Chapter 265: Miami Game

Friday, January 27th, Evening

(Song lyrics in italics)

As customary for game nights, especially after a home high school basketball game, their rooms were in their rooms, the boys listening to the games. Maeghan maybe not so much, but it's on as a timer. Even though it's Friday, the half-time rule is still in effect. The kids might even be asleep before the game even reached half-time. In the main TV room, Ashlyn took up camp with several water bottles and some high school basketball team stuff. She plans to work while the game was on.

Getting comfortable on the sofa, Ashlyn turned on the television and set it to the proper channel. The usual pre-game nonsense was going on, and she opened up the book that lay on her lap. Looking over the notes, she made and checking the photos on her nearby tablet, she started to expand her notes about the game.

Even though she recently stopped coaching her daughter, Brett, Ashlyn would still analyze her and let Coach Sinclair know what she saw, and even compare notes. Typically, she wouldn't work while watching James' games, but she also liked doing her initial analysis as soon as she could after the game.

Looking up from her notebook, she started to look at the professional game for a minute. Reaching over, Ashlyn opened one of her bottles of water. After taking a long pull, she glanced at the TV. The game started, and she could see the Heat in their road jerseys. There was some time left in the first quarter.

Shaking her head, Ashlyn returned to the photos, videos, and notes from the earlier high school game. Without a thought, she tuned out the NBA Game. There were a few details they needed to fix. They weren't significant issues yet, but if not fixed, they'd become habits. The center play was okay, but like anything, improvement can be made and should.

Ashlyn took another sip from her bottle of water. Looking up at the TV, she wondered for a moment if Kay wasn't here would she be at the game. The reflection also brought about the thought the only reason she knew Kay was in town was that Lucas told her. Also, Kay had yet to introduce her new girlfriend. According to Lucas, Kay came into town with her new girlfriend, a woman named Ivy.

Drumming on her notepad for a few beats, Ashlyn looked up to catch a few moments of the basketball game. Setting aside her notepad, Ashlyn stood up and walked over to the window. She looked out to the beach and studied the nearby houses. Turning away from the houses and beach, Ashlyn looked out to the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean.

On the turning away
From the pale and downtrodden
And the words they say
Which we won't understand
"Don't accept that what's happening
Is just a case of all the suffering
Or you'll find that you're joining in
The turning away"

The faint lights of what she assumed was a ship traveling along the coast, off in the distance. They were in the southern part of the Graveyard of the Atlantic, which is good if you're heading south, not so if you were heading north. The Outer Banks and Hatteras was known to reach out and bite ships, the whole of North Carolina Coast was unfriendly to sailors, the first ship lost happened in the 16th century not far from here at the mouth of the Cape Fear River. During Hurricane Sandy, a replica of the HMS Bounty sunk off the Outer Banks, another victim of the graveyard. Ashlyn slowly turned away from the window as if she knew something and didn't want to watch.

According to Lucas, Angela was coming in tomorrow. That made Ashlyn smile, she missed Angela, and it also meant she would see her goddaughter Jessi. She missed seeing Angela and Jessi.

Slowly, Ashlyn walked back to the TV and studied the game. Now, it's in the second quarter, and the kids should be considering getting ready for bed. Studying the game, Ashlyn nodded and walked over to her notepad.

Looking over her notes, Ashlyn knew she had nothing more to say about the high school basketball game. Putting down the notepad, she picked up her water bottle and took another sip. Ashlyn turned away from the basketball game, again.

It's a sin that somehow
Light is changing to shadow
And casting its shroud
Over all we have known
Unaware how the ranks have grown
Driven on by a heart of stone
We could find that we're all alone
In the dream of the proud

Ashlyn knew she was turning away. How often did she turn away or turned a blind eye to something? It made her think about a song. This song was hauntingly beautiful and made her think. Was the singer singing about her and her comfortable life? Was it about her life as a rich woman, who didn't have to work, and who had four kids who wanted nothing? She sighed and turned back to the TV.

The quarter came to an end. Ashlyn nodded and put her water bottle down. Turning away from the TV and the early first-half analysis, but a news break would be in there. There is nothing usually good on the news nowadays. So, she turned away again.

On the wings of the night
As the daytime is stirring
Where the speechless unite
In a silent accord
Using words you will find are strange
Mesmerized as they light the flame
Feel the new wind of change
On the wings of the night

Ashlyn climbed up the stairs to the second floor, her knee giving her trouble in the unseasonably cold weather. At the top of the stairs, she paused and looked down the hallway. When did the hallway become so long? The hallway is dark, made lighter by slivers of light peeking out from under one of the doors. No one should be out of bed and have their lights on.

After steeling herself, Ashlyn moved from her spot at the top of the stairs. Slowly, walking down the hallway, she came to the door with the light sneaking out from under it. The door belonged to her daughter Maeghan, Ashlyn's second daughter and child.

Gently, Ashlyn opened the door and slowly followed the door into the room. Making her way into the room, she found Maeghan in bed asleep. There was an open book lying by her hands on the bed. Ashlyn reached over and picked up the book, looking at the cover of the book and nodding. Ashlyn made sure to save Maeghan's place in the book and placed it on the nightstand. Ashlyn adjusted the covers and bent down to kiss her good night. Finally, Ashlyn turned off the light on the nightstand. Maeghan fell asleep reading her book, hence why the light was on.

Ashlyn left Meaghan's room, making sure the door was closed behind her. Looking down the hallway, she looked at the next bedroom door, Landen's door.

Slowly, she walked across the hallway and came to her son's door. Ashlyn opened the door and looked across the darkened room. Landen was in bed curled up. Ashlyn walked into the room and tucked in one of her twin sons.

Once she finished, Ashlyn left the room, closing the door behind her. There's one room left to check, and Ashlyn nodded, going down just one door to Logan's room. Opening the room's door, Ashlyn looked in at her other twin son.

After tucking in her other son, Ashlyn made sure everything okay. Once she was satisfied, Ashlyn left Logan's room. After the door closed behind her, she looked left and then right down the hall. After a pregnant pause, Ashlyn moved down the hall to the stairs and went down the stairs.

Ashlyn returned to the TV and noticed the game had started up again. The third quarter of the game was going on; all Ashlyn did was smirk and grab her water bottle. She took another sip of her water.

Looking down at her notepad, she packed up her basketball stuff. Once it was all collected, Ashlyn took the stuff to her bag and put it away. Once completed, she returned to the TV and had no excuse but to watch the game.

No more turning away
From the weak and the weary
No more turning away
From the coldness inside
Just a world that we all must share
It's not enough just to stand and stare
Is it only a dream that there'll be
No more turning away?

Ashlyn tried to get comfortable on the sofa. She started drinking her water and watching the game. At this point in her life, there's no more mystery in the game. The problem is that she knew when her husband played off, and she would have to comfort him when he didn't play well.

Never would she lie to James; he demanded her to be honest. There was more than one time that Ashlyn had been real to James, and he exploded. James didn't always lose his temper, he was relatively even-keeled, but the stress would get to him like most people. It started to make her not enjoy watching his basketball games.

Ashlyn found herself playing with her nails. Once that bored her, she started to check her smartphone. As the fourth quarter was beginning to wind down, which meant post-game and James would call as soon as he could.

Ashlyn spent from her long day leaning back on the sofa. Her bed and pillow were calling her, but they agreed to try and talk after every game. Ashlyn wanted to sleep, wishing to be well-rested for tomorrow. This Saturday, at least in Ashlyn's mind, was an important day for her.

The game ended with the Miami Heat beating the Chicago Bulls 100 to 88. James scored 26 points with 11 assists, a double-double. Ashlyn nodded; James should be in a good mood when he called later. Ashlyn sighed; all that she had to do now is wait.