[Watty's Longlist 2018]
Eight years have flew by and Indigo Clark has all the things she hoped for. A successful boutique-check. Husband-check, check. Children-although they're a handful, check! Life is good, things are going fine until the biologic...
Tate's immediate answer to being asked to coach the kid's soccer team was 'no'. He knew it was one the world's most popular sports. Granted he did spend a few weekends watching the black and white ball traverse up and down the field with mom's family.
He still remembered the lambasting he received that one time he cheered for the USA team instead of Brazil.
But he didn't know the rules of the game nor was it his favorite activity. Baseball was his sport but his girls loved it. Now, Saturdays were for soccer. So, he supplied the snacks; orange or apple slices with popcorn—would've been potato chips but the other parents out voted him 25 to 3.
"Armadillos are ugly creatures. Who picked it as a mascot for a kid's soccer time?" Cooper asked, opening up a party sized bag of Flamin' Hot chips. She angled the bag towards him "Want one?"
"No, thanks." He plainly said, eyes still following Thyme kicking the ball down the field with a trio of Stinging Mosquitoes chasing her. The sight of the red spicy artificial-cheese snack but he made a promise to his wife years ago while she was still pregnant that he'd limit his consumption of junk food. Since he was planning to eat to his heart's contempt at the crawfish boil later and his Aunt Yara was bringing lelê so he wasn't going to get empty calories now.
After Thyme catapulted the ball into the net and the parents around him cheered turned to Cooper. "What I actually want is the truth. Honesty is the least you could do after I bailed you out."
"I said I'll pay you back." The aviator sunglasses kept Cooper's shoulder length blonde hair free of the sweat misting her forehead. "And that jackass constable was just pissed I had the gall to defend myself. An obstructed speeding sign should be null-invoid. And of course I failed that test. I can't walk in a straight line since that ear infection." She shrugged nonchalantly. "I'll take defensive driving and be done with it."
"You were arrested. I'm unsure if that's all you'll get." He shook his head turning back to the field to see Greer doing jumping jacks in the end zone. "But why are you here."
"I can't come and visit my favorite cousin." She bumped her hip into his.
"I didn't know I was still your favorite."
She tossed another chip in her mouth, "It ain't Beckett."
"Why? What did he do?" His eyes locked with Thyme's and she pouted and threw up her arms in frustration.
"Nothing. It's...." Cooper waved off his concern and gestured to the eight year old stalking over to them. "Is she supposed to do that?"
"No." Tate grabbed her bright pick hydroflask from the chair he never sat in during the game but Thyme refused it with a shake of her head. "What's wrong?"
"I'm tired." Thyme she whined with rosy cheeks. Sweat rolled down her face in rivers that prompted Tate to dab it away with the Astros towel that had been slung over his shoulder. "I can't do it anymore." She harked, stomped her foot and then collapsed on the grassy ground.
"Is she having a heat stroke?" Cooper asked, kneeling with two fingers on the girl's wristing measuring the frequency of her pulse.
"Absolutely...not." Tate said with a hint of humor at his daughter's dramatics. "She just doesn't want to run anymore. "She'll be fine after she lays there for a few minutes."
"For real." Cooper looked down at the child whose eyes were still closed and arm limp but a smirk curved her lips. "You're faking. You scoundrel." She tickled her and Thyme erupted in laughter.
"I'm not." Thyme giggled out. "My battery is drained, right daddy."
"Mmmhmm." He sounded watching Greer stealing the ball from the opponent The boy screamed 'that's not fair' but she already kicking it down the field.
"Daddy, is Cooper coming with us?" Thyme asked to confiscate her older cousin's bag of chips.
"Don't eat too many of those. You'll throw up like last time."
Thyme nodded, crunching on the handful she pushed in her mouth, "Is she?" She glanced at Cooper. "Or you?"
"I don't know. Your daddy hasn't invited me." Cooper peered up at him as well as Thyme. "Am I?"
"I thought you didn't do family gatherings." His hazel eyes studied her with confusion. It was what she told him when he invited her to the baby shower for the little one she was sitting in the grass with and it was what she told him when he invited her to their house warming. "It was too much involvement."
"I'm getting older. Growing." She stood up. "I want to be involved."
He nodded. She was two years shy of turning thirty but he felt like she was withholding something important from him. Maybe she was maturing. Granted she did have her own life in Chicago and being a sports reporter kept her busy but she was clinging to him.
She gave the Uber driver his address after being released on her own recognizance. And instead of staying at the house this morning and sleeping in, she was up helping Indigo with breakfast and offered to drive to the soccer game.
And he knew when she tried to become his shadow, something in her life was going wrong. All he had to do was wait and she'll tell him what mistake she was running from this time.
"Well, Cooper...it's a family function and you are family so if you want to come. Come."
"Great." A smile spread across her face. "I've never had crawfish before but I'm down to eat anything once. Do you like them, Thyme?"
"I did it again." Thyme groaned holding her stomach.
"Shit." He picked Thyme up as if she weighed nothing. "Keep an eye on Greer, please." He asked before running off to the nearest waste bin.
Do you think Cooper is running from a mistake?
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