Wakingup to Wyndi’s sleeping form got my day started on the right foot. I forgot to have Axel pick her truck up, so I’d dropped her off at it. Then I made my way to Victory Hall, which was the Coyotes’ headquarters. I pulled up at the same time as my homeboy Kew.
He waited for me to get out of my truck.
I took him in briefly. “What’s up?” We exchanged handshakes, then walked to the front door of the facility. “You look like shit.”
He chuckled lightly. “Dawg, I feel like shit.”
“Late night?” The days of late nights, hard partying, and coming to work with a hangover were long over for me. But Irealized that some of my younger teammates were still in that era. I didn’t judge.
“Something like that. I flew out to South Carolina yesterday. My daughter had a father/daughter dance at school. I couldn’t miss that.”
“Nah, you definitely couldn’t miss that.” His comment made me think of the baby growing in Wyndi’s stomach. If it was a girl, and if we were still together, would I get the opportunity to attend father/daughter dances? The thought was mind-blowing, but not in a bad way.
“Damn sure couldn’t miss it.” He agreed. “It’s hard enough having her live so damn far away. I gotta be present for her when it counts.”
We moved down the corridor toward the cafeteria. It wasn’t necessarily mandatory that players make it for the team breakfast that happened before every practice, but I rarely missed it. Being there early and being able to casually shoot the shit with the players I fucked with helped set me up to have the best mindset for the day.
Kew and I hit the food line, then took our trays to the table where Travis Woodson, Jaxxon McKissick, and Cruz Scarboro were already seated. Along with Kew, these were the dudes on the team that I genuinely fucked with on and off the field.
While we were kicking it and eating, my thoughts kept drifting to Wyndi. The baby was kicking her ass, and that thought made me want to smile. She was growing an entire human. Of course I was an uncle. My sister, Shiloh, had grown humans more than once. But I was in the league. I wasn’t present to see all the changes or go through the experience with her. If Wyndi and I worked out, I would have a front row seat of the wonder of pregnancy. I shook my head. My ass had some kind of pregnancy kink or some shit. Who sat up and considered thewonder of pregnancy?I was a fucking simp for this girlalready. I didn’t get how she had gotten under my skin so quickly, but there she was, under my skin.
While I was thinking about her, a text came through.
Wyndi:
Hey Kaynaan, thanks for last night. The food. The sleep. I really needed that.
I had barely finished reading the text before they started in on me.
“Dawg, why is you cheesing like that?” Cruz questioned.
“That’s that getting pussy grin.” McKissick joked.
“That’s that pussyeatinggrin,” Kew corrected. “You been eating pussy, homie?”
Everybody at the table laughed, including me. “I’m doing something,” I responded vaguely before responding to the text.
Me:
You’re good, Brown Eyes. I liked having you in my space. Next to me. I’m trying to do it again tonight.
Wyndi:
Message received. Since you’ve fed me a few times, I’ll return the favor. Be at my place at 7:00 p.m. I won’t keep you out late.
Me:
What if I want you to keep me out late?
Wyndi:
Then bring your overnight bag.
Me:
Say less.
The conversation moved on around me. A short time later, the five of us headed toward the legacy room for the day’s team meeting. Kew and I brought up the rear of the group.
