Bitter Treats (BxB Romance, In Progress)

5: Bitter Decisions

"You get out around three, right?" Kevin Caster turned toward his nephew as they pulled into the school parking lot.

"I do, but... I have soccer practice after school." Tyler looked down at his worn sneakers. Suddenly, he felt concerned that his new living arrangements would affect his sports career. His team had just reached the playoffs of the high school tournament and despite being just a freshman, he had managed to land a starting spot as a winger. "It ends around five p.m."

"Great!" Kevin gave Tyler an encouraging pat on the shoulder. "I've heard you're very talented. I'll bring the whole family along to watch your next game. I played a bit of soccer myself when I was younger although I wasn't very good, not like..."

Kevin trailed off, turning his gaze toward the soccer field across the parking lot. But Tyler knew what he was about to say: "Not like Garrett." Tyler's late father, who passed before Tyler was even born, had been a promising soccer star who'd foregone a college scholarship to instead join the army.

Tyler had always been told he looked like Garret and that he moved like Garrett. So taking up soccer just like his father had barely even been a choice. It was as if the sport was in his blood from the first time his foot touched a soccer ball.

Not quite knowing what to say, Tyler looked over toward his uncle and hesitantly gave him an affirmative nod in an attempt to signal that he didn't need to say more. Garrett's death had obviously been harder on Kevin, his older brother, than on the son he never met.

The bittersweet smile Kevin sent him in response told Tyler his message had been received. "Garrett would have been proud of you," Kevin noted with a sigh.

Tyler just nodded. He never quite knew how to respond when his father was brought up, as anyone he spoke to always knew more about him than Tyler, but a fuzzy warm feeling wrapped him up from inside upon hearing those words.

"So you're sure it's fine if I go to practice?" Tyler asked, wanting to change the subject before he was forced to go to class with tears in his eyes. "Like I don't want you to have to wait around."

"I was actually going to drop you off at home and then go back to the office if you got out at three," Kevin admitted. "But five in the afternoon should be about time for me to head home as well, so it works out perfectly."

"I do get out at three some days," Tyler said. "But I can just wait around here until five, like do my homework or something."

He'd never really done his homework before but there was a first time for everything. Or he could just use the time to take a nap.

"Don't be silly," Kevin said. "I'll pick you up when you get out, regardless of which time it is. But if you want to do your homework first, you can come with me to the office and do it there while I finish up work."

"I can do that," Tyler replied, happy to have come to a solution where his uncle didn't have to go out of his way to drive him home. Although this meant he would probably actually have to do his homework since his uncle might check in on him. Which probably wasn't a bad idea anyway, since he needed to up his grades if he wanted a chance at a soccer scholarship.

"Then it's settled!" Kevin ruffled his hand through Tyler's hair, moving some insistent curls away from his nephew's forehead. "But now, you need to get going to class. I can't have you be late on account of me."

"Oh, right." Tyler looked at the clock on the dashboard, informing him that his first class started in seven minutes. He picked up his backpack from the floor before disembarking the SUV. The steps down made it feel like exiting an airplane. Very different than his mom's beat-up Honda. "I'll text you when practice is over! See you then!"