Epilogue
Five years later.
“And there you have it, folks. The Denwood Dragons have won the championship.” The crowd went wild in the stands as my team gathered in the middle of the field. We worked so hard this season and were the undefeated champions. I’d won many games and titles, but this particular game held much more significance than any other. As I jogged onto the field, the chants from my team flowed through the air.
“We did it, Coach!”
“We won!”
“Undefeated, baby!”
Everyone was amped up as I broke the circle. Glancing at every player, I reflected on their journey to get here. Every one of my players grew over the season and worked to get to where they were.
“I don’t even have the right words to express how I feel right now. This moment has a significant meaning to each and every one of you. You all put in the work to make this happen, and we wouldn’t have gotten it done without each and every one of you. As with every game, we are going to choose an MVP. I’ll let you all decide who it will be.” The team glanced back and forth before the star player stepped forward.
“We decided to give the MVP to you, Coach.” I stared at him, waiting for him to continue.
“If it weren’t for your knowledge, dedication, and guidance, we wouldn’t have made it this far. You sacrificed your time to work with us outside of normal practice hours. You spoke life into us when we didn’t give our all. You were the driving force behind our victories this season. You might be a pain in my ass at times, but I wouldn’t be the strong, black man I am without you. I committed to a D1 college in the fall because you refused to allow me to perform at a mediocre level. You pushed me to be my best self, on and off the field. That’s what a real MVP is. We love you, Coach.” Moolah smirked while handing me the football.
“What my twin said. You’ve made us into men and unstoppable players. You’ve given us all of the tools to be successful in life. Not only have you taught us how to be great men in our community, but you’ve set the standard for us to follow. This may be our last official game together, but you know it’s the Sutton boys for life. Love you, Coach.”
My kids were my weak spot, and they knew it. It had been an honor to watch them become these dynamic men right before my eyes. There were times I grieved the time I missed with them, but the excitement of our future together outweighed those thoughts.
“I’m proud of each and every one of you. The seniors will be doing their final walk across the field with their parents, but this concludes our official season. For the ones who will be graduating, I’m only one phone call away. Regardless of where you end up in life, I’ll be cheering you on. You guys were the best team I’ve ever coached, and I appreciate you trusting the process. For the ones who will be returning next year, enjoy your summer because once the season starts, I’m on your ass. Dragons on three. One, two, three, Dragons !”
I turned to shake hands with my assistant coaches when I heard my sons call out to me.
“Aye, Coach. You forgot something!” Before I could shift my body in their direction, ice cold liquid splashed over the top of my head. The coldness of the drink caused me to freeze in place. I should have seen this coming, but I got caught slipping.
“Y’all are coldblooded. I can’t believe you did me like this.” I groaned, using my hands to wipe the excess Gatorade from my face.
“You got to be more careful, Pops!” Moolah roared with laughter.
“Aww, I can’t believe y’all did this to my baby.” Sunny’s voice caught me by surprise. A grin spread across my face before I even saw her face. She seemed to get more and more beautiful with every year of life. When I finally looked up, I noticed the dry towel and clean shirt in her hands.
“Thank you, baby.” I leaned over to kiss her lips. “Don’t tell me you knew about this.” The guilty smirk on her face said it all.
“Tradition is tradition. Now hurry up so we can escort our big babies on the field,” she pressed with her hand on her hip. I licked my lips as I took a moment to admire her body. I couldn’t wait to get the kids into bed so I could explore every inch of her.
“I’m surprised you aren’t crying already,” I teased, knowing how difficult this new journey had been for her. The idea of her boys moving into their college dorms kept her up at night. I’d assured her many times they would be fine, but her mama bear instincts were running wild.
“Trust me, I’ve fixed my makeup twice in the car. I can’t believe our boys are seniors. None of this makes any sense.” Sunny poked her lips out, so I took advantage by kissing her.
“You did a great job, mamas. Your boys are graduating with honors and full-ride scholarships. They are gonna go out into the world and do incredible things.” Hurriedly, I removed my wet shirt and replaced it with a clean one. I needed a shower, but it would have to wait until we were done here.
I held Sunny’s hand as we made our way to where we needed to be.
“Daddy, what took you so long?” my princess Cassidy asked, jumping out of her pawpaw’s arms.
“I’m sorry, love. Your brothers pranked me, so I had to get cleaned up. Did you enjoy the game?” She rolled her little eyes in response.
“The only part I liked was halftime. I want to twirl a flag when I’m bigger.”
“You can when you’re older.” I kissed her cheek as we joined the rest of the family.
“Did you win some money from the game, Daddy? Pawpaw said he won a lot of money from the game.” I glanced over at my father.
“I damn sure did. I can’t wait to go collect my money after this. Jimmy and Fitz were fools to bet against my grandsons. That was an easy lick.” I chuckled because he and his friends were always making bets. When Ro told us he planned to move closer to us, I thought he was blowing smoke. Surprisingly, he kept his word. He and Tootie moved into a house at the end of our street three years ago.
They took some time to work on their relationship, but I believed her near-death experience gave them the push they needed. He wasted no time either because, within six months, they were married. I still struggled with how to address it, but they didn’t care. The love was there, so the titles weren’t important.
“Alright, they are starting. Do you want us to take Cassidy, or will she walk with you all?” Tootie inquired.
“She’ll be with us. Are you coming to the house? Sunny cooked dinner for the boys tonight.”
“We’ll be there. Cassidy, China, and Tylie are coming to spend the night with us tonight.” Tylie was Tamia and Dreis’s little girl. Those two got together shortly after Sunny’s baby shower; the rest was history. Our goddaughter recently turned two years old, and she was hell on wheels. Tootie basically adopted her and China as her honorary granddaughters. With Christian being traded to our home team, the crew was back together. Sunny and Ciera were more excited than anyone else. When they weren’t with each other, they were on the phone with one another. I teased them about it all the time, but deep down, I was glad Sunny finally found her circle.
“Alright, it’s showtime!” Sunny and I stood on the outside with Cash and Moolah in between. Of course, baby girl wanted to be the center of attention as she held both of her brothers’ hands in the middle.
“Up next, we have Cashmir and Cashynn Sutton. Both boys will be graduating with honors this year. Cashmir will represent his class as the salutatorian. They have both been accepted to Douglasville University, which is the alma mater of their father, Hall of Fame recipient Dinero Sutton. Cashmir will be majoring in Biology, and Cashynn will be majoring in Business Management. They are being escorted by their father, Dinero Sutton, their mother, Charae Sutton, and their little sister, Cassidy Sutton. We wish you the best in your future endeavors, young men. You have been great assets to this school and this community. Let’s give the seniors a round of applause.” The crowd cheered as we closed out the ceremony.
After we finished taking pictures with the family, the boys were ambushed by a group of cheerleaders. Sunny’s face twisted into a frown while the girls pulled out their phones to take pictures with our boys. Cash only hung around for a few moments before he headed toward his girlfriend, Koya. Cassidy ran over to her grandparents, who smothered her with all the love and attention she could stand.
“What a full circle moment. Here we are walking our sons across the field for senior night. I still remember when it was you walking down the field. As much as I dreamed about a future with you, I never imagined life could be this good. Our boys have grown up, our little girl will start school soon, and we’re both happy and thriving in our careers. Life is good.” I held Sunny’s hand in mine while pondering the revelation.
“There are times when I regret all of the trials we went through to get here. Then I think about the fact that I get to wake up to your beautiful face every morning, and all is right in my world. You are the reason my life has a purpose and true value. Our journey may not have been cookie-cutter, but I would go through it all over again if it meant I would end up with you every time. Your love makes up for all the darkness I’ve experienced. I told you I would never live in a world where you weren’t mine, and I meant that. We have built our own legacy, and there is no other person I would rather share this with.”
“I agree. Every day, I wake up full of gratitude. Thank you for being the man you are. Even with all your flaws, every part of you is perfect. You loved me when I was broken, and now I get to love you whole. I appreciate the way you show up for our family. Our children will get to experience all of the love and devotion we lacked as children. You are the true definition of a man and leader. I love you, Dinero.”
“I love you more, Sunny. You came into my life and intercepted a real nigga’s heart. I’ll never stop showing my appreciation for the influence your love has had over me. You’re my good luck charm. Now and forever.”