Endlessly - Preath

Chapter 11

Ben woke up to his mama shaking him. She smiled at him. "Game day," she said happily.

Ben got up and smiled at Press. He got on his uniform as she woke up Beverly. When the two of them were ready, they went downstairs. Tobin was feeding Dani, who had a little blue onesie one, the color of their team. "Hey kiddos," Tobin smiled, kissing both of their heads.

The twins smiled up at her. They sat at the table while Press made them pancakes. As soon as they finished, they drove down to the pitch. Usually they would walk, but someone very special was coming home with them after the game and Press had to pick her up.

They arrived about half an hour before the game would start. Ben and Beverly went to warm up with the rest of their team. Press told Tobin that she'd be back soon. She then drove to the airport.

...

"Mama!"

"Mal!"

Mal ran into the older girl's arms. "How have you been kiddo?" Press asked.

"Great, training has been going really well. Anika was so glad she made the roster."

I smiled. "That's great," I responded. "You ready to see Ben and Beverly play?"

"Heck yes!"

Press chuckled and put an arm around Mal. They walked back to the car and loaded up her luggage. She was planning on staying for two weeks with the family. They arrived at the pitch just as the game was about to start. They sat on the bleachers next to Tobin. "Hey kiddo!" Tobin put an arm around her.

"Heyo Toby."

"Do not call me that," Tobin warned playfully.

Mal rolled her eyes at her. Press gasped. "Don't give us that attitude either," she joked, laughing.

Mal laughed along as they heard the whistle blow. It was time for the game to start. The other team was getting the ball first. They drove it down as well as they could, then someone sent it across. They took the shot. It slipped right past Ben.

Press looked at Tobin. Ben never let anything past him. Not anything that easy at least. The game continued.

...

By halftime, the other team was up 4-1. Press, Tobin, and Mal could hear the kid's coach. "Alright," he sighed. "We're trying something new. Jay! Go warm up in the goal with Beverly!"

Jay nodded excitedly and ran to the goal with Beverly. Ben sat, defeated, on the bench. Press and Tobin both felt for their son, but they were excited that Jay was getting some playing time.

The game started back up. They got the ball this time. Beverly drove it down and passed it to Gwen. Gwen passed it to another girl on the team who scored.

After that the ball was played down to where Jay was. She felt it coming. The ball went up, and should've gone above her head, but somewhere in her she found a little more strength and jumped higher than she ever had. She grabbed the ball and held it to her chest.

The crowd cheered and Jay sent it back out to her teammates. Soon, Beverly scored, and even Gwen. It was tied 4-4. The ball was back near Jay. She decided to come out to grab it, but didn't see the boy speeding towards it. As she went down to grab it, he ran right into her. The whistle blew and both coaches ran towards their players.

Press looked over and saw that Rodger was standing up, looking at Jay. She was on the ground, the ball under her small body. The coaches were helping her sit up. "Jay, are you okay?" he asked.

"I think so," she responded, then looked at her leg, which was bleeding. "Other than that I mean."

"I can't believe you aren't crying," one coach commented, and chuckled.

"I don't cry," Jay said seriously. "Crying is for the weak."

The coaches stared down at her. She laughed and so did they. They cleaned her cut and wrapped it in the bandage tape. "Can I keep playing?" Jay asked.

"Can you stand?"

Jay stood up and stretched her legs. "Yup, I'm good."

The coaches smiled. "Alright, you're good to go, I think that kid is okay too."

Jay looked over and saw the boy standing up as well. He smiled at her and said, "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay!" she said.

They went back to playing. At the very end of stoppage time, Gwen sent it to Beverly with as much power as she could manage. Beverly used that power to send it right into the back of the net.

The crowd cheered, most of it at least, and her teammates ran towards her. She took Gwen under her arm. "You did it!" Gwen said excitedly.

"Nuh uh," Beverly said. "We did it Gwen."

She smiled at her. The team went back to the bleachers. Rodger, Press, Tobin, and Mal all went to meet Jay, Gwen, Ben, and Beverly. "You did so good!" Rodger picked up Gwen.

Halli wrapped an around Jay. "That's my lil sis!"

Lily hugged her tight. "Sissy okay?"

"Yup, I'm okay Lily," Jay said. "Sorry I scared you sweet girl."

"It okay!"

Rodger then hugged Jay. "Those were some epic saves!" Mallory said.

Jay looked up at Mal. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! You're Mallory Pugh!"

Mal chuckled. "Yup, what's your name?"

"I'm Jay, I'm a huge fan!"

Mal laughed and picked the young girl up. "Nice to meet you Jay, if it's okay with your dad you can come over and hang out with me, Ben, and Beverly if you want."

"Daddy can I?" Jay pleaded.

"Fine by me," he smiled. "Is that okay Christen?"

"That's fine. Let's go kiddos!"

Press and Tobin drove the kids and Mal home. Jay was asking questions a mile a minute, which Mal didn't mind. She smiled as she answered them, happy to find another kid as into soccer as the twins.

At home, the four were hanging out in the living room. Ben wasn't acting like himself, and Mal noticed. "You okay Benji?" she asked.

"I'm gonna take a nap," he said, and walked upstairs.

Beverly looked at Mal. "He never does that. I'll be right back."

She ran upstairs. Mal turned to Jay. "So tell me Jay, how long have you been playing soccer?"

"Well, dad and daddy signed me up for the first time when I was three, and then I've just been playing ever since!"

"Well that's great! Wait, you have two dads?"

"Well yeah," she said sheepishly.

"That's great," Mal smiled. "Just like Ben and Beverly have two moms!"

"Yup!"

...

That night at dinner Ben was oddly quiet. Jay had gone home by now, but he still wasn't in the best mood. "Ben, you wanna play spies when we finish?" Mal said, mouth full of mashed potatoes.

"Mallory," Press warned.

Mal swallowed. "Sorry Mama."

"It's fine."

"I'm good Mal," Ben said. "I don't really want to play spies today."

Mal gave him a strange look as Tobin's phone went off. She took it out of her pocket. "It's Cheney," Tobin mouthed to Press.

She got up and left the table. Press saw her wife as she began smiling widely. Mal gave her a strange look. Tobin began jumping up and down as she hung up.

Press looked at her wife. "What?"