11. Mason
Chapter 11
Mason
Sophomore Year
“Ward, can you come here please?” Coach Benson yells across the field.
“Yes, sir,” I say, jogging over to where he’s sitting on the bench.
“Are you able to stay after practice tonight to go over a new play? I wanted to get your opinion on it before we start working on it.”
“Yeah, I can do that. Can I run in and send my mom a text so she knows I’ll be a little later than normal?” If I don’t tell her, she’ll worry herself into coming up here to check on me, retracing my way home from school to make sure something didn’t happen in the few blocks that I have to walk home.
“Go ahead. I appreciate it, Mason.”
“No problem, Coach.”
Practice finishes a half hour later and I meet Coach Benson in his office to go over the play he’s come up with. I love how interactive he is with the entire team, always including us on new techniques or plays he comes up with. I don’t know if this is a normal high school football coach thing or just a Coach Benson thing, but I love that he includes us all, as a team.
Football takes a lot out of me, mentally and physically and probably even emotionally, but I fell in love with it when I was little and it will always be my thing. I remember throwing a football back and forth with my dad and Josh when we were younger, too young to play on a team. We’d spend most Sundays in front of the television rooting for our favorite teams.
Ma would spend the morning in the kitchen throwing together appetizers and then she’d join us on the couch, or sometimes on the floor, to watch the games.
These are the memories that I never want to forget. Now that I’m playing for my high school team things are a little different but we still make sure to put aside time to watch a few games together.
It’s nearing 6:00 when I’m leaving the locker rooms. I pull my phone out and decide I’ll see what Cal’s up to.
Me: I’m leaving practice. Are you still at work?
Callie: Yep, I’m here until 8. What’s up? How was practice?
Me: Practice was good. Went over a new play with Coach. You up for a visitor or are y’all busy?
Callie: You can drop by. It’s just me and Cassidy tonight. It’s been pretty slow since I got here.
Me: Awesome. See you soon.
Before putting my phone away I send Ma a text letting her know that I’m going to take Cal some dinner before coming home.
The bells above the door make Callie look up as I enter Scripted Serenity. It’s a small bookshop just up the road from the high school. The inside is what Cal says is a book lover’s dream.
“I don’t know if you’ve had dinner yet but I brought you a sub from the diner.”
“I came here straight from school so I haven’t had time to get anything. Thank you.” I sit the bag down on the counter and pull her head towards me, planting a small kiss on her cheek.
“You’re welcome. Are you able to eat now? There’s a wrap in there for me, too, but if you can’t I can take it with me when I leave.”
At that moment Cassidy walks around the corner from where the book nook sits in the window. “Y’all go sit back in the office and eat. I’ll be fine out here. If I need you, Cal, I’ll holler.”
I grab the bag off the counter and place my hand on Cal’s lower back as we walk up the main aisle of the bookstore and into the office.
“How was practice? Y’all ready for the game this week?”
“Practice wasn’t too bad. We ran some plays that Coach thinks will do some good for our game against the Tigers. I stuck around a little after practice ended and he went over a new play he’s been working on. It felt good that he was asking my opinion on it.”
“Well, Mase, that’s because you’re a damn good player. You don’t give yourself enough credit.”
This girl… She sure knows how to make me feel good about myself.
“Hey Ma. Can I talk to you for a second?”
I’m so nervous to talk to anyone about this but I’ve been drowning in thoughts of it for weeks now and it’s just too much. I need someone to tell me I’m not crazy, that this is exactly what’s supposed to happen.
“You can always talk to me, Mason. What’s going on?” Ma sits down beside me on the couch, crossing her ankles and placing her hands in her lap.
“Well, uhh. I wanted to ask you about how you knew Dad was the one. Like when you were younger.” Maybe I should talk to Dad about this, but Mom is generally more open about her feelings.
“Hmm. Well, for me it was because he listened to me. He didn’t just hear what I had to say, he listened . He was very open with his support and encouragement for me to follow the dreams that I had for myself. When others would laugh or judge, he’d be right there telling me that their thoughts on the matter were none of my business. It wasn’t just that, though. The first few times he hung out with my group of friends I felt this overwhelming sense of fulfillment. I don’t really know how to put it in words but it was more of an overall feeling I got when I was around him. We hadn’t known each other very well but he took the time to learn all about me, and do things that I wanted to do instead of only making me do things he wanted to do.” Mom smiles before adding. “I’m not sure if that helps at all, but that’s how I knew.”
“I get it. That feeling you said. Callie gets me and wants to learn more. It’s nice having someone other than you and Dad in my corner in life. She’s made me feel wanted in a way I didn’t know was possible. I think I love her, Ma.”
I’m not one to talk about my feelings much but Ma doesn’t even bat an eye. She pulls me into a tight hug and whispers in my ear “When you know, you know son.”
I feel a little better now but there’s still that underlying feeling of doubt. I have a feeling that no matter how confident I am in my feelings, that doubt will always try to sneak in and ruin the moment.