matching caps.
The dining hall of the luxury hotel was packed with tables and crowded with people. Each sport had been granted a specific area of the great room. Football took up the largest space and was up front, near the podium. At the speakers’ table, stretching across the front of the room, special dignitaries were seated. Julie waved to her parents, who were seated between the principal and school superintendent.
All through the meal and award presentations, Julie held Luke’s hand under the table. She realized it was difficult for him to sit through the ceremony, knew that every award, every word of praise reminded him of the “before time”—before he got cancer. Luke wasshowered with certificates and trophies, including the prestigious Player of the Year, an award that usually went to a graduating senior, not a junior. But there was little doubt that he deserved it. Leading the team to the semifinals of the state championship was something no athlete from Waterton had done in over twenty-five years.
“We’ll win it next year,” Julie’s father said into the mike as Luke made his way back to his seat carrying his trophy. The room erupted into cheers and shouts. Coach Ellis held up his hands for quiet. “I have a little something I want to show all of you,” he said.
A curtain parted and two waiters carried out an easel. On it was a large, flat object covered with a velvet drape. “Ladies and gentlemen,” Coach Ellis said with little fanfare, “I want to present the final drawings of the new Waterton Warriors football stadium.”
He pulled off the drape and exposed a gorgeous artist’s rendering of a brand-new stadium. The crowd applauded wildly. “We’ll break ground this summer,” the coach said. “And although it won’t be completed until the following fall, it will be the best stadium with the finest playing turf in the state. In fact,we may play the state championships here in the future.”
Again, wild applause. Julie squeezed Luke’s hand. The stadium would not be ready in time for him to play in it, but it was still nice for her to see one of her father’s dreams come true.
“Uh—Coach …,” Frank called, then stood up, walked swiftly to the front, and spoke into the mike. “The guys would like to say thanks for a great year.” He handed Julie’s dad a long white envelope, which Julie knew contained tickets for a night on the town in Chicago.
“And one more thing,” Frank said.
In unison, the players stood. Mystified, Julie gave Luke a questioning look. Equally baffled, he shrugged.
“This is for you, Luke, buddy. It’s a little present that the guys and Coach want to give you.”
One by one, the team members removed their baseball caps to expose heads shaved perfectly bald. Every one of them, even her father, had shaved his head clean. People gasped, then began to applaud. Then they stood and looked toward Luke.
Julie rose to her feet, her gaze locked onLuke’s face, a lump the size of a fist lodged in her throat. She saw tears shimmering in his eyes. Then he too stood, swept off his hat from his smooth head, and bowed in tribute to the sacrifice his coach and friends had made in his honor.
10
J ulie celebrated the completion of Luke’s chemo by throwing a party, and she gave it the night her parents were to go into Chicago to use their banquet gift certificate.
“I’m not sure, Julie,” her mother said when Julie told her the plans. “I hate to leave you and your friends unchaperoned.”
“Mother, please.” Julie sighed dramatically. “My friends know how to act. Most of them are Daddy’s players; they’re not going to get crazy or anything. Daddy would make their lives miserable.”
“
No
alcohol,” her mother said emphatically.
“Not to worry. Everybody wants Luke to have a good time and so I know they’ll be on their best behavior.”
“Is Solena going to help you?”
“Solena and a couple of others. We’ll clean everything up.
The dining hall of the luxury hotel was packed with tables and crowded with people. Each sport had been granted a specific area of the great room. Football took up the largest space and was up front, near the podium. At the speakers’ table, stretching across the front of the room, special dignitaries were seated. Julie waved to her parents, who were seated between the principal and school superintendent.
All through the meal and award presentations, Julie held Luke’s hand under the table. She realized it was difficult for him to sit through the ceremony, knew that every award, every word of praise reminded him of the “before time”—before he got cancer. Luke wasshowered with certificates and trophies, including the prestigious Player of the Year, an award that usually went to a graduating senior, not a junior. But there was little doubt that he deserved it. Leading the team to the semifinals of the state championship was something no athlete from Waterton had done in over twenty-five years.
“We’ll win it next year,” Julie’s father said into the mike as Luke made his way back to his seat carrying his trophy. The room erupted into cheers and shouts. Coach Ellis held up his hands for quiet. “I have a little something I want to show all of you,” he said.
A curtain parted and two waiters carried out an easel. On it was a large, flat object covered with a velvet drape. “Ladies and gentlemen,” Coach Ellis said with little fanfare, “I want to present the final drawings of the new Waterton Warriors football stadium.”
He pulled off the drape and exposed a gorgeous artist’s rendering of a brand-new stadium. The crowd applauded wildly. “We’ll break ground this summer,” the coach said. “And although it won’t be completed until the following fall, it will be the best stadium with the finest playing turf in the state. In fact,we may play the state championships here in the future.”
Again, wild applause. Julie squeezed Luke’s hand. The stadium would not be ready in time for him to play in it, but it was still nice for her to see one of her father’s dreams come true.
“Uh—Coach …,” Frank called, then stood up, walked swiftly to the front, and spoke into the mike. “The guys would like to say thanks for a great year.” He handed Julie’s dad a long white envelope, which Julie knew contained tickets for a night on the town in Chicago.
“And one more thing,” Frank said.
In unison, the players stood. Mystified, Julie gave Luke a questioning look. Equally baffled, he shrugged.
“This is for you, Luke, buddy. It’s a little present that the guys and Coach want to give you.”
One by one, the team members removed their baseball caps to expose heads shaved perfectly bald. Every one of them, even her father, had shaved his head clean. People gasped, then began to applaud. Then they stood and looked toward Luke.
Julie rose to her feet, her gaze locked onLuke’s face, a lump the size of a fist lodged in her throat. She saw tears shimmering in his eyes. Then he too stood, swept off his hat from his smooth head, and bowed in tribute to the sacrifice his coach and friends had made in his honor.
10
J ulie celebrated the completion of Luke’s chemo by throwing a party, and she gave it the night her parents were to go into Chicago to use their banquet gift certificate.
“I’m not sure, Julie,” her mother said when Julie told her the plans. “I hate to leave you and your friends unchaperoned.”
“Mother, please.” Julie sighed dramatically. “My friends know how to act. Most of them are Daddy’s players; they’re not going to get crazy or anything. Daddy would make their lives miserable.”
“
No
alcohol,” her mother said emphatically.
“Not to worry. Everybody wants Luke to have a good time and so I know they’ll be on their best behavior.”
“Is Solena going to help you?”
“Solena and a couple of others. We’ll clean everything up.
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