COACH KENDRA BLEW her whistle, and their scrimmage came to a stop. Thea leaned over, clutching her stomach as she struggled to breathe. She'd put everything on the line in practice today, to prove to her coach that she was serious about playing on the team.

Thea had played their last match, but she'd been subbed in for Jess quiet early after failing to find her rhythm in the first fifteen minutes.

"Good job ladies, I'm seeing improvements in a few of you," her eyes lingered on Thea's as she said the last few words, but Thea didn't let it bother her.

She would keep her head down and just focus on the game. Coach Kendra's gaze turned towards Jess, and she smiled at the blonde, "Would you like to share the good news?"

"Oh, I didn't know we were doing this right now."

Coach Kendra gave her an encouraging look, "Go on."

Jess smiled at the group, "Well, I'm happy to announce that I've signed an extension with the Panthers, so I'll be here for a couple of more years."

Thea's stomach sank as there was a chorus of congratulations from the girls around her.

"Jess has demonstrated a strong commitment to the team so I'm glad I'll be able to coach her for the foreseeable future," Kendra added.

Her words didn't go unnoticed by Thea. Kendra was issuing a challenge to them. If they played well, they would be given contract extensions and if they didn't, Thea was sure they would be shown out the door.

For a moment, Thea considered, would it be so bad to move to another team? She'd been a part of the Panthers for nearly four years, and she had nothing to show for it, except a couple of playoff losses.

"Everyone hit the showers, and make sure you sleep early tonight. I want you to be refreshed for tomorrow's game."

Her body moved on autopilot. In the locker room, the girls were cheering and jibbing with Jess, saying that the next team dinner would be on her.

"You've been quiet the last few practices," Lauren said casually as she walked up beside her locker.

Thea gave her a small smile, "I have?"

"Well," Lauren laughed as she crossed her arms, "You were never the party animal, but your silence has been noticed by some of the other girls as well."

There was a beat of silence between them as Lauren waited for her response.

Thea shook her head, "It's nothing. I've just had a few personal things come up which is why I might seem a bit more distant."

"Hmm," Lauren said but didn't press on. Her gaze lifted from Thea's to look at the smiling girls across the locker room. "I know Kendra hasn't been easy on you, but if you just give her a chance to know you, I'm sure she'll see how awesome you are."

Her captain wasn't dumb. Lauren had been on the Panther's team for six seasons, and captain for five of those. Of course, she could see the tension between Thea and Kendra.

She picked up her bag and gave Lauren a tired smile, "Thanks, I'll try my best."

Lauren pointed her thumb to Jess, "Dinner's on this one after the game tomorrow, so make sure you're free."

Thea nodded, "You can count me in."

Then, she left the locker room as fast as she could.

⚽⚽⚽

Her phone rang, and she cradled it with one arm, while grabbing the bag of quinoa and adding it to her shopping cart.

Thea glanced at the caller ID before putting it to her ear, "Hey Mom."

"Thea!" Her mother's cheerful voice came through the end of the line, and she scolded her lightly, "I called you earlier, but you didn't pick up!"

Thea pushed her cart past a mother and her rowdy children, walking towards the massive refrigerators at the back of the store, "I was at practice Mom."

"Right," her mother cleared her throat. "How have the games been? I couldn't catch the last one, it was during my shift."

Thea ignored the dull ache in her heart. She knew her mother's work hours prevented her from watching most of Thea's games live, but an irrational piece of her was still hurt. "It was fine."

She could almost imagine her mother nodding on the end of the other line. While both her mother's children played soccer, Thea found it astounding that she never really discussed her life as a professional athlete with her mother—ever.

She changed the subject quickly, "How's grandma been?"

"She was good when I visited her yesterday. She was reminiscing on how you and Rashad would always eat the beef patties she would make."

Thea cleared her throat, "So she remembered me then?"

"She did sweetheart. You know it's easier for her to remember the past."

Thea's throat felt clogged. If she opened her mouth, she knew her voice might waver. She missed her grandma. Her soothing Jamaican accent, delicious foods, and occasional curses were a part of Thea's childhood. While her mother was forced to work night shifts, it was her grandmother who would take care of them.

Thea could still remember her nimble fingers, as she would braid her hair meticulously one piece at a time, often adding colourful beads on Thea's request. Her grandmother had also taken the time to teach her mother—who had no idea what to do with Thea's curly hair.

"I'll tell her you asked about her when I visit next." Thea's mom promised when she heard the silence. "Now, why did I have to hear from Rashad that Orson is staying at your place?"

Of course, her brother had snitched to their mother. "It's not a big deal Mom. He's just crashing in my apartment while he's rehabbing from his injury."

"Oh, that poor boy," Her mother crooned, "Rashad told me about his injury. Is he doing better now?"

Well, that was a loaded question. Was Orson doing better? No, he was not. If Thea had thought he was insufferable before their visit to the doctor, that was nothing compared to now. But was she really going to rat him out to her mother?

"He's been..." she trailed off.

Her mother laughed on the other line. "Oh, I'm sure he's been a miserable patient. Ah, the number of athletes I've treated in the emergency room, it doesn't matter what level they play, they are all the same."

"Well thanks for the ringing endorsement," Thea said sarcastically. She pulled on the black handle before grabbing a carton of cookies and cream ice-cream and placed it into her shopping cart.

Her mother's tone became softer, "I'm sure you can handle it. The three of you were always tied to the hip as children, Isabel and I never understood how you didn't get tired of each other."

A wistful smile came on Thea's face as she remembered Orson's mother. She had died two years ago from a heart attack. Orson had been devastated but Claudia had entered his life quickly after, filling some of that void.

"Take care of him yeah," her mother interrupted her thoughts, "And bring him here for Easter. Rashad can't fly out because he doesn't want to leave Lina alone, but I still want to see you."

"Okay Mom, I'll be there."

"Good, I love you and I'll talk to you later."

Her Mom hung up the phone and Thea's gaze drifted to the carton of maple walnut ice-cream—Orson's favourite.

Did he deserve it? No. But Thea still found herself picking up a carton and adding it to the rest of her grocery items. She didn't know how much longer she could keep reaching out before she would completely shut down, but today didn't seem like that day.

⚽⚽⚽

With her arms full of grocery bags, she kicked open the door, only to be assaulted by the stench of Vodka.

Orson lay across her couch munching on a bag of her favourite kettle cooked chips as he took a swing from the half empty bottle of vodka beside him. Thea was hit with a sense of déjà vu. Had she not already experienced this several weeks ago?

Orson's eyes moved to the grocery bags in her hands, "You should have told me you were going to the store." He picked up her favourite bag of chips, "These are shitty, you could have picked up some Cheetos for me."

Thea stood flabbergasted for a moment. How long was this man's path of self destruction going to continue? And would Thea be pulled into it as well? All she wanted to do was scream and throw things at Orson, but she didn't.

Based on his clouded gaze, no message would get to him right now.

"How did you get that bottle of vodka in here?" she asked. Last time she'd tossed all her alcohol, so this exact scenario would be prevented.

Orson gave her a lazy grin, "Oh, I found some random website that delivers to your doorstep. Isn't that great for a crippled who can't walk? They really are doing God's work out there."

Thea's nostrils flared and she pinched the bridge of her nose. He was baiting her with his words. Orson wanted a reaction out of her.

Her body ached and all she wanted to do was eat dinner, take a shower to wipe out the grime from her body and forget about today. She didn't want to think about the fact that Jess had gotten a contract, and she was still waiting for the club to make her an offer. She didn't want to think about her mother's phone call and her ailing grandmother. And she definitely did not want to think about the drunken man on her sofa.

Orson waved his vodka bottle in a circle near his face, "What, you're going to ignore me now Thea? Play the silent game like we used to do as children?"

In another moment, she would have smiled at the memory of their childhood. Staying quiet whenever the boys upset her had always been her move instead of throwing a tantrum. Somehow, it always ate at them, and they'd take turns trying to make her laugh and break her character.

She wasn't laughing now though.

Thea rummaged through the grocery bag by her feet before she found the maple walnut ice-cream she was looking for. She tossed it in the direction of the couch, and it narrowly missed Orson's head instead.

"Are you trying to fucking kill me?"

No, but he was doing it himself without her help, she thought.

"I was trying to be kind, but I'm fucking done now," she said, lifting the grocery bags towards the kitchen. "If you're still drunk in a few hours, don't bother coming in my room. If you want to act like a drunk, then I'll treat you like a drunk."

"You are not my babysitter, and I'll act however I want to."

Thea shrugged her shoulders and began stuffing the various vegetables and fruits into her fridge. She had said her piece and engaging with him now was pointless. Once she was done putting the grocery away, she hugged the cookies and cream ice-cream to her chest and walked to her room. Tonight, most definitely called for a sugary snack.

---------------

Poor Thea, she has so much to handle. Do you think you would have given up on Orson by now? Unrelated question, but what is your favourite chip flavour? I love sour cream'n onion.