A few months had passed since that night in my office, and April and I had been making the most of whatever time we could snatch between our busy lives. The routine had become familiar and comforting, and despite the constraints of our schedules, we found ways to stay connected.
I continue to send her flowers every Wednesday, just a small but meaningful gesture to remind her of my feelings. We're not officially together just yet but we're moving toward that. Right now, I'm on the road with my basketball team for an away game. March madness was just around the corner, and I was laser-focused on getting my team there.
"Let's bring it in, boys!" I called to my players, a mix of determination and pride in my voice. I inherited this coaching role from my father five years ago, and we have won every championship since. It wasn't always easy. many had doubted me and questioned my abilities, but I had proven them wrong time and time again.
" Now we all know that this game tomorrow means a lot! We're up against one of our biggest rivals, and I know the intensity will be high. These away games come with their fair share of trash talk and distractions, but I trust my boys, my team! I know y'all will stay focused." I looked around at my boys, all of them nodding. Before leaving, my captain gave one of his talks too.
After practice, we were headed back to the hotel on the bus, the weariness settling in. It was 10:30 PM, and I couldn't help but think about April. I knew she was likely still awake. I checked my messages and then decided to FaceTime her. She picked up after a few rings, and her face appeared on my screen, illuminated by the soft glow of her room.
"Hey, Coach," she greeted me with a smile.
"Hey, Ms. Phillips," I replied, smirking in return. She adjusted her TV's volume and turned her attention back to our conversation.
"Practice is over?" she asked.
"Yeah, we're on our way back to the hotel. Were you asleep?" I inquired, feeling genuinely curious. She propped her phone up so that she could put her hair up. I took that time to admire her natural beauty.
"No, I was watching a movie. I'm catching a cold," she said, her voice sounding a bit congested.
" Aw, my baby is sick?"
"Yea, achy and stuffy nose. Getting that tingling feeling in my throat." Concern filled me after she said that.
"Aww, you want me to come back and take care of you?" I suggested playfully. April waved me off.
"Oh please," she said, rolling her eyes.
"How are you feeling, though?" She asked while looking away. I shrugged, even though she couldn't see me.
"Tired as hell, to be honest. These away games can be draining." The noise from my players on the bus grew louder, prompting me to turn up my phone's volume.
" Aye, calm all that loud shit down!" I yelled.
"Yo, Coach, you're only up there because you're trying to spit your non-existent game to Little Zo's mom!" Isaiah, one of my players, shouted from the back. Laughter erupted around him. I chuckled and shook my head, knowing the banter all too well.
"Ignore them," I said to April. Surprisingly she joined in the laughter, her dimples on full display.
"Tell them they won't be getting any more of my cooking," she teased. I laughed at the thought of April's cooking, my baby could throw down. She had once cooked a big meal for my team, and of course they loved it.
"My baby said y'all won't be getting anything else and to leave her baby alone," I told them, exaggerating slightly for effect. A few started yelling 'No Ms. April'.
"Now you know I didn't say all of that." April raised an eyebrow, amused.
I adjusted my hood and leaned against the window as the bus continued its journey. The drive would take about 25 minutes, and I could tell April was genuinely concerned about my tiredness.
"Usually I can't tell that you're tired but I can now," she remarked.
"I am, but you know how I am. I can't help but give my all to my team." I sighed but kept my eyes on her. She looked drained as well.
"Are you sure you don't need me to order you some meds or something?" I offered.
"No, I sent Zo out earlier with his friend, and he got me a few things," she replied.
"That's good. You need to make sure you take care of yourself too, April." I said.
As the minutes had gone by, the bus arrived at the hotel. I gave my players a stern talk about staying out of trouble and headed up to my suite.
April was still on FaceTime, her attention focused on her movie. She hadn't said much, but I didn't mind, her presence was comforting, even from a distance.
"You're back at the hotel?" she asked as she finally turned her attention back to our call.
"Yeah, I'm just in the elevator," I replied, my voice softer now. The exhaustion was catching up to me. She coughed a few times, her cough sounded really bad.
"Damn, baby, are you sure you don't need me to come take care of you?" I asked again, my tone sincere.
"You're so comfortable with calling me 'baby,' huh?"April chuckled.
"You haven't stopped me yet," I said, leaning in closer to the screen as if it could bridge the distance between us. I couldn't hide my smile.
"Well, in that case, Mr. Aubrey, I'm going to shower. Can I call you back?" She raised an eyebrow, teasing me gently.
"Of course, beauty. Take your time, and I'll call you in about 30 minutes, okay?"
She agreed, and we ended the call. As I prepared for my shower, I couldn't help but feel grateful for this connection we had formed. Despite the miles between us, April's presence in my life brought comfort and joy. Our relationship was unique, and I looked forward to the moments when we could be together, whether physically or through a screen.
About two hours later, exhaustion finally claimed me as I lay down on my bed. Coaching these boys was never dull, and tonight was no exception. One of my players had managed to lock himself out of his room, and I had to deal with that, along with a slew of other issues that seemed to pop up out of nowhere.
Glancing at the clock, it was nearly 2 A.M. I sighed, realizing that April was probably fast asleep by now. Just as I contemplated calling her, my phone lit up with an Instagram notification, Zo was live. Curiosity got the best of me, and I decided to see what the kid was up to.
I joined his livestream and was immediately surprised to see him at some party, a girl holding his phone. What caught my attention, though, was the sight of him smoking. It wasn't that I had a problem with smoking, but for an athlete at his age, it was a major red flag. College athletes faced drug tests, and even though Zo was in high school, if this video got out and influential people saw it, he'd be in trouble.
The camera switched back to the girl who held his phone, and I decided to exit the livestream. I'd have a talk with him about this when I got back. I then initiated a FaceTime call to April, half-expecting her to be asleep. To my surprise, she answered, propped up in her bed with the TV on.
"Hey," she greeted me.
"Hey, baby," I replied, my voice filled with warmth. I watched as she took a sip from a mug, and curiosity got the better of me.
"What are you sipping on?" I asked.
"Some tea," she replied, shifting her phone closer to her face. It seemed she had been using her iPad earlier. I noticed a hint of something bothering her and couldn't help but inquire.
"What's wrong?"
"Zo," she began, her voice heavy with concern.
"He was supposed to be back by now. I told him to be home by midnight, and he's lucky I even let him stay out that late." I felt compelled to mention something, even though it wasn't my place.
"Did you know he was at a party?" I asked.
"Yeah, I said he could go," she admitted. I nodded, deciding to send Zo a text in the hopes of getting him home safely.
"Aye, Zo, get home. Your mom is worried about you," I messaged him. Returning my attention to April, she asked me about the upcoming game.
"So, what time is your game?" She asked.
"Seven, we have to be at the school at 5. We'll have an early practice at 8 tomorrow morning," I informed her. Her coughing interrupted our conversation, and I expressed my concern.
"Damn, mama! I'm about to call reinforcements," I joked, but she coughed even harder. However, as her coughing continued, I couldn't help but worry.
"Hush, Aubrey!! Get off my phone and go to bed," she said smirked
"Alright," I gave in, though I knew it would be difficult for me to sleep now.
"I told you I'm good," she added. I couldn't help but feel uneasy as I watched her struggle with her cough.
"He's starting to worry me because he hasn't responded," She admitted, my concern deepening.
"Baby, listen to me. I'm sure he's okay. You know how teenagers are," I tried to reassure her.
"He's never stayed out this late, and he's been hanging out with some new friends. I don't even know where they came from, I've met two of them, and they seemed fine, but I don't know. I'm starting to think they don't even go to his school." She explained
The mention of "new friends" caught my attention, and I couldn't help but wonder about the company Zo was keeping. "New friends?" I echoed to myself, my mind racing with questions. April's condition seemed to worsen, and she coughed uncontrollably.
"Take it easy, baby, Your crying is triggering your cough. Do you want me to call Lo for you?" She declined my offer and assured me she'd be okay. I was still worried.
Her phone rings and she answers. I listened to her go back and forth with who she was on the phone with. She started yelling at the person and then I heard her say 'What do you mean he got in trouble.' I couldn't shake the feeling that something was deeply wrong. She hung with more tears.
" Zo got in trouble with the police after the party. He called Klay. Why in the world would he call Klay?" She yelled in frustration. Klay, his father? The last time he talked to me about him he said he was getting tired of Klay contacting him and he went off on him.
"April try to calm down for me, I want you to get yourself together and go see what's going on. Call me back as soon as you have Zo, I don't care if you wake me up. Call me," I urged.
With reluctance, we said our goodbyes and I hung up. The thought of sleeping seemed impossible now. I reached for my iPad and began studying the previous games of our rivals.
A couple of hours passed but I couldn't shake the worry about April and Zo. Even though we weren't officially together, April and I have grown so close. Both have become incredibly important to me. Both have grown close to my heart, and this situation was tearing at it.
Finally, my phone rang, and I eagerly picked it up, seeing that it was April on FaceTime. "Hey," I greeted her as the call connected.
She appeared on the screen, but she wasn't at home. The background seemed unfamiliar, more like a public place than her cozy bedroom. She adjusted her AirPods before speaking, her voice trembling with anxiety.
"Aubrey, I don't know what to do," April began, her hand covering her face as if trying to hide the distress etched across it. My concern deepened, and I leaned in closer to the screen, my heart racing.
"What do you mean? What's going on?" I asked, my voice filled with genuine worry.
"Zo was arrested," she said, her words hitting me like a gut punch.
" Wait, what?"
"The guys he was with had drugs on them, and he had some on him too. He's saying that the drugs weren't his, that his friend gave him a small bag to hold for him. You know how the police are," she explained, her voice breaking as she fought back tears.
I felt a wave of emotions crash over me, shock, disbelief, and anger at the circumstances that had led to this situation. I could see the anguish in April's eyes.
"Baby, listen, I'm sure it'll be okay. Zo's a good kid, he wouldn't do this willingly." I began, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me. April's tears flowed freely now, and I watched as she tried to regain her composure.
"I can't, My baby was arrested. I know he wouldn't do this." she choked out between sobs.
I couldn't help but share in her anguish. Though Zo wasn't my kid, our bond was strong, and I cared deeply for him. I wished I could be there with April, supporting her in this difficult moment.
"April, do you want me to come back?" I offered, ready to drop everything and be by her side. She hesitated for a moment, clearly torn.
"No, no, I can't ask you to do that, I just called Chris and Lo. They're on their way. You can't leave your team at this time, Aubrey. It's an important game." she finally replied, her voice shaky.
As much as I wanted to be there for April and Zo, she was right. I couldn't abandon my team, especially not on the verge of such an important game. I knew I had to stay and fulfill my responsibilities as a coach.
"I'll stay on the phone as long as you need, April," I assured her, determined to offer whatever support I could from a distance.
"Thank you," she whispered, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand.
" Of course."
"I'm waiting for my lawyer now. Ugh, I can't deal with Klay right now, he's blaming everything on me."
" Says the nigga that hasn't been around his son for 16 years. Don't let what he says get to you! You know that none of what he's saying is true" That shit was pissing me off. His sudden involvement and accusations were unfair, and I silently seethed at his audacity.
"I'm trying." She mumbled.
" Is he still there?" I asked
She nodded, adjusting her phone so I could see Klay talking to a police officer. He appeared to be acting like a concerned father, which only fueled April even more.
"He's acting like he's the father of the year. Like he knows my son. Like he's been there for Zo his whole life." April muttered bitterly.
"April, focus on Zo, not him," I encouraged her.
" Ok." She says just as I could hear Lo's voice in the background.
" What the fuck is this nigga doing here?" I heard her ask April. I could also hear Chris mumble something to April. April was surrounded by a whirlwind of emotions and challenges, and I wished more than anything that I could be there with her.
April remained on the phone, engrossed in conversation with Lauren and Chris. She glanced at the phone screen, her voice tired yet resolute.
"Aubrey, go to sleep. You have to be up soon," she says.
"Aubrey's on the phone? Where is he?" Lauren asked.
"He has a game," April explained, frustration evident.
"He should be here with you," Lauren appeared in view, rolling her eyes in the background. I waved her off.
"Look, April. If you need me, call me. I don't care what time it is, I'll answer," I assured her, determined to be there for her.
"Ok." She nodded, her voice reflecting a mix of gratitude and fatigue.
"You take care of yourself and don't let that guy get to you." I offered my final words of support, my concern for her clear.
"I will, Aub," she affirmed.
"Ok, baby, I'll be talking to you," I said, reluctant to hang up but knowing that I needed to rest.
"Bye, Aubrey," she replied, and we ended the call.
I lay there in bed, unable to shake off the worry that consumed me for both April and Zo. I turned up the volume on my phone, so I could hear if she called. I guess I'll attempt to get a few hours of much-needed sleep. I'm sure as soon as I close my eyes it will be time for practice.