Last Time For Everything

Chapter One

As I stumble into the bar, desperate to escape from the bitter cold of November, I bring my hands out of my pockets and rub them together in a desperate attempt to find any bit of warmth.  I'm greeted by a dimly lit pub, with a bar lining the far wall, tables on the left, a pool table on the right, I'm greeted by the sound of laughter from every angle, the sounds of pool balls bouncing off of each other, and, thankfully, a feeling as though I've just walked into an oven.

As my eyes scan across the bar, I notice an empty seat at the far end near the pool table.  Making my way over, I pull down the zipper of my jacket.  Once I reach the bar stool, I drop my bag and remove my jacket, placing it down on the stool to sit on, I have to practically jump to get my butt onto the seat.  Undoubtedly, my feet dangle far above the floor when I manage to make it to the seat of the stool.  Taking off my glasses - which have fogged from the cold - I pull up the end of my scrub top to clean the lenses of my glasses, then proceeding to slide them back onto my face.

As I put my phone and pager on the bar in front of me, one of the three men behind the bar notices his new customer, making his way over to my end of the bar.  He is tall, not particularly muscular, but solid built.  I'm met with his warm smile, chestnut hair and brown eyes.

"First drink is on the house for new customers", he tells me brightly.  "What can I get for you?", he asks as he leans closer to me to hear my answer above the slight noise of the other conversations throughout the small room.  As he leans in I notice the Navy shirt he is wearing, I can almost hear any of my four brothers scoffing, telling the kind bartender that we're an Army family, so he isn't good enough for their little sister.  He wasn't flirting with me, but that's just the sort of thing my protective big brothers would say.

"Don't temp me, I'm still on the clock", I say with a light chuckle, the corners of my mouth slowly curling into a smile.  "I'll just have a lemonade".

"Coming right up", he says with a light nod.  As he reaches for a glass, I place my elbow on the bar, and my hand on my cheek.  I watch intently as he fills the glass with ice, and then my beverage.  I try to stay focused on that to keep myself awake seeing as I've been up for more than 30 hours now.  The bartender places the glass in front of me, along with a small bowl of peanuts.

"Enjoy", he tells me with another warm smile, "If you need anything else just holler".

"Thanks", I say lightly as he turns to walk away.  I pick up my glass and take a long sip of the cool beverage.  The cold, tart liquid streaming down my throat wakes me up a bit.  Placing my glass down I turn my attention to the peanuts in front of me.  As I crack a shell I look around the bar at the few TV's they have scattered throughout the walls.  In the far corner by the tables I notice the Eagles vs Packers game is on, and I focus my attention on that as I plop the peanut into my mouth.

My family grew fond of Philadelphia sports teams after my dad spent his middle school and high school years at Valley Forge Military Academy.  Back home, pro football isn't nearly as popular as college football, and hockey is more popular than people think.  Though there aren't any NHL teams down south - with the exception of Florida, Texas, and Tennessee - nearly every kid plays hockey in the states of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.  

There isn't too much of a game to watch, though, as minutes after I start watching they head into halftime with the score 17-14 Green Bay.  For a bit I turn my attention back to my peanuts, eating a good handful, when I see my phone light up.

The text is from Mama, attached are a couple pictures of the family in the dining room of my parents house.  I realize it's Sunday night, our family dinner night, and my heart slowly drops to my stomach.  I open the message from my mom and take my time looking at the five pictures she sent me.  The first, of Daddy and my brothers, Cooper, Grant, Logan and Colby, lined up on the couch with their Bud Lights, all five of them in their Eagles jerseys as they are without a doubt watching the game.  The next picture is of my sister-in-law, Beth, as she poses to the side to show off her pregnant belly.  She just entered her third trimester with her first baby, a little girl with Logan.  The next two pictures are of all my nieces and nephews - all seven of them - also in Eagles jerseys, lined up on the floor in front of the couch watching the game with their fathers, uncles, and grandpa.  The last is of the whole crew at the table; both of my parents, my four brothers, three sisters-in-law, Colby's girlfriend, Katie, and all seven kids.