Barb told the team that it would be last year. They had been an inspiration, given her confidence in herself. Some of them would continue to play, she hoped, but what she really knew was that they would all do positive things. Some might move and some would find new options to check. “Hey, girls. I went to basketball after the coaches shouted for years to keep my hands off the ball.” They were laughing. Carl was always surprised how she would have told them “bad” when she meant “bad.”
She admitted to Carl later, “Caching is not a blow. As a season sometimes turns out more about what you tell them is moving the ball. Tell them what they have to hear to win. But sometimes you don’t tell them all the same things.”
Why Kathy had been so suddenly away from sex with him, Carl never understood. Teenagers can change directions so quickly. It was almost like she’d never been on the pill. He took Barb’s advice, of course… don’t ask, not with your child, anyway. It made things easier, like nothing was, he admitted Barb’s smile.
If Barb wasn’t there to hold him together when Kathy retired, what would he do? If he had learned that he was ready to make love, it was something important to know, she coached.
Andrea and Kathy had the offensive skills to stay with soccer next year, but they decided to continue. Volleyball, maybe. Drama where they can sing? After the last round of the team, both came back. Walking, talking.
“It was weird, Andrea, that month, my father and everything,” Kathy said.
“Maman said it’s normal for a father to see her child a little differently when she changes.”
“As if he wanted to sleep with her?” asked the other.
“It’s a middle-age crisis,” she says. They don’t do much, unless they’re assholes. "
“Well, she’s right about that, just hit my tits a few times and tried to see me naked. Masturbed like hell sometimes. Like he doesn’t even think who’s doing laundry?”
“Mother says it’s not their fault,” said Andrea. “As she said, if you let them solve, it’s done. The best take more time. Doing a big thing and shit hits the fan. I’m glad you listened to her not to spy on her, even if she’s just my mother. "
“I’m ready to tell the advisor that he’s perverted, and all of a sudden, I’m just his little girl again. Back to those front kisses! I don’t mind if he notices a little. Like your mother told me, shut up.
“Don’t be a fool on reason. We’ve seen them go through the football field. Good thing Mom looked at.”
“They weren’t kissing,” said Kathy.
“See mom doing her arm? When she says it was their first kiss, I believe it, actually. Now they’re like your hamsters. Can’t we hear? Do you think we’ll be step sisters?”
" Probably,” accepted Kathy. “I’m pretty good at knowing where my father’s head is.”
“Hey, you know Gary’s gonna test his driver next month?”
“Really?”
“Shit, if I could get sewing until 12:30, he’d take me off,” said Andrea.
“And do your little cherry, right?”
“We’ll need it soon, right? Maybe I should take the pill?”
Probably. Lana says they’re fine. So maybe we could double you in front of me!”
“No way! I don’t want you to look.”
“OK. That’s how to get better curfews. I tell Dad that yours changes at 12:30 and you tell your mother the same thing about me. They’re both gonna think it’s okay. These two are so big on the limits! How does the world have limits?”
“The old-fashioned stories? Mom probably knows that,” said Andrea.