Rekindling Tradition

Chapter Five: A Product of Their Love

Disclaimer: All characters and settings are purely fictional. If there are any similarities to real people or places, it is merely coincidental. The plot is written by me and not copied from any other writer.

********** Chapter Five **********

Watching Tyrus play football is terrifying. I don't ever remember being this worried about Theo or Ryland getting hurt. It was only a practice session. It was Ty's fifth one. His coach was more than excited to add him to the team. I practically raced to Ty's school to get a glimpse of his session before it ended. There was no denying his talent. He fell into place naturally, running the drills and plays as if he did them in his sleep. 

In the short time I spent watching him, I realized he did the same thing Ryland did when he was listening for instructions from his coach. Ryland would put his hand at his waist and unconsciously stick his tongue out between his lips as he followed along with the coach's instructions or feedback. It was so precious. I missed Ryland. I wondered if he and India were still together. Did they have a little girl or boy? They would be eight years old now, just a year older than Ty. 

"Come on Scott, let me see you pass this ball!" Coach Jones shouted. Tyrus clapped his hands enthusiastically. The little boy next to him passed the ball. Ty caught. He fiddled with it before plugging his fingers to the spots his Coach had just directed him. I felt the air leave my body. 

"Peters, run to the third cone. I want to give Scott a challenge," Coach Jones instructed. The little boy next to Coach Jones sprinted towards the cone. It was a small field. They marked out the lines with cones. It was far from the field I was accustomed to, but it felt the same. The smell of freshly cut grass in the wind gave a sense of nostalgia I didn't think I would feel. 

Tyrus aligned his fingers again. He gave one look at the boy before he titled his body, the ball clutched in his hand before he released. The ball glided into the arm, heading directly for the boy who caught it. Flashes of Theo in middle school throwing the ball to Hayden and I came flooding back into my brain. How was it that he was so much like Theo even without him being here? It wasn't until Coach Jones clapped, did I breathe again.

I found myself wiping tears from my eyes. Ty was such a perfect little thing. I wanted to keep him like this, happy and in his moment. But, he wanted the truth. He wanted to meet his dad. He wanted to meet a man that didn't know he existed. I didn't want to hurt him, but there was no avoiding the fact. He would be hurt. He would be angry. He would probably hate me for keeping such a big secret from him. Both he and his father would be upset. I laughed at the thought of them angry. 

"You ok, Mom?" Tyrus asked, startling me. His face was filled with worry. 

I nod my head, "Of course baby. I'm just so proud of you." 

Ty smiled, "Did you see my throw? Coach says I have a great arm." He was jittering from excitement. I beamed at him. 

"You were so good," I added, building his enthusiasm further. He did a quick dance before sharing his excitement over getting number five for his jersey. He described every little detail as I grabbed his bags and walked him towards the car. He was going on about how his first game was this Friday. I promised him I would be there. 

"Buckle up, mister," I exclaimed, once he was safely in his car seat. He followed my instructions while telling me about how his day went. It was refreshing to see him so happy and relaxed. Maybe it was because he was playing football. Or the therapy session was paying off. He just seemed more like the child I remembered. The sparkle in his eyes was worth all the tears I cried dealing with Sports Limited and the feeling of loneliness being away from my loved ones. 

I thought about them often. Plenty of times I wanted to visit or call, but I was afraid it would blow my cover and ruin any chances I had of ensuring Theo's dreams weren't put on hold or destroyed by the careless mistake I made. I was the one forgetting to take my birth control. Theo didn't know. And if my calculations are correct, which I know they are, Tyrus was conceived the day Theo came to visit me after his college session at UW. It was the first time we were truly happy, without any regrets and doubts. We loved without restrictions, and Tyrus was made. He is the truth of our love. 

"Mom?" Tyrus asked, interrupting my humming. I was lost in the thoughts of Theo and I that missed him calling me the first few times. 

"Yes, honeybunch?" I answered. He scrunched up his face in disgust at the pet name. He hated it. When he turned seven, he told me that I should stop referring to him with pet names since it wasn't 'cool'. He told me Ty was fine, and I was permitted to call him 'baby' only in private. That one was a compromise. 

"Sorry," I muttered after seeing his face. 

"Can you tell me something about dad? I want to know some things before I meet him," Ty asked. He seemed nervous, his hand clutched tightly to the car seat. We stopped at a red light, and I exhaled. 

"What do you want to know?"

He thought for a moment before responding, "Was he good at football?"

I smiled, "Really good. He was the quarterback all throughout school."

"No way!" Ty exclaimed, his eyes wide. 

"Yes, way!"

"Did you go to his games and stuff?"

I nodded, "Of course. I was a cheerleader, so I was present to most of his games."

Tyrus's mouth dropped open, "Mom you were a cheerleader?"

Laughing at his response, I replied, "Yes, I was."

Ty laughed, "Did dad like you because you were a cheerleader?"

I shook my head, "No. He said he fell in love with me on the first day of middle school. We were in the same class. I sat in the seat in front of him."

The light turned green, so I took my eyes off of Ty and focussed on the road. I could hear Tyrus' light giggles. 

"What is my dad like?"

"Hmmm, what is your father like?" I thought for a moment. How could I describe him? The memories of our life together overwhelmed me. Thinking about Theo hurt in a painful pleasing way. 

"He's quiet. He is a man of few words, but his words hold a lot of meaning. He has a short temper. You got that from him." I glimpse a small smile tug at on his small face. I shake my head. 

"He is loyal. He is bold and daring. He is kind, too." I finish. Tyrus is silent. I check the mirror to see him thinking. His eyebrows are furrowed. He is staring out the window, biting his lips. It was a habit he got from me. 

"What are you thinking about, Ty?" I ask. 

"You think he will like me?" Ty asks. His face was dripping with genuine concern. 

I give him a big smile, "He would. You would be his favorite person in the entire world." I pray he doesn't ask any other questions. He smiles before digging through his bag for his water bottle. I sigh in relief. I wasn't ready to answer the question I knew was coming. Soon, Tyrus was going to ask why wasn't his father around. And the answer to that question is something a seven-year-old couldn't process no matter how much I tried explaining it. 

As Ty stares out the window, I relish in another moment where he and I live happily without the drama of the truth awaiting us.