Disclaimer: All stories are individuals of themselves and are unrelated to each other.
The first time the Undersees were late for soccer practice Gale let it slide. He was the coach of Maddie Undersee, a sweet 8 year old girl that liked running around the field more than actually playing the game, and a whole gaggle of other girls her age. His brother Rory had convinced him to take the job because a) Gale liked soccer and b) Gale liked children so c) it just made sense. Gale thinks it was something more along the lines of opening up his hobbies, however.
The second time the Undersees were late Gale was a little annoyed. The mother, a pretty blonde named Madge, had apologized profusely. There was a certain fear in her eyes when she spoke to Gale about why they were late, maybe fear that he would get angry or something else entirely, but he let that one slide to.
The third time, however, he was already having a bad day.
"You are completely irresponsible," Gale growled as Maddie disappeared. Madge couldn't hold his gaze. "I can't punish her for your lack of time management skills, Mrs. Undersee, and I sure as hell—"
"Miss," she whispered.
He paused. "Excuse me?"
"Miss," she said again. "Not Mrs." He blinked a few times, his eyes dropping down to her left hand which was vacant of a ring.
That threw him off entirely. Gale was surprised he hadn't noticed before but swallowed back the little victory of a good looking single mother in his presence because he was still peeved. "Miss Undersee," he started again, this time his voice less angry and more tired. "Maddie's a good kid. She is. But if she's late again we can't put her in the next game. Those are the rules."
Madge nodded her head and lifted her eyes to the field where Maddie was kicking a ball around with her friends, laughing loudly at a silly noise someone was making.
"I know," she forced out. Madge clearly looked unbalanced and hesitated. "My, um," she let out a deep breath and finally turned back to him. "My husband—ex-husband," she corrected, furrowing her eyebrows. "He's not good at following instructions." Madge lifted her hand to rub the bridge of her nose. "Really shitty at it, actually. I'm pretty sure he doesn't ever listen to a thing I say." Madge shakes her head. "I know the rules," she said to Gale, "and I'm sorry, honestly I am. But I can't make any promises that it won't happen again."
Gale swallowed thickly. "Uh—"
"It's just, I get back from work and she's supposed to be there…" Madge sighs, clearly frustrated. "Ron, he…" she shakes her head. "You don't want to hear this." She lifted her hand to her mouth and forced a tight smile. "I'll try my hardest," she tells him, nodding once, and then she walks away to join the rest of the parents at the bleachers.
The Undersees managed to keep it together for the next few weeks. Maddie was able to play in the soccer game (which was mostly just parents screaming from the bleachers and kids with no coordination kicking a ball around) and she looked so incredibly happy that Gale couldn't help but smile at her.
Madge was crouched in front of her, tying her daughter's shoes, when Gale stepped over to say hello.
"When'll Daddy be here?" Maddie asked. Madge stayed silent for a moment, focusing on the shoes, and Gale paused where he was. "Mom?"
"Sweetheart," Madge started softly and the light drained from Maddie's eyes. "He might come," Madge said, reaching up to grab her daughter's hands. "I told him the location and the time. He could show up."
Maddie shook her head, "He won't. Will he?"
"We don't know that," Madge answered. Gale felt crestfallen. He could tell by the tone of Madge's voice that Ron would not be arriving today. Or ever, probably. "But I'm going to take so many pictures that even if he doesn't he'll still get to see how great you did."
Maddie smiled slightly, a smile that reminded Gale of Madge. "Thanks, Mom."
Madge kissed her daughter's hands and smiled back. "Get out on that field. I'll be cheering for you!" Maddie's smile brightened again and she nodded, sprinting out onto the turf to join her friends. Madge sighed and dropped her head into her hands, rubbing at her temples. When she pulled away Gale was standing much closer than before and she jumped, "My God."
"Sorry," Gale extended his hand to help her up. "You okay?"
"I'm fine." Madge accepted his offer and stood beside him. "Fine," she said again.
He didn't understand. Gale couldn't wait to start a family one day, he would never ever eventhink about missing one of his kid's games, even if it was pointless moves and loud screaming. And Maddie, one of the sweetest girls on the team, definitely didn't deserve that.
"You're really great with them, you know," Madge said, trying to change the subject. "The kids. Maddie adores you. Shows me all the moves you teach her once we get home."
Gale smiled at that. "Well, thank you." Madge smiled again but it looked a little forced. "You sure you're okay?"
"Yeah, yes," she said, her eyes elsewhere. "It just makes me so angry. She looks up to him so much and he's off fucking his coworkers and—" again she held her hand up to her mouth, like the other night when she first started opening up. "I am so sorry. That was highly inappropriate."
Gale let out a breathy laugh. "Trust me, I'm not offended." His housemate says fouler things while playing videogames. "I doubt my opinion means anything to you but I think it's good he's not here, then. If he's not going to support her then it's not worth it."
She nodded a few times, "You're right. I just wish he did." Her eyes found Maddie on the field. "She deserves a father who loves her, not some jackass that can't even remember her birthday." Madge looked to the side where the refs were meeting. "I think you're wanted over there," Madge said, gesturing down the field. She tipped her head at him before joining the screaming parents, "Good luck."
The day the Undersees don't show up for practice Gale can't help but worry.
From what he's put together Madge's ex-husband is a poor excuse for a human. Madge has never mentioned anything about violence but he feels like anger and alcoholism often go hand in hand, and though it's rude to assume it he does so anyway. After the first water break he lets one of the more mature girls on the team lead a few drills and frantically dials Madge's number, finding it on the contact sheet he carries in one of his binders.
She answers after a few rings. "Hello?"
"Madge?"
There's hesitation. "Coach Hawthorne?" He feels relief at the fact that she doesn't sound angry or harmed. "Why are you calling me?"
"Why aren't you here?" he blurts. There's silence. "That was—fuck." He drags his hand through his hair and looks out at the girls. "I'm sorry. Is everything okay?"
There's a light laugh on her side of the phone, and then more relief floods him. "Everything's fine," she responds. "Why? Is everything okay there?"
"When you and Maddie didn't show up I just—"
"Wait," she cuts him off. "Maddie's not there?" Gale doesn't have time to say anything before she's speaking again. "Ron swore that he'd take her," she curses. A lot of shuffling on the other side follows. "I've got to go." Madge hangs up and the worry floods him again.
He paces uncontrollably and is on edge the rest of practice. He keeps looking out for the Undersee minivan but it never arrives, and soon enough the night is over and everyone is packing up to go home. By the time the field is empty Gale feels nauseous but refrains from redialing Madge's number.
It isn't until he gets back home does his phone light up. He answers immediately, "Hello?"
"Gale," Madge's voice is soft on the other side, free of panic. "Hi." She's quiet for another moment. "I, um. I wanted to thank you for, um, calling." He can practically see her rubbing the bridge of her nose. "I should've let you know that Ron would be taking Maddie to practice and I should've called him to make sure – not that it would've made a difference."
"Is everything alright?" he asks. Gale's on his feet, unable to sit still while having this conversation. "Madge, if he's hurting you or Maddie for Christ's sake—"
"No, no," Madge answers at once. "He's an idiot but he'd never do anything like that. I swear to you." She's quiet for another moment. "He had too much to drink. Passed out on top of his cell. There aren't any phones in the house so Maddie couldn't call. She went in the yard and practiced soccer on her own." Gale can't help but smile at that, and then he readjusts his phone by his head. "I don't, um," Madge huffs. "I don't know why you've invested yourself in my family but I'm incredibly grateful for it."
"Would've done it for anyone," he says.
Madge hums, "I don't think that's true." They both fall silent now, he can hear her soft breaths on the other end. "Thank you, Gale," she finally says. "We'll see you tomorrow."
She hangs up before he can say anything back.
Gale watches her from the corner of his eye all through practice. It's getting colder now and she looks incredibly sweet wrapped in a scarf and cheering her daughter's name as Maddie makes goals during drills. His heart tugs unfamiliarly whenever he watches the two blondes together and he doesn't understand why. It's not just worry from their situation but something else, something he can't place.
And it's not Gale's fault when he overhears Maddie talking about how she's going to Grandma and Grandpa's house this weekend, how she's excited to feed the goats and play with her friends she doesn't see often.
So when the girls are cleaning up and getting ready to leave Gale seeks out Madge, who is gathering Maddie's water bottle and discarded knee braces. "Hey," Gale says, bending down to help her pick things up.
Madge smiles at him, "Hi." They haven't spoken much since the incident but her smile is warm. "Everything okay?"
"Mm," he nods. It feels like that's a common question. "I just, I overheard that your weekend will be child-free."
Madge blinks and then laughs, nodding at him, "Yeah, it will be. My parents want to take Maddie to some play the local school is hosting. Thought it'd be nice for her to get away for a little bit."
"I agree," Gale nods. He hesitates. "I was wondering. Maybe you and I could—" he stops talking when she looks up with wide eyes. "What?"
"Please don't finish that sentence," Madge whispers. Her lips are parted, concern is written all over her face. "I… I can't, Gale. You're Maddie's coach and…" she shakes her head and looks away, standing up quickly. "I'm sorry, I just can't." Madge stood up so fast she nearly fell over, and moments later Maddie approached them. "You ready?" Madge asks, quickly redirecting her gaze to her daughter.
"Uh-huh!" She grabs her bag from her mother. "See you Monday, Coach!"
Gale stands and tips his head at Maddie, "See you Monday."
Madge ushers her daughter away quickly, awkwardly looking over her shoulder at Gale who stands in their absence.
He runs into her at the grocery store, because of course he does.
Gale knows that he doesn't know Madge, other than the fact that she's an incredibly wonderful mother to Maddie (which honestly says a lot) and she likes to bring thermoses full of hot cocoa to share after practice on days that it gets too cold, but he likes her. She has a certain sweetness that's hard to find, especially in people with kids these days, and a smile that makes his chest feel tight. Sure, it's nothing he would put his entire life on pause for, but there's some sort of feeling that makes him want to pursue her.
He finds her weighing two different cartons of strawberries in her hands.
Before he remembers her declination of his almost-offer to get drinks, his bumps his cart into hers. Madge jumps and turns to find him, a bright smile stretching over her face. "Gale!" After she realizes that it's him, really processes it, her smile fades a bit. "I mean, Coach Hawthorne."
"Miss Undersee," he responds in the same dejected tone. "You have a whole weekend to yourself and you spend it grocery shopping?"
"Well I don't plan on grocery shopping the entire weekend," she tells him, deciding on a carton and lowering it into her cart. "And Maddie hates it so I'd rather do it when it was just me instead of forcing her to come. I save more money like this anyway. She always manages to sneak things into my cart."
Gale can't help but laugh at that, and then her smile returns. And it's her smile that gets him to ask, "You sure you're not up for a drink?"
He knows he should step back, give her space since she rejected him, but the question slipped out before he could stop it.
Fortunately her smile doesn't fade, her eyes just focus elsewhere. "I'm sure," she answers. Madge tucks her hair behind her ear. "I stopped drinking when Maddie was born, and with Ron the way he is I—"
"Alright, no alcohol," Gale nods. "I know this great coffee shop on the outskirts of town. Really small, family run." Their eyes meet and Gale shrugs. "You don't have to say yes," he tells her. "But I, uh," he scratches the back of his neck. "But I'd really like to get to know you better."
Though Madge had already tucked her hair away she tries to do so again and then bites down on her bottom lip. "Okay," she nods. "Okay, one cup of coffee."
He grins, "Great."
He gets there early so he doesn't look like a fool if traffic holds him up. Madge arrives promptly on time and they order together before sitting down at a booth in the back. And then they talk.
They talk about everything. He asks her of her favorite books and she shares some classics (The Outsiders, The Hobbit, Catcher in the Rye), as well as some newer stories she desperately tries to convince him to read, even offering to bring him a stack to the next practice so he can catch up with the current trends. Gale tells her of his favorite things to do outside of coaching soccer (rock climbing, cooking, sleeping) and she responds with enthusiasm before sharing her own (playing the piano, coupon clipping, sleeping).
"Maybe we could sleep together some time," Gale says before realizing what it implies. Her cheeks turn red and her jaw drops, Gale closes his eyes in defeat. "Oh my God I can't believe I just said that." He only opens his eyes again when he hears her laughing.
They talk about their college lives before the real world started, their lives outside of soccer practice, and so much more. Madge tells him about her plans to travel once Maddie is a little older and she can remember all of the places she plans to take her. Gale admits he's never left the East Coast, but would love to head up north and explore.
"I'd like to go exploring more often," Madge tells him. "But my life literally revolves around Maddie and if she's not in the mood for it we just stay in and play soccer in the yard."
"You should convince her to do more," Gale says. "I've got this patch of woods right by my house. You're welcome to take her there. It's got this stream where the neighbor kids like to catch frogs, it's a nice place to spend an afternoon."
"Mm," Madge looks down at her mug and forces a smile. "Maybe."
Something inside of him knows something is wrong. He reaches across the table and grabs her hand. "What's wrong?"
Her hands are warm, her smile looks less forced. "Nothing. I don't know. I just, I haven't…" Madge sighs, furrowing her eyebrows together. "I haven't… dated, since… since Ron left and…" she shakes her head, awkwardly admitting, "I like you." Finally her eyes lift to meet his. "It scares me."
"I like you too," Gale tells her, trying to reassure her that her feelings aren't one sided. "I'm not looking for a one night thing. Maybe a many night thing that turns into something that isn't called a thing." He rubs his thumbs over her knuckles to sooth her. "I'm willing to go slow if this is something you want to continue."
"I do," Madge nods. "I do, I just… Maddie…" She sighs again, "Dating is so much more complicated with a daughter."
"Hey, Maddie's great," Gale says. "If you want to keep it from her for a bit, until you're sure, I get that. Especially since I'm her coach. But it doesn't bother me that you've got a daughter, it's not a problem or a negative thing." Madge smiles and bites down on her bottom lip. "What is it?"
"You're just really cute," she exhales quietly. Gale chuckles and Madge lets her smile shine. "It's, um," Madge glances down at her watch. "It's getting late." Gale nods slowly and releases his hold on her hand. They slide from the booth and Madge stands in front of him. "Thanks for tonight. It was really fun."
Without waiting Gale dips down, pressing his lips to her cheek. Madge stills as he does so but cups his cheeks before he can pull too far away. Her hands slide along his stubble and he presses his forehead to hers gently. Madge's breath catches in her throat but she pulls away before kissing him, smiling toward the ground.
"God," she exhales as Gale chuckles again. "Okay. I'll, um, text you." Gale nods as she steps away. "Goodnight, Gale."
"Night, Madge."
Soccer practice is weird. Their eyes continuously find one another's but they don't say hello besides a tip of their heads. Maddie works hard and Gale tries to stay focused but he keeps looking toward Madge on the sidelines. Every time his eyes drift from the girls doing their drills to Madge she's looking at him too, but then quickly directs her eyes to Maddie.
When it's over he walks up to her and she feels her breath catch in her throat. "Hey," he murmurs.
"Hi." They look at each other for a moment before Madge smiles and looks toward the ground. "I, um, I don't know how to do this."
Gale shakes his head, "Me neither."
"I'll, um, I'll talk to Maddie. Tonight. See if she's up for me dating. Call you after?"
"Yeah," he exhales. "Yeah. Sounds great." More than anything he aches to kiss her. After her tease of an almost-kiss when they got coffee it's been running through his mind, a nagging desire that doesn't go away. "Mrs. Cartwright and some of the other moms are hosting a pasta party before the game next weekend," Gale tells her. Madge nods, clearly she was already told. "You're going, then?"
"Wouldn't miss it," Madge answers. She bites on her bottom lip to keep from grinning and turns to Maddie who's approaching them. "Hey Sweetheart," Madge ruffles her daughter's hair. "To the car?"
"Can we get ice cream?" Maddie asks as they start for the van. "I really want some."
"We have ice cream at home!" Madge tells her. Gale watches them walking away feeling warmer than he has in a while.
They're in the car when Madge brings it up. They stopped at McDonalds so Maddie's eating a McFlurry, Madge hopes her chances are good. "So," she starts, looking in the rearview mirror. "I, um, I wanted to talk to you about something."
Maddie swallows a hunk of ice cream. "Okay."
"How would you feel if I… if I started dating?" Maddie's eyes find her mother's in the rearview mirror. "I'm just wondering, of course."
"Mom!" Maddie laughs, swinging her spoon in her Madge's direction enthusiastically, causing little globs of ice cream to flow everywhere. "Yes! You should, you should definitely date! Oh, I have a cute art teacher at school, Mr. Mellark. And the guy that runs the candy shop on Main Street, he's pretty cute!" Madge laughs, shaking her head at her daughter. "Oh, and Coach! Coach Hawthorne!" Maddie takes another bite of her ice cream. "Everyone on the team thinks he loves you."
"What?" Madge blanches and then Maddie giggles. "Nah."
"He doesn't really talk to the other parent's as much as you, and sometimes we'll be waiting for instruction and he'll just be staring in your direction."
"Maddie that is not true!" Madge laughs. They pull into the driveway but neither of them make a move. "We might've already gone on a date, but I don't think—"
"Mom!" Maddie nearly throws herself out of her seat. "You went on a date with Coach and didn't tell me?!"
"I'm telling you now!" Madge turns around in her seat to look at her daughter. "It's nothing serious, Mads, not yet, but I don't want it to be awkward and I don't want you to say anything. Okay? To anyone." Including your father, Madge thinks.
"No problem," Maddie grins.
Madge calls him that night while Maddie's getting ready for bed. "I told Maddie," she says, listening to the line still on the other end. "Apparently all the girls on the team have mentioned it before."
Gale throws his head back in a laugh. "Guess I'm not as slick as I thought, huh?"
"Guess not," Madge smiles.
"She took it well, then?"
"Better than I thought," Madge admits. When Madge was a little girl she never could've imagined her parents dating anyone else. They only fought a few times but the idea of a divorce had scared her to death. Maybe it's because of the new world that they live in that Maddie's okay with it. "And you're okay with her knowing?"
"As long as she doesn't expect any special treatment," Gale laughs, receiving one from Madge as well.
As Madge is about to say something else Maddie walks into the room, towel drying her long hair with her eyebrows high on her forehead. She points to the phone and makes a face and Madge nods. "What're you talking about?" Maddie asks.
"Is that her?" Gale wonders.
Madge presses the speakerphone button. "Coach Hawthorne was just telling me that you better not expect any special treatment from him now," Madge tells her daughter with a teasing smile.
Maddie laughs, "I'm already the best player on the team. Right, Coach?"
"I'm not allowed to have favorites," Gale answers. Madge can hear the smile in his voice. The Undersees would definitely be his favorites.
"Who said anything about favorites?" Maddie asks him. "I just know that I'm the best player."
At the pasta party Maddie makes a lot of faces at the two of them, but Madge and Gale behave incredibly appropriately around the other parents. They even shake hands. Maddie rolls her eyes at them but then runs off to be with her friends. Delly Cartwright, the mom throwing the pasta party, is overly enthusiastic but incredibly genuine.
"Here," Madge stops Delly before she dives into the kitchen. "You start getting everyone seated and I'll grab the bowls to bring out. Okay?"
"Oh, you're so kind!" Delly cheers. "Thank you so much!"
Madge slips away from the crowds of parents and their children in the living room and Gale follows, also with a ruse of helping. "I was hoping you'd follow me," Madge smiles, leaning backwards against the counter. He strides over to her once they're alone and Madge grabs his shirt, pulling him down forcefully to her. "I've wanted to do this for a while," she murmurs, tugging his shirt so hard that he drops down, his lips colliding with hers.
Gale groans, his hands sliding around her waist and body trying to bring her closer. They kiss frantically, desperately, relieving everything that's been building up between them, before Madge tilts her head away to gasp for air. Gale presses forward still, kissing down her jaw and across her neck.
"We should really get the bowls," Madge pants.
"Bowls," Gale nods, suckling one last time on the patch of skin below her ear. When he pulls away completely Madge finds his eyes dark and hooded, full of an excitement she hasn't seen in such a long time. She bites down on her bottom lip and turns away from him, grabbing the bowls that Delly had laid out. Licking his lips and grinning Gale grabs the rest of the dishes to carry out.
They sit all the way across the table from one another but steal more than a few glances, Madge smiling and feeling her chest warm and flutter with each, and when he winks she nearly combusts. Maddie nudges her a few times and then giggles, taking a big bite from her pasta without even having to say anything.
He finds her again when they're cleaning up and moves as close to her as he can without tipping anyone off. "I want to talk you on a real date," Gale murmurs.
Madge looks at him, her eyes flashing. "Can Maddie come?"
Gale waits to see if she's kidding or not (which she is) before laughing. "I was hoping maybe just the two of us?"
She reaches out, her fingers brushing the back of his hand. "I'll see if my parents can take her," Madge whispers. Her eyes dart to his lips and Gale grins before they part again.
It's a slow process when it really comes down to it. Gale doesn't want to overstep his boundaries and they both think it would be best to wait to make things real until the season is over and Maddie moves up a level so Gale's not her coach anymore. But it's hard. Kissing Gale is exciting, different, it opens up a roaring chasm inside of Madge that she doesn't know how to stop. He's gentle with her, sweet kisses across her skin, but he knows what he wants. The first night he carries her to his bedroom Madge sinks into oblivion. His touch makes her burn.
Gale comes around maybe once a week to ease Maddie into the idea of them dating. Madge knows she brought the idea up to Maddie pretty quickly considering she and Gale had only been on one date, and he could've decided overnight that he didn't want to give it a try, but Madge didn't like to keep things from her daughter. And Gale didn't like to stay away. A few weeks after their first coffee date they make things exclusive.
Maddie is constantly in between teasing the two of them, being happy for them, and pretending to vomit. She's as supportive as a daughter can be. "I know you and Daddy weren't happy together," she says one night after Gale leaves. "But Coach, when he's around you really look happier."
"I was happy with your father for a long time," Madge tells her. "I loved him. You have to know that, Maddie." Her daughter nods, looking away from her. "But we just… he made a few mistakes that hurt me." Madge reaches out and grabs Maddie's hand. "But he loves you," she tells her. Ever since Madge made a big show of how Ron couldn't make it to his only daughter's soccer game and how upset Maddie was about it, he seems to be trying a little harder. He still drinks, Madge leaving him still stings, but once Madge reminded him how easy it would be to take Maddie away forever he started shaping up. "And I love you," Madge tells her. "We just don't love each other."
"I know," she murmurs. "I just want you to be happy."
Madge bends down, pressing a kiss to her daughter's forehead. "All I need to be happy is you," she responds.
Maddie smiles, looking up at her. "Coach doesn't hurt though, right?"
"Right," Madge laughs.
By the time the end of the season rolls around Maddie has only caught them kissing twice and only Delly out of all of the parents knows anything because she's nosy and intrusive.
One evening, now considering soccer is over and Gale has his nights free, he comes over for dinner. Maddie's working on her homework in the living room while watching TV and Madge and Gale are in the kitchen, working hard to make the meal.
"I told Ron about you," she suddenly says. Gale stop stirring the pot and turns to look at her. "He was… angry, I think, but okay with it." Gale props up the spoon and strides over to her, reaching out and grabbing her hands. "I figured I should if you were really sticking around."
"Mm," he lifts her hands and kisses her fingers. "I'm not going anywhere." Madge looks up at him and smiles, and Gale leans down to press his lips to hers.
Before they can even kiss they hear a large groaning, turning to find Maddie in the door way. "Seriously, Coach?" she throws her hands out.
"Sorry, Maddie," he laughs. Gale lowers Madge's hands and walks over to her, ruffling up her hair. "You can call me Gale, remember?"
She smiles before swatting his hand away. "I think I'll stick with Coach for a little longer."
A/N: Been working on this piece on and off for a while!