his brother’s death, and since Orion would never become a father, Omiri felt like he had to step up and be a father to his daughter. It was messed up logic that might not make sense to most but I got it. I also made sure he understood Avi required more than a father wanting to be in her life solely attached to the guilt of losing his brother. As hard as it was for him to hear, I made sure he did it for the right reasons.
“This isn’t me feeling obligated or trying to right the wrongs of Felicia’s messed up parenting. She’s my blood and deserves a good life. I’m more than capable of providing that.”
“Your parents can too, Land.”
“They’re not her family.” I said what I had been thinking since they’d offered to foster my sister out loud. I loved them. God knows I did and would never in my life regret them taking me in, but there weren’t any other options when it came to me. With Rylee, there was. She had me. I couldn’t have that conversation with my parents because it would crush them to think I ever felt anything other than love for them.
Proof of how much I loved them was evident when I didn’t crash out after my mother admitted that she and my father paid Rylee’s tuition for over a year and never told me. They thought it was best not to completely disrupt my life if it wasn’t necessary. Instead they made sure Rylee was taken care of, went to the bestschool in the city that could meet her needs and checked in with her often. I appreciated their efforts, but it hadn’t been enough.
He nodded, accepting my explanation. “Aight, then how you gonna make it work? This…” He lifted a hand and circled a finger in the air. “Is our life. Twenty-four-seven. Football has to be the priority, and unless you’re ready to walk away from the game, you’re gonna have to figure some things out. Kids aren’t easy. They don’t give a damn about practice, training, or games. All they understand is what they need and what they need isyou.”
“I’ve considered everything you’re saying, but damn, if you can do it, so can I.”
“I’m not Avi’s only parent. Our house doesn’t run smoothly without Kari. All the heavy lifting is on her when it comes to Avi. I’m justDad.”
My boy downplayed his role in Avi’s life. I knew the truth. Omiri was a good father. He was hands on and carried just as much of the load as his wife when it came to their kids, but I heard him loud and clear.
“I’ll have help,” flew out of my mouth before I could even consider what I was saying.