Winning With Him by Lauren Blakely

Declan

Maybe I do spend more time getting ready for work than usual. I trim my beard, take a long shower, put on my best jeans and a good polo. You never know who you might run into in the corridor at the Comets stadium. Sometimes I bump into visiting players.

Could happen today.

My dumb heart gives a kick, saying yes, wouldn’t that be great!

I roll my eyes at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. But still—I hope.

I grab my Comets ball cap, phone, and wallet, and head out of my apartment to catch the subway to the ballpark. As the train rumbles out of the station on its way to the Bronx, my phone buzzes with an incoming text.

My dad’s name appears on the screen.

Bracing myself for bad news, I click open the thread.

Dad: Look at this beauty! Our truck is so spiffy!

A photo follows—a shot of his new tow truck with the logo of Two Cousins Towing emblazoned on the side.

A small smile pulls on my lips.

I don’t usually smile when my dad’s involved, but a quick scan of our text thread from the last few months is the reason I do now.

Like this one from a month ago.

Dad: I got my one-month chip. Thank you.

It’s the tenth time he’s earned a one-month chip. Or maybe the fifteenth. I don’t know. Still, maybe this time it’ll stick.

Then there’s this message from earlier in the summer.

Dad: Thank you, thank you, thank you. You saved our business. I don’t know what I’d do without you. Also, that was a helluva game last night. You do me proud on the field. And off the field.

As I look at the latest picture of the truck, I have plenty of questions and doubts. Is he better? Will he stay sober this time? Will his business make it? I wish I knew.

But all I know is the last five months have been peaceful enough, giving me plenty of time to think.

Plenty of time to consider everything I could have done differently.

Sighing, I write back to my father.

Declan: It’s a beauty, all right.

Then I close the thread and picture how I want today to go.