The Fumble Of A Quarterback

Chapter 12: Convinced I Wouldn't Date

"I see that," she quipped. 

I pointed my finger at the camera. "Don't get sassy with me."

She smirked as mom knocked on the door frame and opened the door without waiting for a reply. "I'm planning to do some yoga. Want to go?" Mom asked kindly.

I had nothing else to do. "I'll go with you, but I don't think I'm in the mood for yoga. I'll take Rori and walk back."

"Sounds good. Can you leave now?"

I turned my attention back to Vera as if making sure she was ok with me ditching her.

"Don't say anything more. I have more important things to do, like watch my plants grow."

I rolled my eye at her.

She smiled. "Anywho, I love you. Talk later. Also, remember, like we agreed on, take a few photos of those players' butts. I'll pay you for those photos." With that, she ended the call.

I quickly turned to mom who stared at me with wide eyes. My cheeks turned hot as I braced myself for making an explanation. Vera always liked leaving me in awkward moments. "She was joking."

Mom nodded as she walked into the room silently, making me wonder if she actually took my words as truth. "I know Vera and I know you. Vera is always putting people into pickles. You gotta watch out, one of these days, Vera will get you in more trouble than you can manage."

"Speak from experience?" I asked as I stood up from the chair in my room and slipped on a T-shirt.

She smirked. 

She didn't need to say anything for me to guess. "I can only imagine," I said as I walked out of the bedroom behind her. 

"Paul, I'm heading out. Be back in two hours," mom said as she slipped on her shoes.

Dad walked out of his office with a smile on his face as he looked at his wife. "Ok! But hold on. You are seriously the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."

She beamed as she pulled her hair up into a bun. I never saw anything else make mom smile the way dad did. It made me hope I would find the same kind of person in my own life. "Thank you."

As they continued to talk to one another, I quickly got ahold of Rori and slipped a leash around his neck. He gave a little bark as he bounded around happily, knowing what the leash meant. 

Since I started the internship, I didn't walk with him as much as I used to. For a second, I felt guilty about it. But his waging tail told me he harbored no resentment. The love Rori shared with me comforted my destructive thoughts.

"Nora, let's go. Paul, I'll see you later," mom finally said as she opened the door and slipped out.

I nodded as I pulled Rori out the door and got into the car.

Mom backed out of the driveway then smiled. "Nora, you need to find someone in your life that looks at me like your dad looks at me."

"That's the goal."

She nodded as she drove down the road. "So dad said you are doing great as an intern. What do you think about it now that you are a few weeks in?"

I smiled as I thought about the exciting three weeks I had. When I first took this internship, I wanted only to pad my resume, but as the days went on, I realized this internship was doing more than adding to my resume. I was learning so much. It was more to me than just an internship, this was a job, and I took it seriously.

"I don't like football, but I have a better appreciation for it. Maybe I don't understand it fully, but I'm trying. And maybe I don't hate football as much as I used to."