Favorite Moment?

'Harry, Liz, come to put on sunscreen!' Amy called out from her bedroom.

'It's just a thirty minute game, Ames. I doubt we'll need sunscreen,' Jake said.

'Yeah, but we'll be in the stands before the game and we obviously have to wait for Mac after the game.'

'Considering all that and the game, an hour tops.'

'Hey, no harm in being safe.'

As is on cue, their five-year old son and four-year old daughter ran into their room, while wearing their soccer jerseys. Today the family was going to watch Mac's 7-a-side soccer match of kids under the age of nine at their school. While Jake and the kids loved soccer, Amy despised it.

'I don't even get soccer,' Amy said as she rubbed the sunscreen on all the exposed skin of her daughter.

'It's a fun sport,' Jake said as he did the same with their son.

'Ugh, I'm only going because Mac's a part of the team.'

'Whatever the reason, Mac's gonna appreciate you being there,' Jake said as he got up. 'You two have your water-bottles filled?' Jake asked their kids.

'Oh! We forgot!' Harry said as the two ran to finish the task. As the two left, Jake proceeded to wear his own soccer jersey.

'You're wearing your jersey too?' Amy asked.

'Well, just the shirt, but yeah. I mean, we are going to a soccer match,' Jake replied.

'So, I'm gonna be the odd one out.'

'You'll be fine,' Jake said as he walked closer to hug his wife.

'I just don't want Mac to think I don't care about his activities.'

'Trust me, he doesn't.'

'You'll teach me all the rules, right? And you won't leave my side?'

'Always,' Jake said as he kissed the top of her head.

After reaching the ground and taking their seats, Jake decided now would be a good time to start with the rules. 'Okay,' he began, 'you ready to learn about soccer?'

'Yup,' replied Amy as she took out a notepad and pen from her pocket.

'Babe, it's just a sport. You don't need notes.'

'Just start!'

'Now, remember all the standard things I'm gonna say is about professional football, which may not apply here today.'

'Okay…'

'For instance, the game is to be played between two teams comprising of eleven players each. Butthat is obviously not the case today – it's a 7-a-side match today.'

'Got it.'

Jake went on informing Amy about tall the basic rules and things. Amy was confused at some points but Jake assured her that she'd understand it better once the game started. Then the players began to take the field as each kid was welcomed with applause. Mac was cheered on by his family and he slowly waved once he saw them. Then the announcer asked them all to stand up for the national anthem.

'Now's when we stand up for the national anthem,' Jake said to Amy.

'Haha, very funny, Jake. I said I didn't understand the game, not the announcer,' Amy said, as they stood up.

After the national anthem, the audience sat down as the two teams shook hands. 'You see the boy in front of Mac?' asked Jake.

'Yeah. Why's he wearing a band so high on his arm?' Amy asked.

'That's the captain's armband,' Jake explained.

As the match began, Jake went on explaining the match further.

'So, that was a foul, right?' Amy asked.

'Yup,' replied Jake, 'that challenge was way too rough. Looks like you're getting the hand of it, huh?'

'Well, it's thanks to you… and the notes.'

As the match progressed, Mac's side got a goal, courtesy of McClane 'Mac' Peralta himself. The crowd went wild at the goal but not more than his own family.

'Yay!' Harry cheered.

'Goal!' Liz screamed.

'Well done, Baby!' Amy cheered on.

'Um… Ames? You might not wanna call Mac "Baby" here,' Jake said.

'What? Why?'

'It's his school. He'll not appreciate his friends knowing you call him that. Plus, this is a soccer match. No one calls the players "Baby" unless it's their partner.'

'Hey! Mac does not have a "partner"! He's just eight!' Amy shouted. She did not want to have the thought that Mac was in a relationship.

'I know, I know. I'm just kidding.'

Just then, Amy felt a push from her side as water spilled over her lap. It was Liz.

'Liz! What did you do?' Amy asked as she tried drying herself off.

'Sorry, Mommy,' Liz apologized.

'Oh, it's okay.' Amy could never stay mad at the adorable little girl. As she dried her daughter off, Jake noticed something on the floor.

'Uh… Ames?' he called.

'Yeah?' Amy replied.

'Your notes are gone,' Jake informed.

'What?' Amy asked. Jake lifted the notepad from the ground. It was wet and all her work had gone to waste. She needed those notes, she really did. She sighed as she flipped through them. 'But you know what? I think I've got the hang of soccer now. I don't need the notes,' she told Jake.

'Really?'

'Yeah. It's pretty much like handball except you have to use your feet. Oh, my God! They should call it "football"!'

Jake softly laughed at his wife's naivety. 'Ames,' he said, 'it is called football. We're the ones who call it soccer here.'

'Oh,' said Amy as she finally got it.

At halftime, it was Mac's side winning 1-0. Jake went to get them some snacks before the second half started. The second half was a nervous one. The opposition score two goals in quick succession to take the lead.

'Oh, this is bad,' Jake commented.

'Well, there's still ten minutes. They can pull this back, right?' Amy asked.

'Yeah,' Jake said.

With less than five minutes to go, things looked bleak but Mac converted an airborne cross into a goal via a spectacular header. The crowd went wild again as did his family. The game was back on level terms. Then, with less than a minute, Mac's team were on the counterattack. With some really silky moves, Mac finished it off in style. The referee's whistle blew, indicating that it was over. Mac's team won!

While one team rejoiced, another team were in tears. Seeing this, Mac went to console them and the rest of his friends followed. The crowd cheered at how empathetic Mac was as they two teams left the field.

Jake and Amy were talking to some of the other parents while they waited for Mac. 'Daddy! Mommy!' they heard a voice calling and as they turned around, it was Mac, running to them with the match ball in hand. The five of them hugged.

'Well done, Bud! We're so proud of you!' Jake said.

'We sure are!' chimed in Amy.

'Yeah! You played so well!' exclaimed Mac.

'You scored! A LOT!' Liz screamed.

'Thanks,' Mac said.

'But why do you have the match ball?' Amy asked.

'Oh, if you score three goals in a match, you get to take the ball home. It's called scoring a hattrick,' Mac explained.

'Oh, that's nice,' Amy said as they walked to the car.

'What was your favorite moment, Harry and Liz?' Mac asked.

'We liked your goals,' Liz started.

'And we liked your skills,' Harry continued.

'But our favorite moment was when you went to tell the other team it was okay after the game,' Liz explained.

'Yeah, it's like what Daddy and Mommy tell us: always thank each other after the game and, if someone is sad, you should always talk to them and tell them it's okay.'

Hearing their children's words, Jake and Amy smiled at each other with pure love. They were all so young, each less than ten. Yet, they heard perhaps the most sophisticated explanation to ever come out of children's mouths. They had been great parents by teaching them the important things in life and, today, their kids had proved just that.