Defense rose to the occasion, and amazingly, when the final seconds ticked down, the Eatonboro Eagles had shut out Franklin Township fourteen to zip to take the conference championship.
I turned to hug Gia and Nate. Gia was as excited as the rest of us, and I knew I’d tease her about that later. But Nate’s face was strained.
“Are you okay?” I yelled over the screaming fans.
He nodded. “Sure. Just a little tired, I guess.”
I glanced down at the field, where I knew Leo would be looking for me. “Can you just stay put until I go down to see Leo real fast? Then I’ll come back and drive you home.”
Nate began to answer, but Gia interrupted.
“Quinn, you’re going to be down there a while with your guy. I can drive Nate home. I don’t mind at all.” She gave me a pointed look. “You have plans, don’t you? An errand to run after you see Leo?”
I hesitated. “Yeah, I do, but ...”
Gia gave me a little push. “Seriously. You’re okay with that, right, Nate? I promise I don’t bite.” She winked.
“Uh, yeah. Sure.” He stood up and smiled, but I could tell it was forced. “I’m fine, Quinn. Tell Leo I said congratulations.”
“If you’re positive ...” I gave Nate a quick hug, glancing at Gia over his shoulder, telegraphing her my thanks. “I’ll call you later. See you later, Nate!”
This time, it wasn’t so difficult to push through the crowds. By now, everyone knew that I was Leo’s girlfriend, and more than one of our classmates patted me on the back as I passed. The cheerleaders still weren’t exactly my best friends, but most of them—aside from Trisha and her cohorts—were at least pleasant, nodding to me.
To my surprise, Sarah met me as soon as I stepped onto the field, greeting me with a hug.
“Wasn’t that an incredible game? You must be so proud of Leo.”
I smiled, although I felt a little uncomfortable chatting with the girl my boyfriend had dated right before me. “I am. Always.”
She nodded. “I’ve wanted to tell you for a while, Quinn—I’m happy you and Leo finally got together. I think it was one of those things ... I won’t lie and say I wasn’t disappointed when Leo broke up with me, but I get it. And if it had to be someone, I’m glad it’s you. You’re a nice person.”
“Thanks.” I fiddled with the strap of my purse. “I think you are, too. And I’m sorry for how things worked out. We didn’t exactly plan it this way.”
“I know.” She laughed and shook her head. “Hey, easy come, easy go. It’s all good.” She glanced over her shoulder. “You better get over there. Leo’s going to wonder where you are.”
“Yeah. I’ll see you later, Sarah.”
It was easy to find Leo. He was at the center of the crowd, and I grinned when I heard what they were all chanting.
“Go big or go home! Go big or go home!”
Brent, standing on the edge of the team, caught sight of me. “Quinn! Get in there, honey. The Lion is looking for you.”
Before I knew it, I was being passed from one massive set of hands to another, gently pushed until I was in the middle, where the one set of hands I wanted caught me.
“Mia!” Leo pulled me to him, wrapping his arms around my waist and lifting me off my feet. “Babe, we did it!”
I laughed, burying my face in his sweaty neck. “Congratulations, baby! I’m so proud of you.”
He lowered me until my face was even with his and took my mouth, kissing me with more aggression and desire than he ever had before. The bottom dropped out of my stomach, want and need filling me so that I couldn’t think of anything but Leo’s touch, his lips and his hands on me.
“Excuse me. Can a lowly mom get in on this hugging business?” Lisa tapped me on the shoulder, and I nudged Leo.
“Mom.” He let me down, dropping me gently on my feet, and took his mother in his arms. He was so careful, so mindful of the picc line in her arm, and when I saw tears streaming down his cheeks, I started crying, too.
Lisa had already finished one cycle of chemo, and the plan was that she would begin the next one after Thanksgiving. The doctors hoped to put her into remission, after which they intended to begin her bone marrow transplant. We all knew there was a long road ahead, but Lisa never wallowed or let any of us do it either. She was cheerfully upbeat.
She whispered something in Leo’s ear, patted his cheek and then turned back to hug me. “Wasn’t he something, Quinn? I’m telling you. This boy of mine.”
Leo slung an arm around each of us. “It was all for my two best girls.”
“Sure it was, you big sweet-talker.” Lisa poked her son in the ribs. “Now let your old mom go. I need a nap after all this excitement.” She gave both of us a stern look. “Go out and have fun, you two. Celebrate. But please be careful. Be smart.”
I blushed, pretty sure I knew what she was talking about. My own mother had taken to giving me the responsible sex talk at least once a week, even while she also cautioned me against making any impulsive choices.
“You and Leo are young and in love. I get that. Believe me. But Lisa and I are young, too. Too young to be grandmothers. And you two both have big, bright futures ahead of you. Don’t screw them up.”
I didn’t intend to mess up anything. I’d grown up hearing all the warnings about safe sex, I’d gotten the lectures in health class, and I knew about condoms, birth control pills and abstinence. Just like the male body and how to give it pleasure, up until now, all of those things had been abstract. Hypothetical.
But tonight, that was changing.
