From My Love to My Life (MXM) (sequel to From My Enemy to My Love)

Chapter 10

Vincent Kinsington

Chet didn't complain when I took a bite of his chicken parmesan and I didn't complain when he took a bite of my gnocchi. Underneath the restaurant table for two our shoes rubbed lightly against each other's. I hoped it wasn't too sappy for public. Then again, the people around us would probably notice it more when he fed me another bite of his chicken. He smiled and my lips automatically curved up into a smile to greet his before he turned his attention back to his meal.

We were eating dessert - gelato - when two boys came near our table and stared at Chet but didn't approach. It was still a little surreal to me that Chet was a little famous - at least to those who followed soccer. One of the boys was holding a napkin and pen. When Chet noticed them he smiled warmly and said, "Hi."

The older of the two boys approached and held out the napkin and pen. "Can we get your autograph?" he asked.

"Of course," Chet said and took the pen and napkin from him. "What are your names?"

"I'm Brian," the older boy said. "This is my little brother Max."

Max stepped closer shyly but remained behind his brother.

"So, Brian and Max," Chet said, "do you know what you want to be when you grow up?"

"Fireman," Max said enthusiastically. Then he seemed to remember where he was, who he was talking to and grew shy again.

Chet smiled. "Firemen are really important. They protect people's homes and lives. You know that?"

"Yes," Max said, getting brave again. "We went to a fire station for a school trip. I gotta wear one of the hats."

Chet's smile grew wider. "That's awesome. I never got to wear a fireman's hat. And what about you, Brian?"

Brian hesitated a moment and then said, "A soccer player, like you."

"That's great," Chet said. "You need to work hard and put in a lot of practice to make that happen. Can you do that?"

Brian nodded enthusiastically. "I'm on a soccer team," he said. "It's a kids soccer team. I already know more than the other kids about the different positions because we watch a lot of soccer."

"It's okay for the other kids to not know yet," Chet said. "I hope you are patient with them even if you know more."

"What does that mean?" Brian asked.

"Do you know what patient means?" Chet asked.

"I thought it meant to sit and wait quietly so I do not know how to do that to the other kids."

"In this case," Chet said, "patient means being nice to them while they learn the terms. You can teach them the correct positions but be nice about it and don't get upset if they don't learn as fast as you or if they don't want to learn. Can you do that?"

Brian nodded. "We watched your game the other night," Brian said as Chet wrote something on the napkin.

"In person or on t.v.?" Chet asked.

"On t.v.," Brian said. "My dad said maybe we can get tickets to a home game if we're good, do our chores and get good grades in school."

Chet finished the autograph with his flourish signature. He had practiced that signature so many times as soon as he found out he had been signed onto a MLS team. He smiled at the boys as he handed the napkin and pen back to them.

"Then you need to do well in school and do your chores and mind your parents," Chet said, "because I hope you can come some time," he said. "It would make me happy to see you two in the stands."