Chapter 5
1. Decision
Kate had Coach worried. He'd spent a good deal of the night thinking about the present situation.
How long was she planning on staying in 1981? Coach hadn't heard Kate say anything about
going home. Then again, he didn't have any idea of how they were going to send Kate back into
the future.
It wasn't that Coach wanted to get rid of Kate, but that he knew it wouldn't be long until
homesickness set in. What Coach didn't know was that Kate already thought of all these things.
She thought she might know of how to get home. Mostly importantly, though, was the decision.
Coach looked up from his newspaper to see Kate plodding down the stairs. He chuckled; Kate
wore an old plaid shirt, a size or two too large for her, that used to be Alan's. "I was curious, so I
went through all of Dad's old stuff," she offered for an explanation. "I found this and I really liked
it…it reminds me of him." A wistful look settled upon her features. "Now if only I had something
of Mom's."
Coach stood, moved to stand beside Kate, and smiled. "Well, if it helps, your Mom loved that
shirt too. She was constantly stealing and wearing it."
Kate rubbed the worn cloth in between her fingers. "It's so soft. I don't blame her. Did Dad ever
get to wear it?"
Coach hugged her around the shoulders. "When he managed to take it back from her, yes. Hey,
let's get some breakfast. You've got to be hungry."
***
Kate was silent as they ate . Coach knew she was thinking about going home. "You'll fin d a way,
you know. You've got so much of your parents in you; they're both stubborn and determined, just
like you. Though Alan's quieter about it."
Kate grinned gratefully at Coach. "Thank you. I think I know a way."
Coach's eyebrows raised. "Oh really?"
Kate nodded. "Yeah. I just don't know how much you're gonna like it."
Coach, who had been heading to the door, abruptly stopped. "Why not?" he asked, his eyes
narrowing in suspicion.
Kate nudged him out the door. "I think it's the only way. Get the car started, I'll be there in a
second." Kate scampered up to her father's old room and grabbed the shirt she'd been wearing the
day before. "Don't wanna forget this."
Kate ran back down the stairs and was about to leave when she spotted a calendar. She slowed,
chewing on her lip. After a few minutes, with a determined sigh, Kate rummaged through the
phone table until she found a big marker. Taking a piece of paper, she scribbled onto it quickly. I
have an idea about how to get my parents back together…
She then flipped through the calendar, made a fast mark on it, then rushed out the door.
***
Studying the quiet and empty street, Kate inhaled then exhaled. "This is it."
"You're not planning on doing what I think you're planning on doing, are you?" Coach asked
grimly.
A ghost of a smile flickered on Kate's face. "I have to."
"I hate to admit it, but I think she's right." Gerry pushed his wheelchair forward until he was
beside Coach and Kate. "I know it doesn't make any of us comfortable, but it's the only way for
her to get home."
Tears fought their way onto Kate's cheeks It was time. First she went to bid Gerry goodbye. He
gave her a giant hug and dried her tears with a handkerchief. "Hey now, Katie-girl, don't cry.
You'll be seein us again real soon, if all goes right. And it will."
Kate's lip quivered violently. "Thank you." She hugged Gerry tightly and moved on to Coach. Her
grandfather embraced her warmly. "I'll miss you, Kate sweetie, but it'll make me smile, knowin
that I'll see you again before I'm through."
Kate kissed Coach's cheek. "I left a note for you. Look around when you get home." Before
Coach could reply, she broke from the hug and strapped on her gear. She waved goodbye to the
figures watching her, then pushed off the cement. Kate flew down the sidewalk until she was out
of sight. Taking a deep breath to steady her pounding heart, Kate purposefully leaned too far on
her board, which caused her to loose her balance, falter, and fall.
***
A cool cloth bathed Kate's forehead. She felt warmer and safer than she had in days. Any lingering
anxieties melted away when a voice pierced the darkness. "Hey there, honey, you gonna wake up?
C'mon, don't go pulling one of your father's stunts on us." The voice, belonging to her mother,
suddenly yelped.
Kate smiled as she opened her eyes to see J massaging her side and glaring at Alan. "What was
that for?"
Alan didn't answer, for he noticed that Kate was now watching them and trying not to giggle.
Kate's grin widened as her parents pelted her with questions. Kate answered as many as she could,
but suddenly she couldn't pay much attention. Something was nagging at her sense. It was
probably just déjà vu. Then she realized what it was.
Kate's breath caught in her throat. There, next to her parents, was Gerry. He beamed at her. "It's
good to see you awake, Katie-girl. You had us worried for a little while there." The lump in
Kate's throat prevented her from speaking. It had worked! Her plan worked!
A moment later, Coach walked into the room with a bundle of ice. "Hey, look who's up!" He
handed the ice to Kate. "I told you those skateboards are dangerous." He winked slyly at Kate,
then moved to talk to Gerry. Kate turned to gaze around the room. Pictures lined the walls: of her
parents at their wedding with Gerry beaming beside them, the team, Gerry with her siblings, and
many more.
Kate took a deep, satisfied breath. Her parents had resumed their age-old argument about jello,
and now their affectionate bickering filled the room. Gerry and Coach were discussing pre-season
football. All of a sudden, Kate's head began to pound. The room swirled. Memories filling her
head faded away, and new ones, ones with Gerry, solidified.
Gerry spotted the pain twisting Kate's face. "You feelin okay, Katie-girl?"
Just as rapidly as the pain came, it dissipated. "Yeah," Kate smiled warmly at Gerry. She took a
long look at the room and the people that filled it. "Yeah. Everything's fine."
End.
1. Decision
Kate had Coach worried. He'd spent a good deal of the night thinking about the present situation.
How long was she planning on staying in 1981? Coach hadn't heard Kate say anything about
going home. Then again, he didn't have any idea of how they were going to send Kate back into
the future.
It wasn't that Coach wanted to get rid of Kate, but that he knew it wouldn't be long until
homesickness set in. What Coach didn't know was that Kate already thought of all these things.
She thought she might know of how to get home. Mostly importantly, though, was the decision.
Coach looked up from his newspaper to see Kate plodding down the stairs. He chuckled; Kate
wore an old plaid shirt, a size or two too large for her, that used to be Alan's. "I was curious, so I
went through all of Dad's old stuff," she offered for an explanation. "I found this and I really liked
it…it reminds me of him." A wistful look settled upon her features. "Now if only I had something
of Mom's."
Coach stood, moved to stand beside Kate, and smiled. "Well, if it helps, your Mom loved that
shirt too. She was constantly stealing and wearing it."
Kate rubbed the worn cloth in between her fingers. "It's so soft. I don't blame her. Did Dad ever
get to wear it?"
Coach hugged her around the shoulders. "When he managed to take it back from her, yes. Hey,
let's get some breakfast. You've got to be hungry."
***
Kate was silent as they ate . Coach knew she was thinking about going home. "You'll fin d a way,
you know. You've got so much of your parents in you; they're both stubborn and determined, just
like you. Though Alan's quieter about it."
Kate grinned gratefully at Coach. "Thank you. I think I know a way."
Coach's eyebrows raised. "Oh really?"
Kate nodded. "Yeah. I just don't know how much you're gonna like it."
Coach, who had been heading to the door, abruptly stopped. "Why not?" he asked, his eyes
narrowing in suspicion.
Kate nudged him out the door. "I think it's the only way. Get the car started, I'll be there in a
second." Kate scampered up to her father's old room and grabbed the shirt she'd been wearing the
day before. "Don't wanna forget this."
Kate ran back down the stairs and was about to leave when she spotted a calendar. She slowed,
chewing on her lip. After a few minutes, with a determined sigh, Kate rummaged through the
phone table until she found a big marker. Taking a piece of paper, she scribbled onto it quickly. I
have an idea about how to get my parents back together…
She then flipped through the calendar, made a fast mark on it, then rushed out the door.
***
Studying the quiet and empty street, Kate inhaled then exhaled. "This is it."
"You're not planning on doing what I think you're planning on doing, are you?" Coach asked
grimly.
A ghost of a smile flickered on Kate's face. "I have to."
"I hate to admit it, but I think she's right." Gerry pushed his wheelchair forward until he was
beside Coach and Kate. "I know it doesn't make any of us comfortable, but it's the only way for
her to get home."
Tears fought their way onto Kate's cheeks It was time. First she went to bid Gerry goodbye. He
gave her a giant hug and dried her tears with a handkerchief. "Hey now, Katie-girl, don't cry.
You'll be seein us again real soon, if all goes right. And it will."
Kate's lip quivered violently. "Thank you." She hugged Gerry tightly and moved on to Coach. Her
grandfather embraced her warmly. "I'll miss you, Kate sweetie, but it'll make me smile, knowin
that I'll see you again before I'm through."
Kate kissed Coach's cheek. "I left a note for you. Look around when you get home." Before
Coach could reply, she broke from the hug and strapped on her gear. She waved goodbye to the
figures watching her, then pushed off the cement. Kate flew down the sidewalk until she was out
of sight. Taking a deep breath to steady her pounding heart, Kate purposefully leaned too far on
her board, which caused her to loose her balance, falter, and fall.
***
A cool cloth bathed Kate's forehead. She felt warmer and safer than she had in days. Any lingering
anxieties melted away when a voice pierced the darkness. "Hey there, honey, you gonna wake up?
C'mon, don't go pulling one of your father's stunts on us." The voice, belonging to her mother,
suddenly yelped.
Kate smiled as she opened her eyes to see J massaging her side and glaring at Alan. "What was
that for?"
Alan didn't answer, for he noticed that Kate was now watching them and trying not to giggle.
Kate's grin widened as her parents pelted her with questions. Kate answered as many as she could,
but suddenly she couldn't pay much attention. Something was nagging at her sense. It was
probably just déjà vu. Then she realized what it was.
Kate's breath caught in her throat. There, next to her parents, was Gerry. He beamed at her. "It's
good to see you awake, Katie-girl. You had us worried for a little while there." The lump in
Kate's throat prevented her from speaking. It had worked! Her plan worked!
A moment later, Coach walked into the room with a bundle of ice. "Hey, look who's up!" He
handed the ice to Kate. "I told you those skateboards are dangerous." He winked slyly at Kate,
then moved to talk to Gerry. Kate turned to gaze around the room. Pictures lined the walls: of her
parents at their wedding with Gerry beaming beside them, the team, Gerry with her siblings, and
many more.
Kate took a deep, satisfied breath. Her parents had resumed their age-old argument about jello,
and now their affectionate bickering filled the room. Gerry and Coach were discussing pre-season
football. All of a sudden, Kate's head began to pound. The room swirled. Memories filling her
head faded away, and new ones, ones with Gerry, solidified.
Gerry spotted the pain twisting Kate's face. "You feelin okay, Katie-girl?"
Just as rapidly as the pain came, it dissipated. "Yeah," Kate smiled warmly at Gerry. She took a
long look at the room and the people that filled it. "Yeah. Everything's fine."
End.