come down from the alumni office that Tyson hadn’t been invited. They didn’t need to voice the reasons why. He had become an embarrassment. While waiting for the elevator at her dorm, she overheard students talking to each other about having sighted Tyson at the Bunker. The more they laughed at what a hot mess he was, the more resolved she felt.
Dani believed she had manifested her own fate. This was her chance to be Tyson’s rock—to pick him up, dust him off, and show him how much he deserved her. But sometimes fate is fickle.
In the months that followed, when she could no longer hide her expanding belly, she began her career in deceit and told her first lie. She tearfully told her parents about a party she went to and after having one too many, she made a bad decision with a handsome nameless stranger. They only had one question: Had it genuinely been her decision? After assuring them she hadn’t been assaulted, they were nothing but supportive. Her parents laughed and sang while they converted Damian’s old room into a nursery. They all showed up and clapped with pride as she waddled up to receive her master’s diploma in media and communications, telling her that she could be anything she wanted to be. She thought about Tyson every day, worried about where he was and reflecting on how it was probably for the best that her baby never know his father as a drugged-out mess. On the very day she woke up and promised herself she would spend this day and every day thinking of nothing but how to be the best mother possible, Clinton Barrow held a news conference. The kind designed to set the football world on fire. From the press room at Maverick Field, and with all the frenzied pomp and circumstance he could manage, Barrow made the announcement.
Tyson Palmer was making his return.
It only took hearing his name spoken out loud for Dani’s heart to start racing. She watched from her parents’ couch with her feet up to minimize the swelling in her ankles as Barrow trumpeted his new acquisition, flanked by stone-faced coaches doing their best to look optimistic. Sitting in the middle, next to his new boss, was the man himself.
Tyson was back, bigger, stronger, and hotter than ever. Gone was the rambunctious loudmouth, replaced by a subdued, clear-eyed version who spoke humbly about how grateful he was to the Mavericks organization for giving him the opportunity to play again.
Clinton Barrow was smart. He made it short and sweet, and they all left the room before any questions could be asked. It wasn’t until it was over that Dani was able to draw a decent breath. Five minutes after that, her water broke.
DANI FINISHED PACKING AND WENT downstairs. Her stomach growled, tempted by the smell of sausage and peppers. Danza and Brendon were at the big kitchen table working on a SpongeBob jigsaw puzzle. She crouched down next to her favorite boy.
“Hey, you. Kiss me,” she said. He looked up from what he was doing and complied. Then he showed her a piece of the big chunky puzzle.
“It’s Mr. Crab’s foot,” he told her proudly.
Dani looked at the little stub of red surrounded in blue. “I’ll take your word on that.”
Then Brendon gifted her with an adorable, bubble-filled, raspberry-like laugh. “Real crabs don’t wear pants,” he pshawed, shaking his head.
Her mother stopped humming the SpongeBob theme song and asked, “You staying for dinner? Now that you got this new job, I see you’ve started eating again.”
Her mother wasn’t trying to give her a hard time. She hated to see good food underappreciated. It was really the only time she criticized her daughter.
“Of course I’m staying for dinner,” Dani was quick to reply. If there was ever a time to incorporate stress eating and comfort foods, it was now. “Who knows when I’ll get cooking this good again?”
Danza took a moment to look up from the puzzle.
“Sometimes the things we want most come with the most sacrifice,” Danza reminded
Dani believed she had manifested her own fate. This was her chance to be Tyson’s rock—to pick him up, dust him off, and show him how much he deserved her. But sometimes fate is fickle.
In the months that followed, when she could no longer hide her expanding belly, she began her career in deceit and told her first lie. She tearfully told her parents about a party she went to and after having one too many, she made a bad decision with a handsome nameless stranger. They only had one question: Had it genuinely been her decision? After assuring them she hadn’t been assaulted, they were nothing but supportive. Her parents laughed and sang while they converted Damian’s old room into a nursery. They all showed up and clapped with pride as she waddled up to receive her master’s diploma in media and communications, telling her that she could be anything she wanted to be. She thought about Tyson every day, worried about where he was and reflecting on how it was probably for the best that her baby never know his father as a drugged-out mess. On the very day she woke up and promised herself she would spend this day and every day thinking of nothing but how to be the best mother possible, Clinton Barrow held a news conference. The kind designed to set the football world on fire. From the press room at Maverick Field, and with all the frenzied pomp and circumstance he could manage, Barrow made the announcement.
Tyson Palmer was making his return.
It only took hearing his name spoken out loud for Dani’s heart to start racing. She watched from her parents’ couch with her feet up to minimize the swelling in her ankles as Barrow trumpeted his new acquisition, flanked by stone-faced coaches doing their best to look optimistic. Sitting in the middle, next to his new boss, was the man himself.
Tyson was back, bigger, stronger, and hotter than ever. Gone was the rambunctious loudmouth, replaced by a subdued, clear-eyed version who spoke humbly about how grateful he was to the Mavericks organization for giving him the opportunity to play again.
Clinton Barrow was smart. He made it short and sweet, and they all left the room before any questions could be asked. It wasn’t until it was over that Dani was able to draw a decent breath. Five minutes after that, her water broke.
DANI FINISHED PACKING AND WENT downstairs. Her stomach growled, tempted by the smell of sausage and peppers. Danza and Brendon were at the big kitchen table working on a SpongeBob jigsaw puzzle. She crouched down next to her favorite boy.
“Hey, you. Kiss me,” she said. He looked up from what he was doing and complied. Then he showed her a piece of the big chunky puzzle.
“It’s Mr. Crab’s foot,” he told her proudly.
Dani looked at the little stub of red surrounded in blue. “I’ll take your word on that.”
Then Brendon gifted her with an adorable, bubble-filled, raspberry-like laugh. “Real crabs don’t wear pants,” he pshawed, shaking his head.
Her mother stopped humming the SpongeBob theme song and asked, “You staying for dinner? Now that you got this new job, I see you’ve started eating again.”
Her mother wasn’t trying to give her a hard time. She hated to see good food underappreciated. It was really the only time she criticized her daughter.
“Of course I’m staying for dinner,” Dani was quick to reply. If there was ever a time to incorporate stress eating and comfort foods, it was now. “Who knows when I’ll get cooking this good again?”
Danza took a moment to look up from the puzzle.
“Sometimes the things we want most come with the most sacrifice,” Danza reminded
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