freaked out and considering if this is real.”
“I remember this woman. I remember meeting her, sitting on her lap. I remember she smelled like rosemary and lemons, and her hair was dark like mine but curlier. I remember we had pictures of her, and I remember her voice…”
“What are you saying?” Rose asks.
I shake my head. “I don’t know.”
“Did you ask your dad about it?”
“Kind of. I asked him if he knew her, and he said he didn’t, but then he reacted to this woman in a way I’ve never seen him act, and then he was over it like it never happened. He said he was only upset because she’s a fraud and cheats people out of their money.”
“This woman you remember, when was the last time you saw her?”
I shake my head. “I don’t even know. Years and years ago.”
“Do you think you could be imagining it? I mean, I know my imagination sometimes gets away with me when I start thinking about things.”
“You mean, am I making this up?”
“Not making it up, I just mean it can be difficult to remember things sometimes. Maybe because you’re so anxious to get back to Texas for spring break and with school and this craziness from Arlo and his supposed curse, you’re just … misremembering?”
I try to harness my initial offense that has me wanting to say things I will likely regret later, and focus on traffic. “Yeah, maybe.”
21
Arlo
“There we go,” Coach Harris says, clapping from his spot on the sidelines.
Coach Craig, our offensive coordinator, stands next to me, arms crossed over his chest. “I bet you’re excited to get back out there.”
It’s been a week and a half since the party and not even a full two weeks since I stopped needing crutches.
Beside him is Coach Evans, who continues staring at the field.
I’m excited to not walk with a limp. I’m excited to be able to stand for long periods without pain. I’m excited to be able to kneel so I can tie my goddamn shoe, but yes, I’m also looking forward to eventually being able to get back out onto the field. My time at the gym doesn’t release the same amount of endorphins and energy that playing football accomplishes. “You have no idea.”
“What’s your doctor saying?”
“I won’t see him again for a couple more weeks. Right now, I’m doing physical therapy, and they’ll report back to him with the next steps.”
“What’s your physical therapist saying?”
I watch Tyler Banks pivot too late, and one of our defensive linebackers get past him and sacs Paxton. With a wince, I turn to Coach Craig, wondering why in the hell he’s looking at me when he should be studying these holes in our offensive line that have Coach Harris throwing his clipboard. “They just keep preaching time, assuring me that it will be back to normal, but we have to take things slow. It’s maddening, but I’m trying to be patient, so I don’t injure it again.”
Coach Evans turns. “Sounds like the same advice you’d get for dating a freshman.”
Six months ago, I might have laughed. Now, I look up to ensure Lincoln is far enough away he doesn’t hear the quip because I have little doubt Coach Evans would be leaving practice with a black eye if he did.
Coach Craig shakes his head and laughs, then walks toward the line of scrimmage, calling out to Tyler about the angle of his hips. Tyler is a strong player who’s getting a harsh dose of correction with every error. I know it’s because they’re preparing him to be a starter next year and because our other running back, Stone, is graduating this year. So Tyler’s going through this initiation gauntlet, but with my unknown future, it’s harsher.
Coach Evans leans back on his heels. “You know, when I was in college, I blew out my knee in my sophomore year.” He shakes his head. “It was the worst pain of my life, and then they told me it would take a full year to be able to play on it again, and I knew if I waited that long some freshman would swoop in and show me up and take my spot on the team.”
“My ego’s definitely taking a beating,” I tell him, watching Coach Craig instructing Tyler on the clip and how he’s going to have to take it.
“You know, it’s going to be sore, but your muscles have memory. They know what to do. Doctors are always going to quote the