Welcome to Ohio

Twenty Eight

A couple of hours later, I had sent Jill pictures of every step I took toward getting it done, pointing out that Uncle Dale would be able to do those, and I was now out and about with Jaclyn and some of her friends. We were playing fugitive. Okay, well, they were playing Fugitive, and I was just a driver. I didn't want to get hurt before the World Cup. The following morning was Saturday morning, so the whole house was awake by 10, we had pancakes cooked by me. It used to be Tammy and my foster dad, Keiran, but he died when I was ten. Mining mishap. After breakfast, the little ones sat in the living room to watch their cartoons while Jaclyn and I debated over what to do, until we finally played rock, paper, scissors to decide whose idea won, and she did, so I groaned. I didn't want to go out of town to a trampoline park, I wanted to stay in town, and watch A Violent Separation, but there was a couple problems with that plan. A Violent Separation was only in select theaters, and the La Cueva 6 wasn't one of those select theaters. Meaning I'd have to get my ADC fix from Fear the Walking Dead and The 100.

"We have a plan." I say, walking into the living room where Tammy sat with the little ones.

"And What's that?" She asks.

"Jac and I played Rock Paper Scissors and she won. We're going to Las Cruces to go to a trampoline park."

"Just you two?" Tammy asks.

"No, all of us." I say, and Tammy sighs, but readies the babies to go on a trip.

-

The following morning, I was taken from the house before the sun rose for the Senior Sunrise I skipped last year, and afterward, while Tammy and the youngest two were at church, Jaclyn was off with her girlfriend, so I was home alone for a bit until some of the softball players I would've been graduating with if life didn't turn out the way it did, showed up at the house to take me out and hang out with me. We were soccer teammates before I left, so I kinda knew them. After a while of being in the mall, they walked toward where Sears used to be, and led me into the gym that took its place. They paid for my day pass, and since we were all wearing clothes appropriate for the gym, we started to work out together. Jill contacted me yesterday while I was in Las Cruces, saying that the design was approved, and that Dale accepted the offer to make the chips.

-

Later that night, I'm back with the National Team, getting ready for our Send-Off Game in New Jersey.

"So how was your couple of days off?" Sam asks as we're stretching on the field for post-travel practice, just to get blood flowing after flying.

"Productive. Wasn't it, Jatwood?" Jill says, coming over, and patting my shoulder with a proud grin on her face, so I shrug.

"You could say that, yeah." I say, and she nods.

"Productive?" Kelley asks, and I nod.

"I had an idea that the club liked." I say, and Abby furrows her brow.

"That's a little vague." She says, and I shrug.

"It was just a dumb idea I had that I sent up the flagpole, it's really not that big a deal. I don't want to sound like I'm bragging or something like that." I say, and Lindsey shrugs.

"I wanna know." She says, and I sigh.

"If you don't tell them, I will." Jill says, and I sigh.

"I had an idea for a little trinket that can be made, and sold to show support for us that isn't the typical shirt, hat, scarf, or jersey." I say, and Lindsey, sighs.

"What is it?" She asks, and I look at her for a moment as I switch legs.

"It's a poker chip that has our crest on one side, on the other, it says 'we are all in' and on the edge, it says 'I Believe.', with the edges, in between the little white squares poker chips have, it has our acronym, 'USWNT', and in the extra space, is a fourth star. I'd show you, but my phone is in the locker room." I say, and Jill nods, pulling out her phone.