Page 49 of Make the Play

She gives me a watery smile. “You didn’t. I get like this when I talk about them. I still miss them every day.”

“I imagine you will every day of forever. I kind of know a little bit about that, but it’s a different story altogether.”

“Yeah?” she asks, wadding up her empty wrapper and tossing it into the bag.

“I don’t really talk about this because, in my eyes, all I’ve ever known is my mom, you know?”

“You don’t have to tell me, Knox.”

“I want to tell you.” She scoots closer to me and links her arm through mine, resting her head on my shoulder.

“I’m a good listener, and I promise your story is safe with me.”

“I know that.” I place a kiss on her temple and give her the condensed version. “My mom, she’s actually my aunt.” I wait for the judgment that usually comes with that statement, but it never comes, so I keep going. “My mom and my aunt were adopted at birth by different families. They didn’t know they were twins.” I go on to tell her the rest of the story and how my parents ended up together.

“Wow, talk about fate.”

“I know. I truly feel as though there was some kind of higher force or power pulling the strings. There had to be. I was just a baby, so I only know what they’ve told me, but it seems too out of reach for that not to be the case.”

“That’s actually really fucking cool, Knox. You have that connection to her.”

“I know. I wish I could have met my birth mother at an age I could remember her. I have one picture of the three of us—the day I was born. That’s it. She passed right after it was taken. There was never a day I didn’t feel loved or wanted. My parents supported me and my dream of this career. Countless practices, games, and gear, they did it all, and I have them to thank for me being where I am today.”

“I love that,” she says, covering her yawn.

“Tired?” I tease.

“I am. It took me forever to fall asleep last night.”

“Me, too, and then I was wide awake at four this morning.”

“What? Why in the world were you up so early?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“Oh, okay,” she says as she stiffens beside me.

“It’s not at all anywhere close to what you’re thinking. I can promise you that.”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to tell you.” I pause, and when she doesn’t respond, I can’t take the silence or the fact that she assumes it was someone else who had me awake at the ass-crack of dawn. “You,” I say softly. “I was up at 4:00 a.m. because I was too damn excited to see you today. I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve felt like this, Corie.” There, it’s out on the table. I’m not a man who likes to play games… unless it’s football. You can count me out. I also don’t want to come on too strong, but these feelings swirling inside me are too big to contain, and I’d rather spill my truth than have her thinking something different. Miscommunication is not how I want this, whatever we are, to start.

“I guess now is a good time to tell you I was wide awake for the same reason.”

“Come here.” I pull her onto my lap and wrap my arms around her. We sit together for I don’t know how long, just hugging one another. When she finally pulls away, she has a bashful look on her face.

“Do you want to take a nap?” she asks shyly.

“With you? Yes. I’m not a napper, but I could definitely sleep today.”

She stands and stares at the couch as if she’s working out the logistics of how this nap is going to happen in her head.

“I have blackout blinds in my room. It helps when we get in late after an away game. Sleep is important, just as much as working out regularly. We could go in there. Just to nap.”

She nods. “Just to nap.”

Not giving her time to change her mind, even though she still can, I stand and link her fingers through mine. Bending over, I grab my cell phone, which is still on the floor, but leave the remote for later. With her hand in mine, I move to make sure the front door is locked and then guide her back to my bedroom.

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