Chapter 58

Ted and Viola pulled into his hometown just after three thirty. They had made good time traveling. He was really looking forward to introducing his girlfriend to his mom and sisters. His hometown was nothing like Hamilton. It was much smaller. Viola was trying to take everything in as they drove through town. He was showing her where he used to hang out. Viola did think the town was very nice. Ted drove just outside of town. They were less than ten minutes outside of town when he turned onto a small road. The homes were middle-class homes with beautiful lawns. It was a nice neighborhood. She knew they were very close to his home by his growing smile. He was beginning to get a light in his eyes.

She watched him pull into a small driveway. The home was white with red shutters and a red front door. A flowerbed wrapped around the front and sides of the large front porch. The red front door opened. A beautiful, smiling woman stepped onto the porch. Viola instantly matched the woman's smile.

"Ted…she seems so sweet," Viola whispered.

"She really is."

As Ted spoke, she saw two smaller heads poke out from behind the woman. While the older woman stayed at the front door, the two little girls had no qualms about walking out onto the porch. By the time Ted parked behind the red SUV, the two girls were already making their way down the step onto the footpath.

"I'm so sorry about what's coming." Ted laughed as he eagerly got out of the car. He kneeled down just as the two little girls ran to him. They jumped into his arms for a huge hug.

"Tee! You're home!"

"I am Munchkins!" His excitement matched theirs.

Viola smiled at their interactions. For the first time in her life, she was beginning to imagine herself as a mother. She slowly got out of the car. As she made her way to the front of the car's hood, the girls let go of their older brother. They instantly turned their attention toward Viola.

"And you must be Viola?" "I am." She stated. As she finished her statement, the girls came to her. They hugged her. She made eye contact with Ted. He gave her a smile. She wrapped her arms around the little girls and held them tight.

Ted made his way to the front porch. "Mom. It's good to see you." "Come here, my boy." She smiled as tears ran down her cheek. "It's so good to see you." She opened her arms, welcoming her son into her embrace. After a long hug, she leaned back and looked at her son. "I don't think you're eating enough. You look skinny." "I'm eating well, mom. Now, would you like to meet my girlfriend?" "Ted, she's gorgeous." "She is mom. She's so much more than just a pretty face."

Sarah, thirteen, and Lola, ten, were walking toward the front porch. Sarah was on the right side, and Lola was on Viola's left side. They were holding Viola's hand, and each was asking her questions faster than Viola could answer them.

"Easy Munchkins. Let her breathe." Ted sassed. He tossed their hair. They both huffed when he messed up their hair. He took Viola's hand and pulled her close to him.

"Mom, this is my girlfriend, Viola Thatcher. Viola, this is my mother, Shirley."

"It is so good to meet you, dear. I hope you don't mind, but I am a hugger." "My sister, Elizabeth, told me about that."

Shirley stepped forward and embraced Viola in a motherly hug. Viola instantly felt welcomed and accepted. This woman was lovely and was loving on her. She felt very comfortable in her embrace.

"Angel, these two rug rats are Sarah and Lola." He smiled as they protested.

"Tee, who are you calling a rug rat?" Lola stated. She placed her hands on her hips.

"Tee?" Questioned Viola.

"Viola, you will be reminded that they are all siblings. There are times when Ted forgets he's older."

Viola laughed at Shirley's statement. She could easily see that with those three. She also can easily see the love flow between the four of them.

"Come on…I know you must be hungry." Shirly nodded toward the house. "Ted, I think you need to get two plates."

"Mom…why would you say that?"

"So Viola…" Sarah began. "…you are Elizabeth's older sister?" "I am." "We loved her at Nana's and Pop's house. She's so sweet." "She is." "Now, why are you dating Tee? It's just Tee." Lola stated. Viola smiled at the teasing of this little sister.

"Hush, you two." Ted sassed.

"He's cute and very nice."

The little one just shrugged her shoulders. Sarah took Viola's hand. "So, do you like him, or do you like him?"

"Mom!" Whined Ted.

"Come on, girls…it's time for dinner." Shirley smiled. Then she turned her attention to Viola. She mouthed, "I'm sorry."

"It's ok. I have two younger sisters. They're the same way."

"I'm sorry," Ted stated as his mother and sisters began to walk through the door.

She accepted Ted's hand. "It's ok. They're your sisters. Of course, they'll worry. I like them." "I like you too." Both girls stated as they continued to walk into the home.

"I just don't understand why you're dating Tee," Lola stated in a deadpan voice.

"That's enough teasing your brother," Shirley stated.

"I'm not teasing. I really don't understand." Lola defended herself.

…

Saturday morning found Jack still in his bed past nine. He had three straight nights of games. He was tired, and his body felt the effects of all those games in a short period of time. They had won the games. Tonight, they were playing their arch nemesis, Hamilton West, in a re-rematch. Jack's team has already won the first two games. Everyone was excited for tonight's matchup. The local newspapers were hyping the game to the game of the year status. Both teams finished the season with Hamilton East in first place and Hamilton West in second.

The fact that Cory broke their backboard was personal to the players on the Hamilton West team. During the tournament, the home crowd would always boo Hamilton East. Cory took it as a badge of honor, as did the rest of his teammates.

Jack opened his eyes when he heard a knock on the door.

"Yeah."

"Hey, bro…you gonna sleep the whole day|?" "What do you want Tom?" "To harass you." He let out a younger brother's laugh. "Mom told me to come and check on you." "Figures." He laughed. "I'm just tired."

"She wanted to know if you were going to the center today." "No. We have that game tonight. The last three nights have been busy. Tonight's game is huge." "You have played well."

"Thanks, man."

"You do realize that you, Joe, and Sam will be the reason you win tonight, right?" "What do you mean?" "Well, the Hamilton West's fans would boo all of you, but especially Cory. They don't like the fact that he broke their backboard. If the fans don't like it, you know their players won't like it." "So…they won't allow him to do it again." Jack thoughtfully stated.

"I wouldn't if it was me. Would you?"

"Good point. When did you get so good at basketball?" "Goodness, how many of your games have I watched?" "True. So, what's up with you and Julie?" Tom let out a sigh. "I don't know." He rubbed his face.

"It's me," Jack stated as he sat up in his bed.

"I love her…" "That's easy to see." "I just don't know…" His voice trailed off. "I'm having a hard time getting over the fact that she contacted John just to get even with me. That was a little cold-hearted." "Yeah…when we ate with them that night, she seemed genuinely sorry." "Yeah…" "How has she been since then?"

Tom sat on the edge of Jack's bed. "Better. She seems honestly working toward us. We are officially 'in like with each other.'"

"Like before you two were officially together?" "Yes."

"What do you want?"

"I've changed. I'm not that guy anymore." "I can easily see that. Plus, I believe it's a good change." "Thanks." "I think my original advice still stands. Don't close the door. Take things slowly. Allow Julie to prove herself to be true. If she does, then move forward. But Tom, you can't keep bringing up her past if she has truly made amends and asked for forgiveness, or you are doing just like she did." "Is that how you were with Elizabeth?"

"I stepped back because I didn't think she knew her heart involving that guy." Tom laughed. "You know, you can say his name. If you do, it won't make him magically appear." "I'm not taking that chance." Jack laughed. "This happened during the picnic, right?" "Yes. I told her I wasn't breaking up but stepping back to allow her to figure out her heart. I wasn't home even an hour when she showed up. She's never left. I still don't like that guy and believe he's up to something or buying his time to do something else, but I have no doubts about Elizabeth. She has proved herself to be true. She has all my trust.

"Tom, you can't allow Julie's mistake to continue to ruin your future if you truly want to be with her. I know I don't know everything, but from my viewpoint, she has recovered well from that day."

"She has." Tom began to smile. It only grew.

"I think you have your answer, little brother." "What are you doing later?" "I'm hoping to meet up with Elizabeth before tonight." Tom nodded. He stood from the bed and walked to the door. He opened it and turned to face Jack. "Thanks, bro." "Anytime."

…

Viola was working on Lola's long brown hair. She wanted a Dutch braid. One of her friends had one at school, and her mother didn't know how to do it. She watched a video on YouTube but couldn't do it very well.

"My younger sister Julie used to love Dutch braids." Viola smiled at the little girl's expression. She smiled as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Viola took a picture on her phone and showed the little girl. Her smile doubled in size.

"Thank you!" She exclaimed as she gave Viola a big hug.

Viola looked up at a mischievous Sarah as she walked into Lola's bedroom. She tilted her head to the right and gave her a questioning look. She inwardly smiled, thinking the little girl acted just like a playful Julie did when she wanted something.

Sarah stood in front of her and opened her hand. She had mascara, a tube of lipstick, and some blush that she took from her mother's bathroom.

Viola shook her head no. "No…no…" "Please…I want to learn how to do this. Look at your makeup, it's perfect. You're so pretty." "Sarah, you are gorgeous with those little freckles. You don't need makeup." "That's what mom says. She is pretty without it, but she still wears it. So are you. If you're pretty without it, why do you wear it?" Viola could only look at her. She may have her youngest sister's playful look when she's up to something, but she had her middle sister's questioning ability. "Oh no…you are not getting me into trouble with your mother. I'm just hoping to get her to like me. If I put makeup on you without her approval, she's going to hate me." "She already loves you." Viola sighed. She sat down on Lola's bed and pulled Sarah to her lap. "First, you are a very beautiful young lady. The thing is, you are thirteen. That's a little too young for makeup. Secondly, makeup only adds to what is already perfectly you. If you use the wrong makeup or use too much of it, it takes away who you are. You don't ever want to lose who you are." "I know, but the other girls at school are already wearing makeup." "Are they in your grade?" "No, they are in the next grade up." "Then they are fourteen?" "Yes." "See, they are older." "But…" "I'll tell you what, when I began to wear makeup, my mother took me to Ulta Beauty. They have makeup specialists who help you find the perfect makeup that accentuates your natural beauty. When you begin to wear makeup, you must be taught by your mother or someone who knows what they are doing." "But…" "No buts." Viola smiled, remembering the same conversation she had with both of her little sisters and their mother. "You can't rush this too much. You are trying to act eighteen. Be the beautiful thirteen-year-old that you are."

"You sound like mom." The little girl sighed.

Shirley couldn't help but smile. She was in the hallway just outside of Lola's room. She didn't intend to listen to the conversation but stopped when she heard what they were talking about. She was on her way in to ask them what they wanted for lunch.

As a single mother of two pre-teen girls who thought they were much older and a kid in college, Shirley often felt overwhelmed. She worked hard and did her best. She always felt that she was behind on everything. In reality, she wasn't, but that wasn't the feeling she had deep within her. She loved listening to the conversation between Viola and Sarah. Viola was saying the same thing she always did, but maybe in a slightly different way. She was also grateful that Lola was in the room listening to the conversation.

"Well, from my understanding, that is a compliment. From what I know of Ms. Shirley, you are a blessed young lady having her as your mom." Sarah had a little smile dance on the corners of her lips. She knew it was true. She was blessed to have her mom. However, as a thirteen-year-old girl, she wasn't allowed to admit it. It went against all teen code.

"I know things seem like time is going slow, but I promise you, it isn't. I have this same conversation with my mother." "You did?" "Of course I did. I also watched Elizabeth and Julie have the same type of conversation with her." "What did your mother do?" Sarah was fully invested in the conversation.

"Well, sounds like you and Ms. Shirley had the same discussion that I did with my mother. The thing is…she was right." Sarah sighed. "When I turned fourteen, my mother took me to Ulta Beauty, and I sat with a makeup specialist. She went through the different types of makeup and colors that matched my skin tone. I wasn't allowed to wear makeup until I was fifteen." "Really?" "Sure. I was eager to grow up, but my mom knew I wasn't yet. It's a hard balance to find." "Yeah."

"Good afternoon ladies." Shirley smiled as she stepped into the bedroom. "What do you think about going out for lunch?" | Lola and Sarah jumped up. They were excited. They have always enjoyed going out for lunch. They didn't do it often but loved it when they did.

"Yes." The little girls stated with excitement.

"Then, we may make a trip to Ulta Beauty." "Really?" Sarah stated.

"Yes, I need to pick up something. While we are there…" "Yeah," Sarah stated with excitement.

"We are not buying you makeup. You are too young. However…" She paused to add to the excitement. "…maybe we can talk with someone about what we may need in the future." "Really?"

"Really." The two girls ran out of the bedroom. "Let's go!" "I'm sorry if I overstepped. Sarah began to ask questions, and before I knew it…" Shirley walked up to Viola and took her by the hands. "You handled everything perfectly. Thank you." Viola nodded her head in appreciation. "I'll go and get Ted." "No. This is girls' day. Ted's on his own."

…

"Oh my…" Shirley tried to say something, but words were failing her.

Sarah sat in a barber-style makeup chair in the makeup section of Ulta Beauty. The technician stood back with a smile. She did an excellent job of picking out the color and type of makeup. It wasn't too much. Somehow, the technician found the perfect color and combination that brought out Sarah's natural beauty.

"Wow…" Viola stated. "She's gorgeous." She whispered the last phrase.

Shirley nodded her head in agreement.

"You're going to be in so much trouble." Viola nodded her head.

"Yeah…"

Lola was playing with the perfume bottles, spraying every bottle she could get her little hands on. She didn't care about the makeup tutorial.

"Sweetheart, you look very beautiful." "Thank you, Mommy." "You really do look very nice." "Thank you, Viola." "Now, this doesn't mean that you are starting to wear makeup now." "But mommy…" "She's right." The technician stated. "You're only thirteen years old. You are way too young for daily makeup. Remember? We talked earlier that this was make-believe playing dress-up. Now, I have written down the type and color of makeup for you and your mother." The technician emphasized the word 'and.' She handed a piece of paper to both Shirley and Sarah. "That way, when you are ready to purchase some makeup, you know what color and what type to purchase."

"I know, but…" "Sarah, you are beautiful with and without makeup. Just don't rush to grow up too much." Sarah turned her attention to Viola as she spoke. She listened to every word Viola and her mother told her. She wanted to wear makeup now, but she knew that her mother wouldn't relent to her wishes.

"I'll make you a deal: You may wear makeup for the rest of the day. Then I'll show you how to remove it tonight." "I'll help," Viola added. "It's important to know how to clean the makeup off. It's vital to know the proper way to take care of your skin." She turned her attention to Shirley. "I'm sorry if I overstepped." "No, dear, I would welcome your help with this. Maybe you can teach her what to do." "Thank you."

…

The team was in a small area just to the side of the court. The other game had just ended, with Jackson Co. finishing third in the district. The winner of Hamilton East and Hamilton West would be the district champion, with the losing team placing second. As the buzzer sounded its annoying sound, Jack walked up to Cory. He was first in line. It was his time to lead the team out for warmups.

"Hey man, let Hamilton West go out first." "Why?"

"When you get out there, I want you to dunk when you go to warm up." "What?" "Dunk the ball with everything you got. Then hang on the rim."

"We're not supposed to do that." "Slam dunk that ball and hang on the rim." Jack's voice was serious. His eyes narrowed in a challenging way.

"Jack…" "They are all going to get mad. They'll boo you, all of us for that matter." "Jack…" "The fans are going to hate it. The West team is going to see it and hate it, too. We will be the most hated people at Hamilton West, and you will be the most hated person here. Are you ok with that? Can you handle that?"

Cory's smile began to grow. "So, you want me to…" "I want you to break the freaking backboard." He poked Cory's chest. "They will all want to shut you down with everything they have. That will open Joe and Sam up on the outside because they will leave us open on the outside just to shut you down. Steven's guy is going to move over on you, too. He'll be open. They hate us anyway. They hate you because you broke their backboard already. Why not throw gas on that hatred if it could help us? It will get in their head. They'll make mistakes."

Cory never answered the question. His smile only grew. Jack knew the answer. He gathered the whole team around him in a tight huddle.

"All right, men, we are about to walk out in the Roman Coliseum for an all-out dog fight. We're the most hated team in Hamilton West's history. We are going to throw fire on that in a second. Are you all with me?" "Oh…yeah…!" "Let's go baby!"

"It's on!"

"Game time!"

"Let's eat!"

"Time to hunt!"

Several players spoke at once. Some began to bounce on their feet. They were getting excited and pumped up.

"Cory is going to start us off. Every one of you who can dunk, I want you to dunk the ball with everything you have and hang on the rim for at least two seconds. For those who can't dunk, play up the ones who can. Everything over the top. You got me?!"

"Yeah!" He heard the team state.

"It's us against all of them. You have your brother's back! We are all in this together. No surrender! No backing down! We take the fight to them! You with me?"

Everyone nodded their heads. The guys were really getting hyped up.

"We use this to our advantage. They will come out all hyped up. Too hyped. But here's the thing…we are going to take the fight to them. We. Are. Punching. Them. First. And. Hard!" He empathized with each word with great determination. He was willing his teammates to get ready for the game. "Men…" He paused, looking at each one in the eyes. "…it's a great blessing to run out on that court with you. Together, we walk off the court tonight, district champions!"

Coach Franklin stood off to the side, watching the whole thing. He couldn't hear everything but was excited that his team was hyped up. He was also hoping that his team wasn't too hyped up. As the team dispersed from the huddle, he caught Jack's eyes. Jack just nodded his head.

The music began, and Hamilton West ran onto the court. They began to work through their layups. Cory just stood at the court's edge. He waited several seconds. Almost everyone in the stands turned to see what was going on. The team should have already run onto the court. Yet, they just stood there. Cory looked around the gym. Most eyes were on his team. The crowd was loud and excited. They all knew this was going to be a good game. The longer he stood there, the louder the crowd became.

Cory closed his eyes. He took a deep breath. Steven, who was just behind him, placed his hand on Cory's back. Joe, who was behind Steven, did the same thing. Each player followed suit. They were running onto the court as one. Cory raised his head. It was time.

Cory ran onto the court to a mixture of cheers and boos. To each player, they were all smiling. Instead of instantly beginning the layups, Cory stopped to make sure everyone was set. When Jack stopped at the end of the line, Cory nodded toward Jack. Jack returned the gesture with a smile.

Cory began to drive to the goal. He took his normal three dripples. In the last two steps, he picked up a little speed. He jumped and slammed the ball through the goal with great emphasis. He hung on the side of the rim for much longer than three seconds. When he let go, he pulled himself up and slapped the backboard. Somehow, the sound echoed through the gym. It carried even though the gym was loud. Suddenly, the crowd noise lowered greatly. When he landed, he yelled.

Steven was next. He followed just like Cory. He jumped and dunked the ball, then hugged the rim. After several seconds, he pulled himself up and slapped the backboard. When he landed, he let out a loud yell.

"What are they doing?" Connie asked without directing her question to her group. It was the normal group, including Rosey and Lee.

This question made Elizabeth focus on her boyfriend. Jack was standing at the end of the line with a very intense look on his face. He had an intense look in his eyes. She has seen that look before, but not to this level. He was laser-focused. She also saw a flicker of something in his eyes. She instantly knew he was up to something. Then, she connected the dots. He was the brain behind the little stunt they were witnessing. Then, she turned her attention to Hamilton West.

The opposing team stopped warming up. Each player turned their attention to Jack's team. The dunking, hanging on the rim, and slapping the backboard all caught their attention. Their facial features instantly began to change. Each time someone did all of that, their expression of hatred deepened. Their side of the crowd began to boo a little. Not one player on Jack's team acknowledged the other team. They were too busy encouraging each other.

Elizabeth brought her attention back to Jack. She swore she thought he glanced down at the opposing team. A smirk very quickly appeared on his face and almost as quickly left.

Almost to the player, they dunked the ball, hung on the rim, and slapped the backboard. As Jack caught the ball, the ref walked to Coach Franklin. "If they don't stop, we will call a technical before the game begins." "For dunking?" "No coach, for hanging on the rim and then slapping the backboard. They are not supposed to do that." "I'm on it." Jack caught the ball, dripped toward the goal, jumped, and dunked the ball. Then, like everyone else, he hung on the rim and slapped the backboard. He landed as the coach yelled to capture everyone's attention. He simply shook his head, no. All the players nodded their heads, indicating that they understood.

"Uhhh…" Elizabeth muttered. "I didn't know he could do that." She had never seen Jack dunk the ball before. She was a little surprised.

Coach Franklin walked by the baseline under the rim. He caught Jack's attention.

"What's going on?" "We needed to make a statement," Jack stated.

"And what statement is that? To make them hate you?" "They already hate us. Look." He nodded toward the opposing team. "Now they're out of their mind mad at us." Coach Franklin stared down the court. He could easily see the hatred on the opposing team's faces. He turned his attention back to Jack.

"I told everyone to dunk and then hang on the rim. They slapped the backboard on their own. We were already hated. We're the most hated people in the history of this school. Why not make them madder? If we get in their heads, we take them out of the game they want to play. Now, they are going to crash down on Steven and Cory. They'll do anything and everything to keep Cory from dunking the ball. They will crash down on him and Steven. It'll leave the outside open." Coach Franklin could only smile at his leader. He nodded his head and walked away. Hamilton East did their normal warmup for the remainder of the warmup period. Hamilton West went through their warmups, but you could tell the little dunking show really bothered them. They kept looking down the court to see what Hamilton East was going to do next.

"Tom, I think your son was the ring leader of that little stunt." "You are a very smart man, William." "Why?" "Look at the other team. They're so mad." "Oh…"

…

Elizabeth watched her boyfriend place the last ball on the rack and walk to the bench. He turned his head to look in her direction. He winked at her and gave her a smile. When he turned back around, his facial expression changed. When Hamilton East's starters were named, the West fans booed. Jack and his teammates smiled. They were feeding off the atmosphere.

After the coach spoke to his team, he stepped aside. This is when Jack normally stepped in to speak. Usually, he only spoke with the starters. This time, he grabbed Malachi's and Shane's arm. He wanted them to listen.

"All right, guys, don't get too caught up in all this bologna. The atmosphere is fun, but it can't control us. I'm sorry, Cory and Steven. They are going to do everything to stop you two, especially you, Cory. Joe, Sam, Malachi, and Shane will leave us open on the outside. We have to make the shots. We are going to be open. It's going to be like shooting baskets in the backyard. We are the ones who will win this." "We will rebound everything. Don't worry." Steven stated. "We'll ride you all."

"Let's go, men." The ref stated.

"Let's bring home the district championship."

Elizabeth was a little sad, but not surprised when Jack didn't look her way as he walked onto the court. He was focused. He took his customary position as Cory stepped to the center of the court for tip-off. He tipped the ball to Jack. Before Jack even dribbled the ball, Hamilton West ran back on defense. This was odd. Usually, Jack's player would pick him up immediately. At least that was what his did the previous two games. He smile knowing Tom was right.

Jack dribbled the ball up the court. As he reached the half court line, he noticed they were playing zone defense. They had never played that against Jack's team before. They really were doing everything possible to stop Cory. Not only were they playing zone defense, but they were also playing what Jack would call a compact zone defense.

Usually, teams would play zone defense by keeping everyone close to the painted area. You wouldn't guard a person. Instead of following your guy all over the court, you would guard a small section of the court, or your zone. Every player on Hamilton West's team that was on the court was inside the painted area. This was unusual even for a zone defense. They were collapsing all on Cory. He couldn't help but smile as he made eye contact with Jack. Cory just threw up his hands in a 'what can you do' motion.

Joe and Sam had a look in their eyes before the game began that convinced Jack that they were ready to play. He wanted to get them in the game early. Instead of calling out a play, he just dribbled up the court a little further. He turned right and passed the ball to Sam. Sam caught the ball and squared up. His closest defender was a good ten feet away. He took the shot. Jack began to jog backward as he watched the ball fly through the air. The ref raised both arms, indicating that it was a three-point shot. Jack watched the ball reach its arch and began to come down. He watched it fall into the net without it even touching the rim.

While Jack's team played good defense, Hamilton West scored on a short jump shot. Jack slowly brought the ball up the court. He looked in his coach's direction. He just shrugged his shoulders. Jack just dribbled the ball past half-court. The defense was collapsing inside the paint again. He passed the ball to Joe. He squared up when his defender wasn't even close. He made his three-pointer. Jack just shrugged his shoulders when the coach grinned at him.

That was the whole first half. The first period was Jack slowly dribbling the ball up the court and passing the ball to Joe or Sam. They may not have made every shot, but they consistently made their three-pointers or mid-range jumpers. Hamilton West never came out of that compact defense. Cory and Steven only touched the ball by rebounding the missed shots. They only had four points, two by each player. Jack's team was up by nine points.

"Great job, men." Coach Franklin stated as he kneeled in front of his starting five sitting on the bench. "They gambled that you wouldn't make the outside shot. Now, they will have to adjust. Cory…Steven, this is where you come to life on the offensive side. Way to stay engaged in the game on the defensive side. You didn't disappear from me. They'll come out of that zone to guard the guys on the outside. Feed the ball down low." He stared at Jack.

"Yes, coach." "Be smart. Don't force it. If they continue to pack the paint, continue with the open shot. If they come out, then feed Cory or Steven. Jack, take your shot. You have ten assists, but you haven't taken a shot yet. With you three willing to shoot, they have to come out of that zone sooner or later." "Got it." "Jack…" Coach Franklin stated as he stood to leave the huddle.

"Great job, guys. Sam…Joe, excellent shooting." Jack began. "Malachi, great job coming in and picking up exactly where we needed you. Shane, great job jumping in and doing your thing. Get in number ten's face. Make his life miserable. Cory and Steven, it's your turn now. They can't stay packed in the paint and allow us to shoot outside jumpers. When they leave you, we're coming inside to you. Time for you to dominate.

"Just stay patient. We're up by fourteen. Our defense lacked a little. We're up, but you know these guys. If we let up one moment, they'll be back in this game quickly. Let's play our ball game. Don't overcomplicate things. Let's play basketball like we have our whole lives." "Got it."

…

Jack and his teammates came out on the court with about four minutes to warm up for the second half. Like normal, Jack walked to the corner of the court and took a seat. He began to stretch his legs. He purposefully looked up to find Elizabeth. He has been so concentrated on the game that he hasn't looked up too often. He still stole glances, but not too many. He made eye contact with her almost immediately. His smile grew as he bent over to stretch his hamstrings. He never took his eyes off her. She understood his concentration on the game. She was grateful for his stolen glances. To be honest, she did miss his glances. When their eyes connected, their conversation flowed perfectly. Her smile grew almost as much as he did.

"I love you." She mouthed.

He tapped his heart three times. He didn't mouth the words because their parents were also looking in his direction. While he didn't mouth the words, she read them loudly and clearly in those emerald eyes and smile. Those dimples spoke their own language to her. She returned his gesture with the same sign.

The third period flew by very quickly. There weren't many fouls. So, the clock didn't stop too many times. Hamilton West did make a little bit of a run. They cut the deficient to single digits but never got any closer than eight points. They did come out of their compact zone, but Cory and Steven took over the game when they did. They scored most of the team's points. When they began to take over, Jack, Sam, and Joe would continue to feed them the ball. When the defenders came out to guard them, they would pass the ball back to Cory and Steven. Hamilton West didn't have much of an answer on how to stop them.

The fourth period began with Shane and Mariachi playing along with Jack. Coach Franklin wanted Sam and Joe to be rested for the game's final stretch. He knew Hamilton West wasn't going to quit.

"All right, guys, let's slow things down. No running the ball up the court unless you have a turnover." "Got it."

"Jack." Coach Franklin stated as he stood up and left the huddle. "Shane, create havoc. Force some turnovers. Malachi, be ready to jump any bad passes. We can't let up on these guys. We have to continue to play our game our way."

While Hamilton West put up a valiant fight, they just couldn't chip away at the eight-point deficit. Shane did create havoc with his speed, leading to some easy layups. Jack slowly played everything on offense. He took his time and allowed the defense to do what they wanted to do. Sam, Joe, Malachi, and Shane hit the outside shots if they continued to stack the paint. If they came out and played the perimeter, the guys would feed the ball to Cory and Steven.

With three minutes remaining, Hamilton East was up by eleven points. Their fan base was beginning to feel that their chance of winning the district championship was growing. There was excitement building among them, and the excitement was also beginning to run down their bench.

"They're going to do this, aren't they?" Elizabeth asked no one in particular.

"They are." Whispered Connie and Steph. They were afraid to say it too loud in case they would jinx the potential outcome. Adam smiled and nodded his head.

"When was the last time they won the district?" William asked.

"Jack wasn't sure," Tom stated.

"I'm sorry." A guy from behind them stated. "It's been thirty years." "Really?" "Yes. I was on the last team to win it. Actually, the district tournament was here the last time, too."

"Thanks." "Is that your boy?" The man asked. "The one dribbling the ball." "Yes. Jack Thornton." "He played a very good game. A complete manager of the game. Very impressive."

"Thank you for saying that. I will let him know." "I know he hasn't scored more than ten points, but he has to have over twenty assists. That young man knows how to play the point guard position."

"That's very kind of you." Tom nodded his head.

"He is going to Bryan's University to play basketball on a scholarship," William added with fatherly pride.

…

With one minute left, Coach Franklin called time out. He only did so he could put in the seniors and a couple of other players so they could participate in the game. The fans cheered as the team slowly made their way to the bench. Cory, Steven, Sam, and Joe each came and patted Jack on the back. They thank him for everything he did. They were all excited. Jack turned the praise back on each of them.

Jack made eye contact for only a second with Elizabeth. Coach Franklin wrapped him in a huge hug.

"Thank you, Jack." "Thank you for everything, Coach Franklin. You are a great coach." "Jack, you are a true competitor. You are the person responsible for this." "The guys played well." "So did you. You know…" Coach Franklin smiled. "…you really need to learn how to take a compliment."

"We celebrate tonight, and then we will turn our attention to the state tournament." "Spoken like a true ball player."

When Coach Franklin let go of his embrace, Jack turned to look at Elizabeth again. She tapped her chest three times. His eyes went to his mother and then his father. He gave them a smile and placed his hand over his heart. Then he looked at Grace and William. He mouthed thank you to them. Then he turned his attention back to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth never took her eyes off Jack. She noticed his gaze just before Coach Franklin hugged him. She also noticed his attention went right back to her, then to his parents, and then to her parents. Then he looked directly into her eyes again. She felt so loved that Jack sought her out in the middle of the celebration. Of all the things she was appreciative of in this precious man, it was their connection. No matter what was going on in their lives, they were connected. Jack was connected to her just as much as she was to him. She was grateful for that. They needed each other.

As the game ended, both sets of parents, along with Adam and Linda, Connie, Steph, and Elizabeth, made their way to the edge of the court. When they reached the court's edge, the announcer came on the loud speaker.

"Ladies and gentlemen, your runner-up 2024 District Champion is Hamilton West!"

Their fans cheered while the rest of the crowd applauded. After their team picture, the announcer came back on the loudspeaker.

"Ladies and gentlemen, your 2024 District Champion is Hamilton East!"

The fans of Hamilton East cheered, and the fans of the other teams politely applauded. Jack and his teammates clapped and celebrated among themselves. Elizabeth, Connie, and Steph led the cheering quickly, followed by the Thorntons and the Thatchers. The team gathered for the team picture.

"Ladies and gentlemen…" The announcer began again after the cheers died and the pictures finished. "…your 2024 District MVP is Jack Thornton! Three nights ago, he scored forty-two points. The record for most points in a district tournament game. Tonight, while he only had eight points, he had twenty-three assists. Another district tournament record."

The crowd cheered. Jack only lowered his head and shook it side to side. His teammates huddled around him, cheering and patting him on his back and top of the head. He didn't like the attention. He also didn't think he should have been the Tournament MVP. Among the team, he was the only one who thought he shouldn't have been awarded the MVP, except for maybe Charles. His teammates pushed him forward to accept the trophy and to get his picture taken by the newspaper.

After the last team picture was taken, the coach stood in front of his team. "Great job men. I am very proud of you. You worked hard for this, and each of you was essential for this trophy." He stated as he held up the trophy. "Now, enjoy the rest of the weekend. We come back on Monday to begin preparation for the state tournament." Jack walked over to the family waiting for him. Charlette was first in line to give Jack a hug.

"I love you, son. You played a great game." "Thanks, Ma." He hugged her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Here, I want you to have this." He handed her his MVP trophy. "I love you, Ma."

"Well done, son," Tom said as he embraced his oldest son. Congratulations." "Thanks, Pa. Thank you for everything." "You're welcome, son." Jack's embrace meant everything to Tom.

"Well done, bro." "You know, you were right." Jack sassed his little brother.

"Nice job, son," Grace stated.

"I'm all sweaty." "I don't care. Come here." She stated as she stepped forward and gave him a huge hug. "I'm so proud of you." "Thank you, mom." He whispered as he wrapped his arms around her. "Thank you for always coming to support me. I really appreciate it."

"Anything for you, dear."

Jack released his hug on Grace and turned his attention toward William.

"Well done, son. You played so well. Congratulations." William stated as he opened his arms for a hug.

"Thank you, Dad," Jack whispered.

William paused for a moment. He tightened his hold on Jack. As far as William could remember, that was the first time Jack called him dad.

"I love you, son." "I love you, dad."

William released the hug and immediately reached to wipe away a tear. The simple interaction really touched him.

Jack turned around and instantly made eye contact with Elizabeth. While she waited patiently, she bounced on the balls of her feet, waiting her turn. She was eager to hold her boyfriend.

"Jack…" She whispered as they walked toward each other.

"Elizabeth…" He whispered. He had to hold her.

The embrace was sincere and full of love. Elizabeth didn't care that Jack's jersey was soaked with sweat. He slightly picked her up and just held her. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed with all the strength she had in her body.

"Jack…I'm so proud of you!" "Thank you, Bella." He whispered into her hair. They just held onto each other. No words were needed.

Adam and Linda walked up, and each gave Jack a hug. Jack picked Adam up and spun him around twice. Adam's hands were high in the air, and a look of complete joy was on his face.

"Well done, Jack." "Thank you, Ms. Wilson." Jack hugged her back.

Jack stepped back and stood beside Elizabeth. The whole group was standing in a circle. Jack reached up, took the medallion on a ribbon, and took it off his neck. He turned to Elizabeth and placed it over her head. The medallion rested on her chest. "Jack, this is yours." "It's ours, Bella," Jack whispered as he took her hand. "What happens to me, happens to you. I would like for you to keep it. You are an important part of this." "But Jack…" "Us…together." Elizabeth smiled. "Us…together."