No Letting Go [Completed]

102

Watching Riley getting frustrated in practice is hard to look at. It's gonna take her a while to get the hang of it. She's definitely the fastest on the field but she's not as skilled as the other girls. They've been playing since they were really little, but she'll get it, she just gotta keep working. I get a text from Aaliyah.

Wifey💍👑: How's practice?

Me: She's...getting the hang of it.

Wifey💍👑: Rough first practice?

Me: Yeah. She'll get better.

Wifey💍👑: Of course she will. Look who her daddy is.

Me: Well, I mean💁🏽

Wifey💍👑: Never use that emoji ever again.

Me: 😂😂😂
Me: Practice is ending. We'll see you in the next 30 minutes or so.

Wifey💍👑: Okay😘

"Pick your head up." I say as Riley walks up to me.

"I quit."

"You what?"

"I quit!"

"You're not quitting."

"Yes I am. You can't make me keep playing."

"I can make you do whatever the hell I want. I'm your father....look at me." She looks up at me with teary eyes. "Have a seat on the bleachers."

"Daddy, I just wanna go home."

"Riley." She sighs and takes a seat, and I sit next to her.

"How long have you played soccer, Ry?"

"One day."

"Exactly. Just one day. Surely you didn't think you'd be Carli Llyod or Alex Morgan the first day, did you?" USA Soccer players.

"Well, yeah, I did."

"It don't work like that, bear. You know that. It takes time and dedication. Now,I'm not letting you quit. My children aren't quitters."

"Dadddyyy." She whines.

"What?"

"You really gonna make me play?"

"Yes. And watch, once you get the hang of it, and start learning how to do tricks and stuff with the ball, juking and faking people out, and scoring goals, you're gonna fall in love with the feeling it gives you. I promise."

"Is that how it is with football?"

"That's exactly how it is. There's no other feeling like throwing a touchdown pass, or scoring one myself. And you'll feel it."

"Softball's gonna be the same way, huh?" She says and rests her head on my arm.

"Baby girl, that's life. When stuff gets hard, you just can't give up. I tell you that all the time, but I think this is the first time you've really experienced it in a way that's really discouraging. And trust me when I say, it will happen more than once. It's gonna happen a lot."