Chapter 30: Connections

I tried to not let it bother me. I really, really tried.

But the thought of some snot-nosed high school boy drooling over my Luscious was almost too much. I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't concentrate on anything all weekend long. My mind kept on seeing a pimply, scrawny kid forcing kisses on her. Or worse. In the middle of the night I would jerk awake, hauling myself out of my own personal nightmare, envisioning her unknown prom date sliding the zipper of her prom dress down while she smiled over her shoulder. Sometimes, the scene was the back of a limo, just Kayla and her date, and she was trying to keep his hand from sliding all the way up beneath her dress. Was she really fighting his advances?

It took me a long, long time to fall back into uneasy sleep after those dreams.

Jaimie and Jake were going to the dance on Saturday. Jake promised me he would look out for his sister. I knew he would, and not just because she was his sister, but it didn't stop me from imagining the worst. Jaimie wasn't nearly as sympathetic as Jake was, but that was to be expected. I knew she was aware of our history, since she was Kayla's best friend. She would be on Kayla's side no matter what. Her attitude didn't bother me. In fact, I would have found it odd if she didn't resent me a little.

And so on Saturday night, prom night, I found myself in strange company. My brother Stephen, along with his girlfriend Tara and their little boy Kyle, all went out for pizza with me. It was very odd watching Stephen and Tara being parents. I felt like an outsider, and they were a family. Or, I reminded myself, as much of a family as two fifteen-year-olds with a baby could be, anyway.

Kyle was a handful. He was beginning to walk, and was trying to exhibit some independence. Tara looked very tired, and she seemed a little bit irritable with the baby, but Stephen was very tolerant. He tried to watch Kyle so Tara could relax a little, but Tara still was obviously in charge.

"How are things going with you guys?" I asked.

Tara gave me a tired smile. "It's very hard, Sean," she said. "School all day, and then taking care of Kyle. It doesn't leave much time for anything else."

"So much for being a kid, huh?"

She snorted and shook her head. "I can't hardly remember what it was like to be a kid anymore. The past year has just been a blur of diaper changes and feedings."

"Mom and Mrs. Jacks both help," said Stephen. He reached over and took a spoon away from Kyle, who had begun banging it against the table. Kyle was in a sling seat that fit directly on the table, and he was bouncing up and down as he gurgled and laughed. "But Tara's really got the bulk of the workload. It's been tough on her, but she's been a great mom."

"And your brother is pretty good at holding Kyle in one arm while he's doing homework," said Tara. "I never would have been able to do it without his help." She smiled at Stephen affectionately.

Stephen just shrugged shyly, concentrating instead on Kyle. I felt a surge of pride wash through me. My little brother was a stand-up guy.

"It's too bad you guys didn't call me before," I said. "I would have been happy to baby-sit for you so you could go to prom."

Tara looked up at me in surprise. "Oh, thank you, Sean, but we couldn't go anyway."

"Why not?"

Stephen was laughing. "We're not old enough yet," he said. "We're only sophomores, and prom is for juniors and seniors."

Old enough to be parents, but not old enough to go to a high school dance? It boggled me. All I could do was shake my head in astonishment.

During the next several days I worked with my core group of instructors from college - Eric, Trent, Jesse, Spencer, and Posey Smith. We met at my house to work out schedules, and we drove over to the park to stretch our legs and practice our newly designed drills and tests. I also spent part of each day just with Danielle and Trent, getting rosters of students set and making sure we had completed applications on all the kids, including medical information and emergency contacts. We wanted everything to be in top form on the first day of soccer camp.

I restocked my first-aid kit, and I stopped in to see Mr. Lehigh about getting three more. I wanted Jesse to have one, and my instructors in Merrillville and in South Bend each would need a kit and first-aid training. Danielle had already contacted the local Red Cross offices to schedule training in all our locations. I hoped we wouldn't need to call upon that training anytime during the summer.

Eric, Trent, Jorge, and I were going to go to Merrillville and South Bend to train our new instructors. I figured we would need two days with each group, just to make sure they understood what we were trying to do. The timing of training and the start of the camps meant I was not able to schedule one trip. Instead, I set it up for consecutive weekends. It made for some extra driving, but school was still in session for the high school kids who were going to be instructors, so I really didn't have a choice.

We had six hours each day scheduled, but these were sharp kids, skilled and accustomed to picking up the essence of a soccer drill. About half the time scheduled would be getting to know the instructors, as well as allowing them to get to know us. I made sure to include down time for everybody, an hour set aside for lunch and relaxation and casual conversation. I felt it was the best way to cement the group together.

Spencer wanted to come with us when we went down to meet with Jesse's team of instructors. Jesse already had his group lined up, being very familiar with soccer programs in his area. It also helped that both he and his sister were well known in the community at large, as well.

So, with the help of my supervising instructors and my office manager, my working life for the summer looked like it was going to go smoothly.

If only I felt the same way about my personal life.

On the Tuesday after Prom weekend, just after our dinner dishes had been cleared from the table, our telephone rang. I was in the family room with Tara, Stephen, and Kyle, helping them with their American History assignment, when I heard Mom pick up the phone. I didn't pay any attention, since she seemed like she was talking with an acquaintance, and so I was surprised when, about ten minutes later, she called me.

"Sean? Telephone for you."

I glanced over toward the kitchen. Mom was holding the phone away from her as she leaned out the kitchen door to make sure I had heard her.