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“It probably shouldn’t give me satisfaction that they’re losing without me.”
“Only because the replacement official missed an interference call. Sheesh.” She carried one of the trays over to the sofa and set it on the coffee table. Lifted the lid. “I’ve died and gone to heaven.”
“It’s not a burger, but it’ll do.” He set the other tray down. Coffee, tea, water, and a couple more umbrella drinks, probably mimosa.
She’d fixed him a plate, and he picked it up, blowing on the warm spanakopita.
Watched as his quarterback, Jackson Ernst, threw a pass over West’s head, the tight end from Brown landing in the dirt.
Head Coach Clay from the Vikings called a time-out, and the team ran in.
“My crew is on the field,” she said, sipping her coffee. “I wonder who Yannick got to sub for me.” She leaned forward. “Abe’s at ump, and Zach looks like he’s in my position as back judge.”
“Which one is Abe?”
“He’s the big guy, darker skin.”
She pointed him out. He’d gone to the sidelines, grabbing a drink from the trainer. “Looks like they put in one of the subs as a line judge. Good kid—young. From Spain, I think.”
Yannick blew the whistle, and the teams came off the sidelines into huddles.
“Coach is going to tell them to do an end-run fake, and then Jackson will throw it out into the flats to West, who will dance it in.”
“That’s a long throw.”
“Jackson Ernst is from Minnesota—” He glanced at her. “They make them tough there.”
She grinned at him. Glanced back to the screen.
Stood up. “Oh no.”
He turned back. The play had stopped as Abe fell to his knees on the grass. The camera centered on him as players rushed around him. He started to shake, collapsed and seized hard, on camera.
In a moment, the crowd hid him, but Iris got up, moved to the television as if she could part the crowd. Hud got up also, watching in silence.
She put her hand over her mouth.
Trainers ran from the sidelines, and the crowd parted.
Only briefly did they spot him, lying still.
“Is he breathing?”
Iris looked at him. “I don’t know. I…” Her eyes brimmed with tears.
And just like last night when the cave began to fill with water, when he realized he’d trapped them both, when Iris looked at him, fear in her eyes, and yes, most definitely, despite her protests, began to unravel, he reached out and pulled her to himself.
He simply held her as he tried to make sense of the tragedy on the field.
And wondered, in his gut, why he couldn’t shake the sense that somehow, their nightmare was bigger than they thought.
They watched in silence as trucks came out onto the field and Abe was lifted, fitted with oxygen and an EMT delivering CPR, onto a gurney and then loaded onto an ambulance.
“I have to call Yannick.” She detached herself from Hud. “He’s our crew chief. I have to know if he’s okay.”
“Iris.”
“No.” She pushed away from him. “No, no. No…no.”
