Page 61 of Off the Post

“You sure are getting good at hitting the ball,” she marvels, placing a kiss on the top of his head. His gap-toothed smile is filled with pride.

He nods emphatically. “Yeah. I’m better than Woof.”

Soren picks up the broken tees and turns around, a mocking glare of protest pinned on his partner. “Hey, I’m trying here. You’ve got some mad skills, Little Wolf.”

When Soren notices me in the cart, I give him a friendly wave. He winks back.

“How’s it going out here? Everyone doing okay so far?” I ask, hoping my voice doesn’t sound like I’m in desperate need of Soren’s attention. “I see you haven’t brought The Wolf to tears yet, Nicolas.”

Nicolas raises his fists above his head and pumps them in the air with a celebratory whoop of laughter. It’s light and joyous, and his enthusiasm for life despite his limitations fills my heart. It’s for this reason I love working with the LTLFK Foundation and am proud of the work we do to help kids get the most out of life.

Nicolas jumps up to sit on the bench seat of their golf cart, chanting, “Go, Vikings, go!”

In a conversation with his mother before the event, Melanie explained that Nicolas has a difficult time forming words and talking due to various delays brought on by WHS. While bright and very aware of the world around him, his capacity to speak clearly is hampered at this stage by his cleft palate and where the gum repairs are at and his developmental delays, so he will often chant or sing instead.

Soren secures the clubs in their bags on the back of their golf cart and walks directly toward mine. I think my heart skips a beat. I lift my fingers to my eyebrow, rolling the tip of my index over the fine hairs to calm my nerves.

He stops at my side and, crooking his elbow on the roof, leans his head down so his face is visible to me. His grin is heart-stopping.

“If it weren’t for Little Wolf, I’d be losing to Thorny over there.” He winks and I feel it between my legs. Then he pins me with a heady stare. “Are you going to join us, Ali?”

“Oh goodness, no. I’m not a golfer.” I wave my hand in the air. “I’m just popping through to make sure everyone knows we have a big post-tournament awards ceremony after all the groups are finished. We’ll all meet up at the clubhouse. I hope you can stick around for that, Soren.”

“I’ll be there.” The corners of his mouth quirk up into a smirk. “You can count on that.”

30

Soren

“Wolf, thank you so much for your kindness today with Nicolas.” Melanie’s eyes glisten with unshed tears, and a tight lump forms in my throat. I’m not exceptionally great with showing emotion and don’t always respond accordingly, but this time I manage to find the words.

“Think nothing of it, Melanie. The honor was all mine. Your son is amazing.”

The kid is pure joy, and what he lacks in stature he makes up for with the biggest heart of any person I’ve ever met. The cheerfulness he freely shares has inspired me to view the world in a different way.

And the opportunity to spend the day out on the course with Nicolas has taught me a ton about children with disabilities, giving me a new perspective on how I can learn to be more open with people, especially people I care about.

Nicolas presents himself to the world in a way that says you can be happy despite the difficulties and pain you might experience in your life. Something that I’m grateful to be reminded of.

The kid is also great for my ego. It’s pretty fucking great to be told I’m his all-time favorite goalie.

As our foursome and the kids’ parents enter the clubhouse, Melanie encourages her son to head over to the treat table where he can grab a snack.

“Remember to use your manners, though,” she reminds her son, giving him a tap on the butt.

Nicolas’s reply is priceless. He rolls his eyes and says very clearly, “Duh, Mama.”

I chuckle and watch him run off toward the table where a few of the other kids are congregating, all of them chatting like they’re best friends.

Melanie gives me a watery smile, glancing at her child as he examines the table full of treats and snacks. “When Nicolas was born, we weren’t sure what to expect. The doctors warned us there would be developmental delays, problems with verbal communication, impacts to his heart and lungs. It was devastating.” She swipes a finger over her cheek, wiping away a tear. “His biological father couldn’t handle it and took off within the first two months.”

“Jesus, I’m sorry.” My words are wholly inadequate for the pain she must have endured. “That must’ve been rough.”

She nods. “Yes, it was. But Nicolas means everything to me. He taught me how to be resilient and never give up. And a few years later, I met a man who loved and cherished us both. Allen became Nicolas’s stepfather.”

This takes me by surprise. The information from Ali had indicated that Melanie was a single mother. I cast a glance around us, thinking maybe I somehow missed meeting him. “Is he here today?”

A sad look that flashes across Melanie’s face. “Allen died suddenly last year in a motorcycle accident. My poor boy and I have been going through a traumatic time.”