The wind picked up a bit, scattering golden leaves across the field as the game played on. Bishop Ward was only down by two points (3-1). Joey ran down midfield, trying to see what he could do to help out; he waited. Out of nowhere the ball stopped in front of him, ten seconds left on the clock. He passed it to Michael who was wide open for the goal, but Michael passed it back. Joey gave him a questioning look. Five seconds left. He saw the goal and went for it. He faked out a guy on his right and jumped over a guy on his left who had tripped over himself. The final buzzer rang as the ball swooshed against the right corner of the net. He came to his knees with excitement.
Carter climbed the steps into the stands at the sound of the final buzzer. The world moved in slow motion for John Carter. He looked again for Aimee and saw her running down to the center steps to the gate that led to the field, her red scarf flowing behind her. She stopped and Carter followed her daughter's gaze. It led to a boy; a boy who was being slapped on the back and risen onto his teammates shoulders. A boy, whose gaze was focused on Aimee. They shared a brief smile before Joey was whisked away.
A gust of wind came and blew a wrapper into Carter's face. He peeled it off his nose and held it out in the mercy of the wind before letting it go. Carter watched the blue wrapper twirl with the wind and as it flew by countless people; it landed on a brown shoe. Carter looked at the wrapper one last time, and looked up to see whose shoe it had landed on; it was Abby's. He watched her and Luka clapping and yelling, supporting the winning team. With the wind in his favor, he could make out Abby yelling, "Go Joey!" Sudden realization hit him: the boy everyone seemed to be praising was Joseph Kovac, Abby and Luka's son, the boy who his daughter had shared a smile with.
Carter quickly looked back to where Aimee had been standing, but couldn't find her red scarf. Instead, he found her walking across the field to congratulate Joey. Carter was sad; a reaction he didn't expect.
After a quick team meeting with the coach on the side of the field, Joey waved to Aimee and smiled. "So I guess you are the star player after all." Aimee teased.
"You could say that. After all, you did say I was going to win the game." They laughed. Joey zipped up his warm-up jacket all the way so that his collar closed around his chin. She boldly played with his zipper that was dangling underneath his chin. He could feel her skin touching his. "You ready?" he asked her, desperately wanting to get out of the cold. She nodded her head yes and Joey put her hand in hers, slowly walking out of the stadium under the harvest moon.
Abby and Luka shared a brief but satisfying kiss before heading out of the stands themselves. Luka held her close as they rounded the corner that led to the parking lot. "I'll get us some coffee if you get the car." Abby offered. Carter stood in the distance, watching.
"Oh, so you get to be warm while I freeze running to the car." Luka joked.
"Yep." Abby smiled.
Carter waited until Luka left before he approached the coffee stand. "Three coffee's" he said, pulling out a twenty. Abby jumped at the sound of Carter's voice. Spinning around to face him, she was at a loss of words. "Most people say thank you when some one offers to pay for their beverage." Carter continued, receiving his change. He tried to suppress a smile at the sight of Abby.
"What? What are you doing here?" she stammered, pulling her jacket closer around her small frame.
He answered honestly, "I came to see if my daughter made it safely to the game." He paused, "Actually I think she is going out with your son on a date tonight." Carter waited for Abby's reaction.
Abby blinked, her hair flowing with the wind around her. "Aimee?" she barely said. She just remembered Joey telling her that Aimee was French.
Carter grabbed the three coffees from the vendor and handed two to Abby. Luka pulled up in the silver Lexus SUV and quickly got out. Abby turned around at the sound of the car door being slammed.
"Let's go." She said to Luka, grabbing at his coat, attempting to stop him from lunging at Carter. Luka looked between and Abby and Carter and obeyed his wife's wishes. The two of them drove off leaving Carter with a cup of coffee and the wind ripping through his hair.
Abby and Luka drove home in silence, neither one of them touching the coffee. They laid in bed, Luka holding Abby close to him, and running his fingers through her hair and her moving the back of her hand slowly up and down his arm. Abby broke the silence. "It seems that our son is on a date with Carter's daughter." Luka shifted his position a bit to look at her. "I don't want Joey going out with her." She finished.
"I love you." Was all he could say, both of them acknowledging the fact that they didn't want Carter back in their lives.
Joey walked Aimee home. Upon approaching her house she stopped. Joey turned to face her. "Everything ok?" he asked.
"I just want to thank you." She said, out of the blue.
"For what?" he asked, taking one of her hands in his to keep it warm on the cold night.
"What do you say? I don't know…everything I suppose," she paused and looked down at the sidewalk, "for being a friend."
Joey looked at her blankly at first, not knowing how to interpret friend. She saw this and, "I mean," she didn't know what to say. Instead, she stood on her toes and kissed him.
Joey was shocked at first, but then he softened it, not wanting to let go. They parted and could see their breath, white, in the cold night air; both smiled. Joey walked Aimee to her door.
"Good night." He said and turned to walk away. Joey was in high spirits.