On the Sidelines

Chapter 34 Evie

I'm stressed. I graduate tomorrow and I'm freaking out. Tanner watches from the kitchen island while I pace a hole into the ground. I've been talking myself in and out of a pit for the last hour. I don't know if I'm ready for the next chapter of my life but it's here now and it's not going anywhere.

Next week I move into Tanner's apartment permanently, Mona is moving to Seattle, Natalia is staying here for now, Sasha is moving to Chicago, and Alyssa is moving to Arizona where Oli lives. They've been dating since she said yes to go out with him three years ago.

Everyone is going their separate ways and it terrifies me. I finally have a chosen family and now we're going to be thousands of miles away from each other.

"We can always fly out to visit them during my off season. Or when I have a game in one of their cities you can fly out and spend the day with them. You can make it work, baby. I mean, Oli, Dillan, Sean, Collins and I are still friends and we talk pretty regularly." Tanner pipes up from the island with the same advice from ten minutes ago.

"I know but that doesn't make it any less scary." I turn to face him, our eyes lock and my panic subsides slightly. I approach him, stepping between his open legs. "I love you and I'm super excited to see where life takes us but that doesn't change the unknowns."

He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, a soft kiss touched my temple. "Well, I'll be right here through all of those unknowns. Plus, you still have another week with everyone." I nod. I do, everyone will be together for one more week. "I told you the guys are flying in to attend your graduation, right?"

I jerk back and stare at him with wide eyes. "No! You never mentioned anything about that! They're really coming?"

"Yeah, they land tomorrow morning, a few hours before the ceremony. Unfortunately, you won't be able to see them until after but they'll be there, right next to me and your mom."

My heart warms at the idea that everyone will be there. I'll be able to see them again. It's been almost two years since we were all in the same place. "Your picking my mom up right?"

Tanner laughs, we've had this conversation already, but I need another confirmation. "Yes, princess. I'm picking them all up. Now come on," he picks me up like I weigh nothing. "I think you need a nap, you stayed up far too late last night watching tv."

A yawn interrupts my next sentence. I hate when he's right. I'm probably just overthinking everything because my brain is tired. "But the show was so good." Tanner laughs again as he carries me up to the room. "Don't tell Sean I said that, it'll give him too big of a head."

"Ok, princess. I won't" He pulls the covers back from me to slide under. I pause when I notice him not following.

"Are you not joining me?"

He shakes his head. "Not this time, I'm going to get started on some dinner." At my questioning look he elaborates. "You mentioned a handful of times last night that your mother's special birthday meal sounded amazing and that you were craving it. I got permission to break tradition because of what tomorrow is, and she sent me the recipe. Though I didn't realize it took almost three hours to make. So, I'm going to get started on it while you take a much needed nap." He leaves after giving me a kiss.

I watch him until he closes the door. I don't remember asking for that meal. It doesn't have a name since mom never named it, it's her special recipe.

I smile as I snuggle further into the sheets. It's the big things that make you fall in love, it's the little ones that keep you in love.

###

Tanner

Three hours and one complicated recipe later, Evie's walking down the stairs, stifling a yawn.

"Smells amazing." Her sleepy voice caresses my ear.

"Let's hope is tastes as good as it smells." Her arms wrap around my waste from behind while I stir the pasta for what should be the final time. "Did you sleep well?"

Her head moves up and down on my back as she nods. "Still sleepy though. It would have been even better if you were there for me to cling to like a koala."

My chest vibrates with my laugh. "Good thing, staring next week our sleepovers will be full time."

I feel something push against my arm so I raise it allowing Evie's head to poke through. "You know what's even better?"

I raise my eyebrow in response, waiting for her to fill me in. "You're here to help me pack and do all the heavy lifting." My earlier chuckle grows into a full-blown laugh. Jonny, the new transfer on the team made a similar comment at practice the other day.

I try to school my features, pretending to gasp. I place the hand holding the spoon to my chest, "Is that all I am to you? Some nice looking muscles?" Evie giggles again and I pray that she won't stop. I could listen to her laugh for the rest of my life and never tire of it.

"Of course not," she forces out through her giggles, "you also have an amazing-"

A throat clearing behind us catches our attention. I look over my shoulder to where Sasha stands with a bag so full her work clothes are spilling out. "Voice, right? That's what you were going to say. Right Evie?" The two girls stare at each other for an extended moment.

A mischievous smile breaks free across Evie's face, a small glint in her eyes. "Dick, I was going to say dick."

Sasha lets out a long sigh but doesn't seem even the least bit surprised. "Some days I wish you were still the same girl I met nearly four years ago. That girl would have never uttered that sentence." She turns her attention on me. "I blame you." She points at me the best she can with her full bag in one hand and a dress in the other. "You corrupted her."

I just shrug. "Yeah, it's great, isn't it?" Sasha groan, mummering something about me being the dick Evie seems to think is so amazing and then stomps away.

I look down at the girl who's still stuck to my side, she's already looking at me when our eyes meet. "She may be a little annoyed with my newfound lack of filter."

"She's annoyed by that? Wasn't she the one, during your sophomore year, trying to get you to loose said filter?" Evie detaches herself from me, using the counter to lean on.

"Yeah. It's not like she hates it, it's more of a playful kind of annoyance." I shake my head, a laugh bubbling in my chest. Women, I will never understand them, but that's part of the fun.

A timer beats on the oven so I pull out the cookies I tried to bake at the same time. They look sad. There's no way around it, they look really sad.

As they cool, I assemble the rest of the meal and plate it for Evie to try. She takes a tentative bite, chewing slowly. She tries to hide it but a grimace takes over her expression for a split second.

"That bad huh?"

She sets down her fork. "No, it's really good." I sigh as I take her fork and try it for myself. It tastes like somethings rotten and burnt. There's also a tangy taste like sour cream but there's nothing in here that should taste like that. I defiantly messed up somewhere.

Without hesitation, I grab a napkin and spit it out. I applaud Evie for swallowing an entire bite, I just hope it doesn't make her sick. "This is the worst thing I have ever tasted." Tentatively, she nods her agreement.

"I didn't want to hurt your feelings; you spent hours on this." She slowly slides the plate off to the side, almost like she doesn't want to touch it.

"Thank you, Princess, but if you don't like it just tell me. I'm a big boy, I can handle it." Another one of those mischievous smiles graces her face and I know what she's going to say before she says it.

"You are definitely a big boy." She pats my shoulder as she reaches for her phone. "So, what sounds good for dinner?"