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Duke
TheteamholdstheTyrants Charity Carnival that Sunday afternoon. The charity group that runs the carnival raises money for nonprofit organizations in the greater Philadelphia area. Literacy, food insecurity, homelessness, addiction… the money we raise does a lot of good helping to address the problems in the community. It’s a huge event, and the entire team brings their families to support it.
I take Tabby and June. Tabby has always loved this event, and watching my daughter’s joy makes it worth fighting the crowds. June? I bring her because I want to spend time with her.
Yesterday, I had another game at home, but June and Tabby didn’t go to this one. It was about dinnertime when I got home, and we had a movie night. This time we watched the first Harry Potter movie and had tacos. After we put Tabby to bed, we curled on the couch and watched a Marvel movie together and then made love into the night. Between lovemaking, we talked about everything. I told her about Sonya, and she asked a million questions about her, about what raising Tabby alone had been like.
I asked June about her mother, but she didn’t say much, only that she’d been an addict who couldn’t care for her. She was much more willing to talk about Lily, who she clearly adores. We talked about her degrees.
It was a picture-perfect night. But tomorrow starts our first stretch of road games. I won’t be home until Thursday, so I plan to make the most of this last day with June and Tabby before I leave.
They set rides up in the parking lot, including a Ferris wheel and a carousel. Some guys have volunteered for the dunk tank and to work at a handful of game stations. There’s fried food everywhere—funnel cakes, fried Oreos, and French fries.
As we weave through the crowd, the sound of laughter and screaming children fills the air. Walking next to June and holding Tabby’s hand fills me with contentment I haven’t felt in a very long time. Frequently, people ask me for my autograph, and I oblige. We pass by the cotton candy stand, and I promise Tabby we’ll get some on our way out. I agree to try our luck at some of the game stations.
Tabby wins a stuffed animal at the ring toss, and June gets a ball in the clown’s mouth at the beanbag toss.
Huck is working the baseball throw and calls out to me. “Duke York, our fearless captain. I think you should come and win a prize for your lovely ladies.” Everyone in the immediate area turns at his booming voice. Fucking Huck. He knows I hate being the center of attention.
I glare at him, holding up my hands. “That’s okay. I’ll save the prizes for our fans.”
There’s a collective groan of disappointment, and Huck encourages it. Bastard. “What do you think, everyone? Don’t you think Duke should try his hand at our game?”
I roll my eyes but can’t keep the smile off my face. Huck always brings some fun to the charity carnival.
Tabby tugs on my sleeve. “Come on, Dad! Let’s play!”
I feel the eyes of the crowd on me, and I can sense their eagerness for me to accept Huck’s challenge. I’ve never been great at baseball, and I definitely hate being put on the spot. But I know I can’t back down now. This is for charity. So, I pay my entry fee, take a deep breath, and step up to the plate.
Huck hands me a baseball, grinning like a fool. “Show us what you got, Duke!”
I glare at him as I grip the ball, taking a moment to aim. I let it fly and watch as it sails through the air, hitting the target with a satisfying thud. A small cheer erupts from the crowd, and I can’t help but feel a sense of pride.
Huck hands me another ball, and I repeat the process. This time, I miss the target, and the crowd groans in disappointment. Huck jumps into the strife, playing up the drama. “Look out, folks. Duke is about to leave his girls with no prizes.”
I want to give him the finger, but this is a family function. I settle for, “Shut up, Huck.”
Inhaling, I clear my mind. I’ve never been one to back down, and I haven’t gotten where I am in my career by letting pressure get to me. There’s no way I’m not winning something now. I focus on the target, picturing the ball hitting dead center. I let it go, and it soars through the air, hitting the target with a loud smack.
The crowd erupts into cheers and applause.
Huck hands me a small stuffed animal. “Way to go, old man.”
“Fuck off,” I whisper to him. “I’m younger than you.”
He laughs. Smiling, I wave to the crowd and hand the prize to Tabby, who is beaming with pride. “Thanks, Dad!” she says, hugging the stuffed animal close.
“What about your girlfriend?” someone calls out, and in a split second, others join in.
I feel June stiffen next to me. But when I face her, she’s hidden her emotions behind a smile. She shakes her head, waving off the crowd. “Thanks everyone, but I’m good,” she says, laughing it off.
But the group gathered around isn’t having it. “Should I play again?” I ask, even though I didn’t even want to play the first time.
“Kiss her!” someone calls out.
In front of me, June turns bright red. I can see Huck over her shoulder, his eyebrows high. I have no idea what to do in this situation. Beside me, Tabby has her hands folded, the same starry-eyed look on her face that she gets when we watch princess movies. Except this is a potential disaster.
Kiss her, and everyone will know how I feel, including June. Something like that would scream commitment, and what if she’s not ready for that? Now isn’t the time I want to find that out.
